This is a video that we shot recently at a local nearby park.

Please note: This is the first time the protection dogs met these particular children. This goes to show you how good our CCK9 German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois Protection Dogs are with children….

Deno passed the executive personal protection program with flying colors and is an expert at targeting the weapon hand when defending his family.  His level of hardiness with his man-stopping devastation in defense and sound nerves. He was enrolled in the Level II program when our clients, a couple with a Boy decided  he fit the profile of everything they wanted.  Deno acclimatized very well and seemed as delighted with our client’s family as they were with him.

Our clients are extremely pleased with their newest family member and we are pleased to have provided a dog that will not hesitate to come to our client family’s defense.

It’s deliveries like these that allows me to sleep at night, knowing that my client is in good hands.

Truffle hunting, in my mind, always conjures up images of French men handling large pigs on leashes.  But this is old school truffle pursuit.  Today, we find (who else?) but trained truffle dogs on the job, nose down to the ground, scouring every inch of the truffiere plantation in hopes of striking ‘black gold’.  Not only can a dog’s superior sense of smell locate an underground fungus, but they are also smart enough to be trained not to eat the truffle upon discovery.  An added bonus, dogs fit much easier in the back of the car.

Humans have been capitalizing on the canine’s superior sense of smell for longer than we really know.  Put to great use, many a dog nose has been responsible for finding lost people, apprehending drug traffickers, and locating disaster victims. Cadaver dogs, in particular, often facilitate the justice system and provide closure for family members.  There are dogs that can noninvasively determine if a human has cancer, is about to have a seizure or has low blood sugar. Anyone whose luggage has been lightened at the airport by the removal of contraband cheese will attest to the power of canine smell (and also that beagles REALLY love a good English Stilton).

When training my own dogs, I take advantage of this extraordinary sense.  Search and rescue command is probably the most obvious use of smell and the canine nose certainly comes in handy when it comes to our child protection program.  But there is more.  Protection dogs have a natural desire to defend and guard their handler.  The bond between the handler and dog cements the desire.  Dogs bond with you through their senses; while they do see you and hear you, the dog most identifies with your smell.  They are able to determine your mood and emotional state from your body language and by your hormone levels, which they smell.  Ever heard the phrase ‘the smell of fear’?  Protection dogs are especially interested in knowing when their handler is afraid, for obvious reasons.

So don’t be surprised when you come home from work and your dog is waiting by the door.  Their unique gift lets them know that they will soon be united with their handler; they literally smelled you a mile away.

Tina, a female German shepherd, was the pick of the litter.  She is the offspring of two Level III German Shepherds from West Germany and was born here at the CCK9 facility.

Tina passed her Level I training with flying colors and is an expert at targeting the weapon hand when defending her family.  Her level headedness, sociability and intelligence are balanced with her man-stopping devastation in defense and sound nerves.

She was enrolled in the Level II program when our clients, a couple with 4 small children and a male pet dog, decided she fit the profile of everything they wanted.  Tina acclimatized very well and seemed as delighted with our client’s children as they were with her.  As usual, Tina and the family’s male German Pointer got along great.

Our clients are extremely pleased with their newest family member and we are pleased to have provided a dog that will not hesitate to come to our client family’s defense.

It’s deliveries like these that reinforce that I have the greatest job in the World.

In my industry, you’ll hear a lot of people refer to training as “working the dog”. While possibly offensive to those not in the field, the terms “train” and “work” are commonly used interchangeably.

Sometimes, though, people will ask if dogs actually see personal protection training as “work”. Here is what they really are asking: do dogs enjoy being trained?

The answer is an unequivocal YES!

It takes a special dog to do personal protection and service work. Only the top 1% of dogs actually qualify for our rigorous program. Being so selective serves two purposes. First, it is important that a dog possesses all of the genetics, natural talents, abilities necessary to finish the program. It is nearly impossible to train a dog to completion without the proper attributes. In fact, trying to force a dog into something it isn’t ready or willing to do is like pushing a rock uphill. Secondly, training is a time and labor-intensive endeavor; our dogs all have years and years of training behind them. We are extremely selective when choosing puppies because we really want the dog to complete the program.

Every dog is born with a purpose. Most dogs will become family pets and companions. However, there are a few that are simply born with everything that it takes to do protection work. Just like humans enjoy developing their talents, dogs born with the desire and intelligence to protect enjoy the challenges of fine tuning their given abilities. These simply aren’t the type of dogs who would prefer to lie in the sun all day. They would rather be practicing their bite work or learning commands, tracking or testing their agility on the course. They need stimulus. I would not allow a dog to continue in our program if he or she seemed reluctant, uncomfortable, or disagreeable. It is not good for the dog or for our clients or for us either.

My motto is “do what you love”. This is why I am a protection dog trainer. Our dogs express the same sentiment, not in words but when they complete their agility training for the day and are still ready for more or when they execute a command without the expectation of anything more than verbal praise.

I have a job to do but it doesn’t feel like work because I enjoy it and it is my purpose in life. My dogs? They feel exactly the same way.

Without a doubt one of the most asked questions we get has to do with how protection dogs behave toward children. Without hesitation, the answer is “terrific”. Children and dogs have a fantastic connection with each other.

One of the most prominent differences between canines and wolves is that while wolves shun humans, dogs embrace them. This relationship is especially emphasized when one observes how dogs behave around children. Children are high energy, excitable and have a high-pitched, non-threatening voice. These qualities remind dogs of when they themselves where puppies, having fun in the whelping box with their littermates. Thus, dogs rarely see children as threatening. The feeling the dog has is much like how most humans feel when they see a baby.

Dogs have such a strong desire to bond with children that they will not hesitate in situations where they otherwise would. For instance, dogs are naturally leery of new surfaces and may hesitate at first to step on asphalt or sand. However, if a child is in a sandbox the puppy will step onto the sand without delay because the puppy’s desire to bond outweighs the risk of experiencing an unknown surface.

This relationship is highlighted every time we have a new litter. Our German Shepherd puppies, Dutch Shepherd puppies and most recent litter of Belgian Malinois puppies start to socialize with children very soon after birth. The puppies love the interaction and are happy and exhausted once the children leave. These same feelings continue into adulthood and are part of the reason that protection dogs are excellent for families with children or for specific child protection work. In addition, since dogs do not view children as threats, you never have to worry about your personal protection dog becoming defensive if your children are roughhousing or playing together.

We have zero tolerance for aggression toward children; none of the dogs we sell would ever feel defensive toward a child. Actually, their instinct to guard a child is higher than for an adult. This is why personal protection dogs are an excellent choice when considering security options for your family. CCK9 offers a popular child protection program. The second best thing to a mother’s protection, our dogs will safeguard your child in all situations. In the few instances where your child may be alone or you may be distracted, the child protection dog will be alert to any danger. If a predator or unknown person should attempt to touch or accost your child or children, the dog is trained to get in between them and bark in a threatening manner. In addition to other commands, our dogs are trained to assist in child rescue if there is ever a need.

Considering the security that trained dogs can and are eager to provide, it’s no wonder that dogs are called “man’s best friend”.