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Posts Tagged ‘Belgian Malinois’
Wednesday, November 10th, 2010
 When you are considering the purchase of a protection dog, it is a good thing to understand that not all dog breeds are well suited for this. Some breeds are simply built stronger and have the natural instincts of protection in them from the start. When most people think of strong dog breeds they think of Rottweiler and Doberman. It is true that these breeds are very strong physically but as you know a protection dog must me more than just strong physically they must also have strong nerves to even be trained for foundational protection work. That is why German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, and Dutch Shepherd are the best breeds for a personal protection dog.
The German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, and Dutch Shepherd are the three best breeds to serve as a protection dog. To begin with, the German Shepherd is an overall extremely well built dog, they are well proportioned, muscular, and have solid bone structure. They are courageous, alert and fearless, which are great characteristics in a protection dog. The German Shepherd is a great dog that makes training easy because they are obedient, clever, have a high learning ability, and are eager to learn. It is one of the best breeds to have as a protection dog if you have a family because they are incredibly loyal, faithful, and brave. They also are excellent with children and love to be close with their human families. The Belgian Malinois is very similar to the German Shepherd in its build as well as its temperament. However, this breed is much more elegant in build and light-boned, this does not mean it lacks any strength or agility. They are a very active, intelligent and protective breed. The Dutch Shepherd is also similar to both the German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois, but they are known as the most competent of all shepherd dogs. This breed, just like the other two is very strong, friendly, obedient, and smart. These three breeds are considered the best because they are all herding dogs. This is so important because a herding dog has the natural ability to protect.
We at CCK9 feel that you deserve the best in K9 protection dogs, that is why we only train and sell the German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, and Dutch Shepherd.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, Dog Breeds, Dutch Shepherd, German Shepherd, Personal Protection Dog, Protection Dog
Posted in Belgian Malinois, CCK9, Dog Breeds, Dutch Shepherd, German Shepherd, Protection Dogs | No Comments »
Monday, November 1st, 2010
 There are many different breeds that are associated with KNPV. Some breeds of course are better suited then others just as some breeds are better suited to be helper dogs then other. In this article we will explain why the Belgian Malinois is best for KNPV then most other breeds.
First we will give you a little bit of history on dog training and KNPV. Back in the early 1900′s when people talked about a trained police dog, they mostly thought of the qualities of the dog’s smelling sense, a quality that was highly overestimated, leaving the dog’s ability to hear and bite was pretty much overlooked. As time went on it taught people that the protection abilities of a dog were also very important for actual police work too. Disappointed in not being able to create the perfect miracle dog that could find, track, and protect brought the realization that every dog breed is distinctive, and therefore, every breed is somewhat limited in what it can do. With this in mind trainers had to go about training a particular dog that fitted the breed best, however, the goal was always to pass the KNPV trial in discipline, tracking and protection.
Bouviers were one the first of the various breeds that were put to the many KNPV trial tests. Other breeds such as German Shepherds, Dutch Shepherds, Dobermans, and Belgian Sheepdogs were also among the breeds tried in the KNPV tests. As most other breeds used declined over the years one breed stood out and received more and more titles each and every year, and that breed was the Belgian Malinois.
Belgian Malinois are the best fit when it comes to KNPV because they are naturally good strong willed, and genetically bread with sound nerves and are a much harder dog than most breeds. Amongst other breeds they are very intelligent and possesses a strong desire to work. Belgian Malinois are naturally protective of their owners but are known to be not overly aggressive. Each year there are 800-1000 dogs titled KNPV each year with 90% of them being Belgian Malinois with the exception of 1% being German Shepherds. There are only a few KNPV German Shepherd breeders in the world and CCK9 is proud to be one of only a couple in North America.
Remember that KNPV is a sporting title and a certification program for civilians to train dogs and not necessarily a title that is given to represent a personal protection dog. Personal protection dogs are specifically trained to protect and having a KNPV title is just a bonus to any qualified trained protection dog.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, K.N.P.V., KNPV German Shepherd Breeder, Personal Protection Dogs
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 12th, 2010
 As with any mammal, there are a wide range of illnesses and diseases that could potentially affect your protection dog. While most dogs will live their lives in relatively good health, there a number of common health problems that can occur in dogs, and should be watched out for. Remember that your protection dog is relying on its health and wellness in order to keep you and your family safe, so it is always in your best interests to ensure that your dog is in peak physical condition.
According to animal health insurance agencies, ear infections are the single most common health problem among canines. This is followed by skin problems, such as pyoderma, and gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea. While none of these may seem immediately serious, these health problems can negatively affect the performance of your protection dog. Also, if left unchecked, they can eventually lead to life-threatening complications. Luckily, all three are fairly easy to spot. It’s inadvisable to examine the ears of your dog closely without the help of a veterinarian, but you should be on the lookout for excess wax buildup or discharge that could signal an infection. Also be aware of your dog’s behavior. Dogs with ear infections will show their discomfort by rubbing their ears against carpeting or furniture, scratching their ears excessively, or shaking their heads as if there was water in their ears. To spot skin allergies, or other health problems, you should examine your dog’s skin regularly for lesions or sores. This is also helpful in detecting the presence of certain parasites, such as ticks, which are another very common health problem among dogs. Finally, vomiting and diarrhea will be immediately obvious, but you should pay attention to your dogs eating habits, as changes in appetite may signal less obvious gastrointestinal problems.
Aside from the health problems that are common amongst all breeds, specific breeds sometimes suffer from certain health problems more than others. Due to the size of common working breeds, and the intense physical activity that they’re expected to perform, joint problems are a common occurrence. Hip Dysplasia is a particularly common disorder that occurs often in working breeds such as the German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois. In most cases, hip dysplasia won’t become obvious until your dog has aged significantly, but you should always be on the look out for changes in your dog’s stride, and any indications that your dog may be experiencing pain in the hips and joints.
Remember that if you are ever in doubt about the health of your personal protection dog, you should never hesitate to contact your veterinarian. With knowledge and perseverance, you can help ensure that your dog will live a long and healthy life.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, Canine Health, German Shepherd, Protection Dog, veterinarian
Posted in Canine Health | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 5th, 2010
 Bringing a new protection dog into the home can be a wonderful experience, and a great addition to the family that adds both loyalty and protection. However, it may take some time for family members to adjust to a new dog in the home. More so than the humans in your family, pet cats may have the most difficulty adjusting. However, making the right preparations can help ensure that your pets and your protection dog can live together peacefully.
The first step is always to educate oneself on canine and feline behavior. If you can predict how the animals in your home are going to react to one-another, then you can make the right preparations to ensure that initial introductions go smoothly. First and foremost, understand that canines are social creatures. When introducing your new dog to your cats for the first time, you must ensure that you have complete control of the situation at all times. Under no circumstances should the animals in your home be left alone to sort things out for themselves.
The initial introduction between your new dog and your cats should be done in an environment where you control the safety of your dog and your cats at all times. The use of a dog crate is extremely helpful. To a dog, the crate is a comfortable and relaxing place. Keeping your dog in its crate while inside the home will help it to associate the smell of your cats with comfort of its crate. It is important that your cats recognize the new addition to your home as a safe companion, and not a threat. With time, you can allow your dog into the home while on a leash. Take your time, and don’t rush the process. Remember that you must be in control at all times.
Some cats may insist on instigating problems even after all the precautions you take. Be aware of your pets’ behavior, and how they seem to be handling the new situation. Fortunately, given time, the majority of pets should be able to live in harmony with your new dog. Whether you have a new German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois or Dutch Shepherd, taking it slowly and remaining in control are key to ensuring a peaceful and happy bond between your protection dog and your pets.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, cat, German Shepherd, Guard Dog, introducing, Protection Dog
Posted in Protection Dogs | No Comments »
Thursday, September 30th, 2010
 We’ve all seen someone jump at the sound of a balloon popping, or the classic prank of bursting a paper bag next to an unwitting friend, but few people realise the importance of understanding our reactions to loud noises, and how working dogs might react to these noises. There are many people who have never heard the sound of a gunshot in their lives. They may understand what a gun is, and that it makes a loud noise, but hearing that sound for the first time is almost guaranteed to be a nerve-wracking experience. Now imagine how a canine might react, having no knowledge of what a gun is, or what it might sound like. The sound of gunfire immediately provokes fear and confusion in many animals. However, conditioning working dogs to remain focused during gunfire is something that hunters and police officers have been doing for centuries.
The sport of KNPV recognizes the need for a dog that can remain calm during gunfire, and includes exercises which are designed to test a dog’s reaction to gunfire. The most basic exercise is simply training the dog not to bark during while using firearms. The most natural reaction for a dog to have in response to loud noises is to bark. This makes training a dog not to bark during firearms exercises exceptionally difficult, but it’s certainly not impossible. However, good training is only one side of the equation. It is extremely important for a dog to have strong nerves, as it will make a calm and controlled reaction to frightening noises that much easier to achieve. It is for this reason that police protection dogs are specifically bred to have strong nerves.
It is commendable of KNPV to include exercises, such as not barking under gunfire, which test the needs of working police dogs. Of all dog sports, KNPV comes the closest to mimicking real life scenarios with its exercises. However, one should always remember that KNPV is just a sport. True protection dogs should be trained for protection work in the real world, not for sport.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, German Shepherd, K.N.P.V., police dogs, Protection Dogs, Sporting Dogs
Posted in K.N.P.V. | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 28th, 2010
 Although most dog sports are essentially built around the same basic principals, each sport is unique in its own way. One of the exercises that makes French Ring sport different from other competitive dog sports is its retrieval exercises. There are three types of retrieval exercises, but only dogs competing in French Ring III, the most advanced level of French Ring titles, are expected to perform all three.
The first of the three exercises is known as the thrown retrieve. In this exercise, the handler throws an object, and the dog is simply expected to retrieve the object and return it to the handler. The throw must cover a distance of at least 5 meters, and the dog is only given 5 seconds to complete the exercise. Due to the time restrictions, the dog must move quickly, but it is also important that the handler be able to throw appropriate distance. Throwing further than 5 meters will obviously cost you time as your dog is required to run farther than the minimum 5 meters. Practise and coordination are required by both the dog and the handler.
The thrown retrieve exercise is performed in all three levels of French Ring. In French Ring II, a new retrieve is introduced, which is known as “seen retrieve”. The seen retrieve involves the handler and dog heeling down the field. The handler drops an object in plain site of the dog, and they continue moving. Finally, they stop, and the dog is instructed to run back and retrieve the object. In French Ring III, another variation of this is introduced, known as “unseen retrieve”. The unseen retrieve is essentially identical to the seen retrieve, except that the object is dropped without the dog seeing it.
Retrieval exercises are certainly nothing new to dog owners. It is certainly not uncommon to see dog owners from all walks of life teaching their pets to play “fetch”. French Ring tries to go a step further by incorporating elements of obedience and agility into the exercises. Of course, it’s important to remember that French Ring is just a sport. Sporting exercises are wonderful entertainment for handlers, dogs and spectators alike, but one should never confuse a sporting dog for a true protection dog. If you want a true canine protection, you need a dog that has been trained for protection, not for sport. A sporting dog should never be sold as a protection dog, regardless of whether it’s a German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois or Dutch Shepherd.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, Dog Sport, French Ring, German Shepherd, Protection Dog, Sporting Dog
Posted in French Ring Sport | No Comments »
Thursday, September 23rd, 2010
 Police forces all over the world use specially trained police dogs for a variety of purposes. Every role in a police force is important, and each helps to enforce the law and protect citizens in its own way; however, tactical police work is often considered the most physically and mentally demanding of all tasks. Engaging a dangerous criminal requires an incredible amount of bravery and team-work. The end goal of any confrontation is to end the situation with as few injuries and casualties as possible.
When you introduce a poorly trained canine into a dangerous situation, it can make an already bad situation much worse. Proper training can mean a huge difference between a dog that endangers lives versus a dog that can save them. The single most important part of training a dog for tactical police work is to make sure it is trained to handle real danger in real situations. One aspect of this is to train for work with gunfire. During a confrontation, there is a very real chance that guns may be used by both the suspect as well as police officers. A poorly trained dog will immediately become confused and disoriented by such a situation, and will become a danger to all involved. On the other hand, a properly trained dog will be unaffected by the noise and commotion, will stay on target, and will be able to disarm the suspect efficiently.
Of course, there’s more to working effectively with a tactical police dog than having a dog that’s trained properly. The officers involved must also be able to work efficiently with the dog. The handler is responsible for ensuring that the officers involved know what to expect, and how the dog has been trained to react to different situations. This is especially important when introducing canine units into police forces who may not have any prior experience working with police dogs.
Canine protection is not a game. It takes a well-trained police protection dog, be it a German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois or Dutch Shepherd, to work effectively with a police force and to help ensure the safety of everyone involved.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, dog training, German Shepherd, Police Dog, Protection Dog, tactical police
Posted in K9 Patrol Unit | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
 One of the most important aspects of a good protection dog is good nerves. If you’ve ever seen a pet get spooked in a loud thunderstorm, you know how loud noises can often throw an animal off-guard. Even most humans jump at the sound of a large bang. For police officers, recognizing the sound of gunfire, being able to remain steady and calm, and being able to act quickly and effectively to neutralize the threat are all life-saving necessities. The exact same is true of protection dogs.
In French Ring sport, there is an exercise intended to test the nerves of a competing dog, and how it performs during gunfire. In this exercise, the decoy/helper is given a gun that fires blanks. The dog is instructed to take a bite on the decoy, and the decoy fires the gun twice during the approach. The decoy fires once more during the bite, and then freezes, at which point the dog lets go and begins to guard the decoy. The judge then signals for the decoy to attempt two escapes, during which the dog will take two more bites to prevent escape. Finally, the judge signals to the handler to disarm the decoy and end the exercise.
It is important that protection dogs be trained around gunfire, and this exercise certainly accomplishes this. However, French Ring dogs are being trained with a fatal flaw that could end disastrously in a real-life situation. The third shot fired by the decoy is made after the dog has already taken a bite. In a real-life situation, this would be fatal to the dog. A criminal with a gun is not simply going to fire blanks into the air during a real confrontation; he’s going to aim at the dog biting him. A true protection dog should always be trained to target the weapon-arm as a first priority. Waiting for the handler to disarm the opponent is simply absurd, and could quickly end in death. The sooner that the gun is out of the criminal’s hand, the more of a chance there is that all involved will survive without serious injury.
The Belgian Malinois, and German Shepherds that compete in French Ring exercises are certainly impressive, but when it comes to true, functional protection work, you need dogs that are trained for real protection in real-life scenarios.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, dog training, Firearm, French Ring, German Shepherd, Guard Dog, Protection Dog
Posted in French Ring Sport | No Comments »
Thursday, August 12th, 2010
 French Ring Sport is a European dog sport that originated in France during the 1900′s. It shares a common history with Belgian Ring Sport and has a similar set of rules. Although the idea of dog sport began as a way to test the working ability of participating dogs, French Ring and Belgian Ring have always been somewhat of a spectator sport, intended to impress on-lookers with feats of canine agility and bite-work. This has lead to the development of some of the most physically demanding exercises of all dog sports.
One of the toughest exercises in French Ring is known as the palisade. It is considered an advanced agility exercise, and is only required for Ring II and Ring III titles. The palisade is essentially a vertical wall that the dog is expected to scale. The palisade must be jumped twice in a single exercise: once over, and once more to return to the handler. The minimum height for a palisade is 1.7m (5.5′), but an additional 2 points are awarded for extra 0.1m of height added to the palisade, for a maximum of 2.3m (7.5′). To put this in perspective, most municipalities impose a limit of about 2m (6.5′) on fences surrounding residential property.
The palisade in French Ring is built from horizontal planks of wood stacked one atop another and held in place by two wooden posts. During training, an incline is sometimes added to one side of the palisade to allow the dog to descend easily rather than dropping the full height of the palisade to the ground. This incline is, of course, not present in official competition.
To train a dog to scale a 2.3m palisade is certainly an impressive feat, but one should keep in mind that impressive feats in sport do not always translate to effective protection in real life. A dog that can take on a palisade with a smooth wooden top may have a great deal more difficulty attempting to scale an uneven chain-link fence. Respect should be given to those who put in the immense amount of dedication required to train their German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois for French Ring, but true protection work should be left to dogs who have been properly trained for protection work in the real world.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, dog training, French Ring, German Shepherd, Palisade, Protection Dog, Ring Sport, Sporting Dog
Posted in French Ring Sport, Sporting Dogs | No Comments »
Thursday, August 5th, 2010
 French Ring is one of several European ring sports, with the others being Belgian Ring Sport and Mondio Ring Sport. There are small differences between each, but these differences are far outweighed by the many similarities. French Ring sport, in particular, was developed in France after the popularity of sporting dogs took off in the neighbouring country of Belgium during the early 1900′s.
Like other dog sports, French Ring awards titles to dogs who perform well in exercises. These exercises are divided into three categories: obedience, agility and protection. Between dog sports, many of the basic obedience and agility tests remain the same, although each incorporates its own methods and rules for how each exercise should be performed.
Jumping exercises are one example of how the same basic concept can be performed quite differently from one sport to another. In French Ring, the agility exercises take on an element of classic track and field. For the long jump exercise, a metal “key” is placed on the ground, which the dog is expected to jump over. This key consists of hurdle-like bars that are knocked out of place should the dog fail to jump the entire distance (a minimum of 3 meters), thus allowing judges to measure the length of the jump. While it is commendable to test the distance-jumping ability of a dog, there is a big difference between jumping over a metal platform in sport, and jumping over a gap or ditch in the real world. On the other hand, KNPV makes more of an attempt to mimic real world scenarios through their hedge jump and ditch jump exercises.
Of course, you should always remember that any dog sport will never be nothing more than sport. Training German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois for real protection work requires real protection dog training.
Tags: Belgian Malinois, Dog Sport, French Ring, German Shepherd, Protection Dog, Ring Sport
Posted in French Ring Sport, Sporting Dogs | No Comments »
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