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.

One of the biggest misconceptions about guard dogs is that they are trained in the same way and have the same responsibilities as personal protection dogs. In actuality, they vary greatly in duties, genetics, training and in an array of other ways. While guard dogs do serve an important function, they are not comparable to protection dogs in several ways.

Guard dogs are most useful in the role of being a watchful gatekeeper to an estate, compound, or business. Highly territorial, they are more than willing to defend their defined ‘turf’. This is especially useful for businesses that lock up at night yet have valuable inventory that needs to be protected, such as a body shop or car dealership. They respect their handlers but are not sociable and lack the many years of training that personal protection dogs have. Protection dogs, due to their genetics and training, play a dual role in that they are highly sociable and great with children, pets and other people. Their ‘territory’ isn’t a defined area, it is their handler. Their job is to defend a physical person or person(s). The level of control is obviously greater. Protection dogs can be cross-trained to serve as guard dogs. We get this request a lot and it is easy to fulfill.

I cannot stress the importance of genetics enough. The makings of a phenomenal protection dog begin in the genes of its parents and grandparents. The secret to our success in having litters suited to CCK9’s high standards for personal protection dogs is due to our carefulness in selecting our parent dogs. In fact, all of our parent dogs have proven themselves by completing at least our Level II program. Dogs more suited to guard dog work are often the result of poor genetic planning on the part of the breeder. It is an unfortunate but common circumstance since only 1% of dogs possess the genetics to qualify as true protection dogs. This isn’t to say that there aren’t some fantastic guard dogs. It’s just that personal protection dogs have to be nearly perfect in every category just to train to perform their elite role.

Temperament and aptitude are also a product of genetics and play a key role in training. Without the proper attitude and high degree of intelligence it is impossible to train a dog for personal protection. One thing that both types of dogs have in common is that both must have a strong ‘guard’ drive. Quality guard dogs must have the nerve not to back down in the face of an intruder. How effective is a dog that backs away from a fence that a burglar is attempting to breach? Loud barking and a frantic temperament are the advantages of owning a guard dog.

Command Control K9 LTD will, on occasion, sell guard dogs. While we specialize in elite personal protection dogs we often have repeat clients ask us to find and evaluate guard/watch dogs for their estates and businesses. We take the request very seriously and always supply dogs with balance. Feel free to contact us with any questions regarding available personal protection or guard dogs.

The relationship between you and your protection dog is mutually beneficial. Dogs have a strong desire to please their handler and true protection dogs also possess a natural desire to defend. In return, your dog is rewarded with the stable and balanced household that you provide as well as regular praise that lets the dog know he or she is making you happy. CCK9’s unique method of training focuses on this dynamic, therefore eliminating the need to use toys, tugs, or food as a reward (it also eliminates the use of shock collars and other unnecessary means of force).

As handler and guardian, you are responsible for ensuring the optimal health of your protection dog; the diet you feed your dog is an integral part of providing a balanced environment. I’m often consulted regarding my opinion on which diet to choose. Hands down, I’m a fan of the excellent- but controversial-raw food diet. We feed all of our dogs at Command Control Canine LTD a diet that consists of at least 70-80% raw meat (beef, turkey, duck, venison, lamb). Egg is also a protein source. My preference is to switch the types of raw meat used every few days in order to vary the fat content as well as keep our dogs stimulated. Bones, fed raw and with some meat on it, are given several times a week. The other 20-30% of the diet consists of fruits and vegetables. Onions, mushrooms or tomatoes should not be used. When starting the diet, keep an eye on any gastrointestinal problems your dog may have and try to eliminate trigger foods. On top of this, I like to add in about 2000 mg of fish oil supplements.

When preparing the food, be sure to massage it with your hands in order to get your scent on it. It is just one more reminder that the leader is the supplier of the meal and serves to maintain the respect that the dog has for you. In the wild, wolf pack leaders will eat first and then the rest of the pack will finish. The pack is used to tasting the leader’s saliva on their food. For this reason one of our clients swears by spitting in her dog’s food daily. We don’t do it but it’s an interesting theory.

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the raw food diet. That the diet may not be balanced or increases the risk of introducing germs or infection tops the list. I have not had this experience but one tip I can offer is that I deep-freeze our meat for a period of time before thawing it for preparation. Also, we prepare large batches and freeze them until right before use. The benefits of the diet outweigh the risks and allow the dogs to eat a diet that they have been feeding on for billons of years.

There are commercial foods that attempt to mimic the raw food diet. For the most part, my suggestion is to create your own meals. It may cost slightly more than commercial dog food but your protection dog is a long-term investment. The dividends- the security of you and your family- are well worth the extra cost.

Although we have an indoor training rink we prefer to work outside. Great weather also allows us to perform aquatic exercises. The dogs are deployed across the pond, engage the target suspect and are then commanded to release and return to the side of the handler. Giving our dogs challenges like this prepare them for any situation they may encounter in the real world.

Spring is also whelping season. Cindy, one of our top Belgian Malinois, just whelped five strong, dense pups. Our newest litter still has a few pups not reserved; please feel free to contact us with any questions.

Lastly, CCK9 has started a series of landscaping projects, including ingenious dens on the west side of our 105 acre state of the art facility.

We’ll keep you posted.

]]> http://www.cck9.com/around-the-kennel-change-in-the-season/feed/ 0 http://www.cck9.com/female-protection-dogs-capable-worthy-defenders/ http://www.cck9.com/female-protection-dogs-capable-worthy-defenders/#comments Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:03:17 +0000 TSGiMs http://www.cck9.com/blog/?p=16

When it comes to protection dogs, most customers normally request a male dog. The military, law enforcement and clients seeking K9 security dogs overwhelmingly feel that males are the most physically imposing and effective visual deterrent. Therefore, the majority of dogs that I train are males in order to meet this demand. It is unfortunate, however, that the special attributes that a female brings to the table aren’t widely known. All in all, female protection dogs are extremely capable; they just have an image problem.

Marketing over the years has misaligned female dogs as weaker and less able to defend their handler. Nothing could be further from the truth! Once females have been introduced into their new family they almost always bond closer to their family than their male counterparts. More affectionate and less independent, watching over and protecting their owner is a much deeper emotional affair. The intensity of their bite, when in defense, is actually greater.

It has been my experience that female protection dogs are much easier to train and learn at a faster rate. They are adept at integrating into their new family and swiftly blend into any situation they are consigned to. They are fantastic at blending with family pets and children. Size really isn’t an issue since there are plenty of females that are physically formidable. Command Control K9 is able to provide any size or build that you desire, male or female.

One of my own personal protection dogs is a female. CCK9 produces exceptional dogs and Emma fits the CCK9 profile of everything an outstanding protection dog should be. Yet there is a certain ‘protective tension’ that can be felt when she is at my defense. Teeth bared, saliva, stiff stance, intense growling, just as spectacular as my male personal protection dog but with a slightly more hot-blooded twist. She’s a protection dog with the added benefit of being like an over protective mother all rolled into one.

So when you call us to talk about ownership of a protection dog, whether it be a German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois or Dutch Shepherd, please keep an open mind when considering gender. You’ll be very happy with one of our males but the benefits of the female canine should be recognized.

Our blog aims to educate and entertain its readers and give insight into the world of personal protection dogs. We also hope it allows you to get to know us better as well as learn about our unique training methods and philosophies.

This is the insider’s view of what we are all about and so much more! Please check back often as it will be updated frequently!