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.
Erika is very social, affectionate and especially fond of children. She has a high degree of guard drive but has not been trained to do bite work. She currently weighs 75 pounds (will be 85-90 lbs) and has a dense bone structure and a robust build. Her appearance and personality are very masculine for a female; she is remarkably similar to her father.