This is a million dollar question that I get asked almost very day. Genetics is everything when it comes to real protection dogs. It takes a very special dog to do real protection work. Most German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and Dutch Shepherds that are being trained and sold as protection dogs are working in pray, which is NOT real protection.

It takes three things to make a good protection dog: first and foremost is genetics, second is environment, and third is training; in that order. You can be the best trainer in the world and put in the time, but if the genetics are not there you will not succeed in developing a good protection dog.

We at Command Control K9 have a policy that we will not breed any dog unless it has proven itself, and has completed at least our Elite Family Guard Dog program. To give you an example of what genetics is, this weekend I had a couple that came down to my kennel to do bite work with a female Belgian Malinois puppy that they had purchased from us, out of Cindy and Ducko’s litter, who was born March 20, 2009. Now knowing this pup, and knowing where she is in her training — she had not even taken a bite before, never mind seeing a French Ring bite suit — not only did she take a bite the first time, but she let go and transferred to the other leg when I thread her with it. Now this is Genetics.