K-9 Training
Herding, Working, and Sporting Dogs
When it comes to canine training not everyone can do it. Some folks are
better at teaching than others. I'm a retired Delaware educator and an active dog trainer, well better said...a
people trainer because THEY train their own dogs! Currently, I am also a certified AKC CGC Evaluator and a former Schutzhund-DVG
Trial Helper and a Qualified Training Director. I have worked with many different dogs and in as many different venues. The
first step is to teach the owner, then teach the dog. My canine training has
been with Border Collie stockdogs, working with many of the retriever breeds, teaching basic and advanced puppy
obedience, and by far the toughest and most hazardous canine training job has been in canine personal protection.
Today, I'm the co-trainer for the DELMARVA WORKING DOG GROUP
in Harrington, Delaware. Working with DWDG co-trainer Andy Larrimore of Windywoods K9 in Trappe, Maryland. This group is
family-friendly dog training club. There are no egos, attitudes, backstabbing, and no problems. We have great Sunday morning training
sessions and always have time for fun. The DWDG is not a sport
focused organization. We train the dog and the handler for real life conditions using mock scenarios. Many of our
training elements are designed for practical street and law enforcement applications. Sometimes we get into the
round pen and move sheep just to see if the dog has the genetics. In all cases, it's action packed fun!
Teach It, Then Test It!
Good trainers work with a full understanding of the client's needs and the dog breed which is
presented. Not all Border Collies have the mental strength to move sheep. Not all handlers work as good "coaches"
or dog owners. Stay away from any trainer, TD, or other person who tells you not to come around for several weeks until your
dog is "finished." This should be a BIG RED flag and you better know
this outfit very well! I have had countless calls from folks who have made that type of mistake. They leave their pet with
someone who claims to be a "Master Trainer" or who has worked for this agency or that. When they get their dog back,
Fluffy is a basket case. Ask questions about the training style and any contracts
used. I'm not impressed with schooling and/or degrees either, just because you went to class doesn't mean you KNOW the material!!!
My thoughts on the need for a trained Personal Protection
Dog.
In the United States, carjackings happen
at a rate of approximately one every 26 seconds. Carjackings are a felony crime, one in which the outcome can result in some
form of violence. In order for a carjacking to happen, there are usually three basic elements which must take place.
There must be some form of criminal intent, there is an ability by the bad guy* to carry
out this action, and there must be an opportunity...a victim is needed. The victim
situation can result from an "interview" the bad guy is having with the victim; some type of basic questioning with
you and now he is sizing you up. Once the bad guy feels like the vehicle can be taken, BAMN!...you're had.
The solution to this type of problem can be one of the following: One,
never go out in public and reduce any contact with human beings...erh, not likely. Two, many states allow their residence
to carry concealed firearms, provided that you meet the criminal background checks and have undergone some form of firearms
training. Or the third option is having a trained personal protection dog. The bad
guy can't get what he can't have! Drug users generally don't want a fight and don't want to get hurt. Their main goal
is to get the car or the money and score their next fix. With a trained personal protection dog, this makes carjackings
and theft a whole lot harder to carry out. Who in any mind frame wants a 90 pound dog on their arm or crouch?
Personal protection dogs can be used in almost any scenario. Maybe you
need to make a nightly deposit at an ATM machine, you operate a towing service and do late night calls, you own a package
store or mini market and are open 24 hours a day, or you do property management for seasonal clients. The scenarios are endless
and the canine soultions are too! Remember, trained personal protection dogs are
like owning a firearm. You must know the tool and the outcomes that can be generated. Be careful how you train,
who you train with, and what you need a trained dog for!
*bad guy- a human being who was once a nice person, a man or woman who has lost their freaking mind, a scumbag
who totality can't get their act together and needs to screw with honest folks, a dirtball who at some point in their new
criminal occupation will have their a$$ handed to them in a most painful way.
