When purchasing a fully trained dog knowing what you are buying is extremely important. For instance “Executive Protection Dog”, the most common term used within our field, has no meaning in and of itself. It is just a term used to describe whatever meaning a trainer or training center chooses to assign it. The same is true of terms used to describe exercises such as the “Secure” and the “Protective Escape”. They are just labels that we use to represent our training.
In our experience many companies are using our terms but applying them to European sport exercises. You can not compare apples to apples based on terms. You can only compare dogs, training programs or companies based on what the terms actually represents.
Knowing what each program consists of and making sure the exercises are provided in writing within a contract is obviously important. Your being able to have your dog perform those exercises for you on delivery is essential. If your dog doesn’t do it for you on the delivery there’s no reason to expect it to magically happen afterward.
An educated buyer is our best client.
Overview of Protective Benefits
The following is a basic overview of the protective benefits within the 3 training programs:
EXECUTIVE PROTECTION DOGS
ELITE FAMILY & ESTATE PROTECTION DOGS
Advanced Handler Protection Exercises
Turn-on aggressively to an aggressive or passive threat
Advanced Fighting Skills
Useful in a home invasion or against a violent attacker
Protection from multiple violent attackers
Foundation Training in Protection
The following are foundation skills taught prior to our basic and advanced handler protection skills:
EXECUTIVE PROTECTION DOGS
ELITE FAMILY & ESTATE PROTECTION DOGS
Bite Development
Attack or Fallen
Full and hard bite
Drive Development
Defense imprinting, development of active prey, active aggression
Advanced Biting Skills
Bite comfortably front and back of legs, abdomen, outside and inside of upper arm/ shoulder
Integrating Skills
Integrating skills includes the types of threats, locations and circumstances; emphasis is placed on integrating advanced fighting skills including the use of sparring within muzzle attacks; also enables protection scenarios to be set up in everyday types of situations without equipment alerting the dog in advance to it being a training session
Basic Fighting Skills
Includes countering physical assaults through strategically transferring bite, strategic targeting, etc.
Integrating skills
includes the types of threats, locations and circumstances; emphasis is placed on integrating advanced fighting skills including the use of sparring within muzzle attacks; also enables protection scenarios to be set up in everyday types of situations without equipment alerting the dog in advance to it being a training session
Advanced Fighting Skills
Skills to overcome an adversary who fights through evasion, the use of static and dynamic obstacles, static and dynamic use of weapons, environmental stresses, etc.
Muzzle Attacks
Muzzle attack technique is taught in order to do protection training without the use of bite suits, bite sleeves including undercover sleeves.
Advanced Fighting Skills
Skills to overcome an adversary who fights through evasion, the use of static and dynamic obstacles, static and dynamic use of weapons, environmental stresses, etc.
Basic Handler Protection Skills
Once foundational training (imprinting and development of drives; biting skills, etc.) within the protection program has been completed handler protection skills are taught. These handler protection skills determine how the dog protects you.
EXECUTIVE PROTECTION DOGS
ELITE FAMILY & ESTATE PROTECTION DOGS
Protective Escape
Go from 0 to 10 instantly with intense aggression; remain at level 10 until told otherwise against a passive or aggressive threat; do so without pulling, walk backwards while showing aggression with owner holding collar
Attack
Instruction to physically stop threat
Release Bite
Release bite even in the midst of a fight
Aggressive Alert (Optional)
Go from 0 to 10 instantly with intense aggression; remain at level 10 until told otherwise against an aggressive or obvious threat
Protect Home & Property
There are two options: on-command or automatically. Which option usually depends on both lifestyle and personal preference. In either case once in the “Secure” mode no one is allowed to enter until instructed otherwise.
Advanced Handler Protection Skills
Advanced Handler Protection Skills are taught in our Executive Protection program as well as in our Elite programs. These advanced skills provide a variety of useful options as to “how” the dog protects you. Naturally, if faced with a serious threat the more options available to you the better.
As the advanced skills provide a more resourceful and secure way of responding to a threat, they are the preferred choice in such situations. In situations where someone only suspects a potential threat, advanced exercises like the Covert Secure are extremely useful.
EXECUTIVE PROTECTION DOGS
ELITE FAMILY & ESTATE PROTECTION DOGS
Directed Alert
The ability to specify who specifically to direct aggression towards; also re-direct the dog’s aggression as needed.
Directed Attack
The ability to specify who specifically to attack. Also re-direct the dog to attack another threat. (This is done without the need for your dog to return to your side or receive a command to release their bite.)
Secure (Optional)
Your dog will immediately come to your side; cling to it; position them self between you and anyone approaching regardless from which direction; do so while showing aggression; automatically attack if you are assaulted otherwise will wait for a command. The dog will actually walk backwards while beside you, if necessary, in order to position themselves between you and someone approaching from behind!
Strategic Secure
The same as the Secure exercise with decreased liability by using "Police" command. The "Police" command is followed by handler walking backwards with hands up in front of their chest while repeating "call the police, I'm afriad for my life, call the police".
Covert Secure
Same as Secure exercise but with covert command "knock it off". This covert command enables you to use your dog to deter a potential threat without appearing to be instructing your dog to do so.
The following formal and informal commands are given one time, said in a normal tone. Your dog will obey instantly, regardless of the situation, and completely off-leash.
EXECUTIVE PROTECTION DOGS
ELITE FAMILY & ESTATE PROTECTION DOGS
Heel
Dog walks with shoulder beside your left leg; automatically sits whenever you stop walking
Relaxed Heel (informal)
Stay within 2 feet of left side
Stay within 6 Foot Radius (informal)
Sit/ Stay
Remain in the sit until told otherwise; does not require a "stay" command
Sit-in-Motion
Sit on command regardless of moving towards or away from handler
Down/ Stay
Drop instantly and stay there until told otherwise (without the need for stay command)
Down-in-Motion
Down on command regardless of moving towards or away from handler
Jump
Jump up (into vehicle, etc)
Release
Free; no longer under command
Go-to-the Bathroom
Go-to-the-bathroom on command; go to specific location in yard to go-to-the-bathroom.
Release Object
Release object like a toy
Follow You
Temporarily stop what they are doing and come in your general direction
Bedtime
Instruct to lie down on dog bed
Wait
(Stay behind natural boundary such as doorway when leaving house, remain in car, etc)
Automatic Wait
Automatically not cross specific boundaries without a command like property lines, end of driveway, doorways open to the outside; customized as desired
Stay within 12 to 15 Feet (informal)
Manners
We ask that every client fill out a comprehensive questionnaire in order to understand their specific needs. Among these are whether or not children are present in the home. As most of our clients do have children the exercises below are designed to protect their hands from accidentally being hurt when playing with the dog (ie the dog taking a toy out of their hand, etc.). There are numerous ways in which we customize each dog’s training based on each clients specific lifestyle and personal preferences.
EXECUTIVE PROTECTION DOGS
ELITE FAMILY & ESTATE PROTECTION DOGS
Pricing
The following are the price ranges for each level. The prices are based on a combination of level of ability, level of training, structure, working titles and show titles.
The ability of a dog to protect is directly related to their level of ability combined with their level of skill (through training). The greater the investment in ability and training the higher the level of protection.
EXECUTIVE PROTECTION DOGS
ELITE FAMILY & ESTATE PROTECTION DOGS
Purchase of a Fully Trained Dog
(dog and program)
