# Help Please



## twitch528 (Jan 13, 2012)

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with Banffy Haus. I am very interested in purchasing one of their dogs for a protection dog. She is a 7 year old that is advertised as fully protection trained and excellent with children which is what I am looking for. The total price after shipping is 2,450.00. I am to far away to actually go and look at the dog for myself. Any help or opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Banffy Haus German Shepherd Dog Breeders. German Shepherds breeders and importers. Puppies from champion show line West German shepherds at affordable prices.

Showline kennel with PP dogs? 
A 7 yr old is probably a retired breeder and possibly trained in or dabbled in SchH. From the website, it is probably a kenneled dog, not a house dog.
I would "adopt" a 7 yr old, but not pay for her. Where is your general location(country/state)? Welcome to the site, by the way!


----------



## twitch528 (Jan 13, 2012)

I live in Texas. She is advertised as a SchH level 1 and thank you for the welcome. I am in need of a pp dog very soon on a tight budget. Any ideas?


----------



## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

She IS a retired breeding female. Many breeders GIVE their retired females away, or charge a small fee.(Such as the cost of the spay.)

I would NOT buy a dog from that place. {And the above isn't the only reason.}


----------



## sitstay (Jan 20, 2003)

I don't think I would call a schutzhund I dog "fully protection trained". I have lived with a retired breeding female, also schutzund I, and she would have been an abject failure as a personal protection dog. Now, if another dog were trying to break into my home, she would have been a rock star at protection. People breaking in? Not so much.

That also seems like a lot of money for the dog, as described on their website. My advice would be to make some personal connections with local people who own/train the kind of dog you want and then take it from there.
Sheilah


----------



## twitch528 (Jan 13, 2012)

I have checked with some trainers in Texas but the price range is way out of my budget. I am a K-9 handler for the department I work for but Miko is a single purpose narcotics detection dog. Due to some unfortunate work related instances I am now in need of a protection dog for my family and I. I have called the trainer where I got my narc dog and he said he would work with me on price but it still is more than I can afford since I will be paying for it and not my department. Since it looks like i will not be able to afford a protection dog do any of yall have any ideas as far as maybe buying a puppy and training it myself? Thank all of you for your input very much


----------



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Well, if you buy a puppy you're not going to have a protection dog for at _least_ a year. If you need one now due to work instances that's not going to do any good. Also if you buy one as a puppy there's a good chance it won't have what it takes for personal protection anyway. 

What specific tasks do you need the dog to do? Alert on intruders? Provide deterrence? Bark and hold? Engage a single armed intruder? Engage multiple intruders? Go out places with your spouse and kids? Shoot laser beams from its head? (sorry, couldn't help myself on the last one lol) Questions like that will determine where to look for a dog and how much you'll need to pay.


----------



## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Or...would a good alarm system work? I don't know, just asking because it seems specific.


----------



## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Would adopting a rescued dog who is already an adult, and training him to bark and carry on work?

Petfinder Adoptable Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Pflugerville, TX | Duke


----------



## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

I would not pay that amount for a 7 year old retired breeding female. Breeders I know give their retired females away for free to reputable owners. I wouldn't exactly call a SchH1 female a "protection dog". Also, they look like show breeders. What evidence do they give for her working potential?

I would much rather buy a good pup with a reliable working pedigree and train it myself. Working pups can be purchased for 1200-1500$. You do have to put a couple of years into him training him. However, if you are short on time, invest in a security system like Jean suggested. Also, what exactly are you looking for in terms of protection? A dog to bark and alert you or actually defend against a potential threat like an intruder?


----------



## twitch528 (Jan 13, 2012)

Well considering the two recent circumstances that have taken place im not sure an alarm would do the trick. I am interested in a dog that will engage an intruder if need be. But as I said I dont think I will be able to afford a dog with that much training so it looks like I may actually have to go with an alarm system...lol...What are yalls opinion on possibly adopting a protection dog if it were possible?


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

A protection dog in your home is just a deterrent to give you time to get a weapon. But a burglar may pass on your house knowing you have a dog. Most GSDs will bark if the scent a stranger or view something/someone sketchy in their area. 
If a crazy wants into your home, they will enter regardless of a dog . Or plan a way to eliminate the dog if they feel it is a threat to their plan. I would look at a security system/w a camera and protect my dog who is a part of my family. These recent threads may be helpful: 
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/choosing-breeder/173927-can-german-show-dog-protective-dog.html
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/k-9-police-protection-dogs/173572-shepherd-dont-bark.html


----------



## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

If I were you, I would get a very good security system. You mentioned K9 department so I'm assuming you have and know how to use a gun? Security system and gun would be better if you feel like there is a real possibility of facing an intruder that you have to defend against. A dog would alert you, but a determined intruder would easily shoot your dog and move on. True protection dogs cost a lot so your best bet is to invest in a security system, keep a weapon around (tazer, stun gun, real gun, whatever you need to feel secure) and possibly look into buying a good pup that you train. I'm not sure you can adopt a protection dog. People usually (I said usually, don't get on me rescue people ) don't put hundreds of man hours into a dog only to abandon it at the animal shelter. But then again, I'm not sure what exactly you mean by protection dog?


----------



## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

I'm going to be the thorn on the bush....
WHy would someone "not" pay for a 7yr old dog?.....I would & I have.
They are not "without value", and training, titling does cost money.

If a person asks for monetary value on their dog(s), that is their choice......
Albeit, YES....we have *placed* retired dogs in homes *without* a fee....I would not consider "charging" a fee or sale price.... wrong.....

IDK....it just seems incorrect to expect a breeder/owner to simply place "no value" on a good dog...whether they choose to or not.....imo


----------



## justde (Oct 4, 2000)

If you're being targeted because of your job in law enforcement, perhaps a good barking at the door GSD might present enough picture to deter, especially given you're considering this because of your job. Offenders may assume the dog is trained if it gives a good alarm. There are no definites in any situation - I hate to think of putting my dogs in harms way. But I know there's alot of talk in our area about "you don't want to go in their house, they have trained German Shepherds!" Small town...people talk. Sometimes gossip can be a good thing, accurate or not LOL


----------



## cliffson1 (Sep 2, 2006)

What Robin said!! If the dog is a nice looking German Shepherd and is a Sch one then it knows commands for H&B(Hold and Bark).....the odds are that is all you will ever need. Most routine bad guys pass by the house or person that has a German Shepherd with them. The price is reasonable for the training she has.....I wouldn't write this off....you are not a professional handler, so you don't need some big time Personal protection dog.


----------



## Twyla (Sep 18, 2011)

There are organizations that are handling the K9s they are retiring from the military. Many do suffer with PTS, but can or have been rehabilitated. These dogs are as young as 2 yrs in some cases, have already proven themselves under fire. The biggest question is how would they handle themselves around kids. This site - Military Working Dog Adoptions  can give you a start with your search. Keep in mind the handler has first choice for adoptions, then law enforcement has second choice.


----------



## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

I personally would not pay that much money for a 7 year old dog. 

GSDs can and do have alot of health issues and they sometimes pass at a young age (7-9) so you might only have the dog for 2 years.


----------



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

twitch528 said:


> What are yalls opinion on possibly adopting a protection dog if it were possible?


Not to sound like a certain former president, but it depends on your definitions of "adopt" and "protection dog."  

Some people use adopt as a euphemism for purchase. Other people use adopt to mean from a shelter or rescue group. 

For some people, "protection dog" means a dog that will bark to alert the household, bark when the bad guy is at the door, and look scary. On the other end of the spectrum people use protection dog to mean those highly trained dogs that celebrities buy for $30,000 that are trained to do room-by-room searches and perimeter searches and go for the hand with the weapon and keep fighting even when it's been stabbed four times. . . 


Don't know what part of Texas you're in, but this guy appears to have some basic obedience training, would probably bark at an intruder, certainly looks the part, and might be able to be trained to do some more advanced behaviors if you know a good trainer:
2 y.o German Shephard (SABLE) needs new home


----------



## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

twitch528 said:


> Well considering the two recent circumstances that have taken place im not sure an alarm would do the trick. I am interested in a dog that will engage an intruder if need be.


You are not going to get an already trained personal protection trained dog without paying for it.

I would suggest getting a shotgun and training your family on how to use it.


----------



## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Emoore said:


> Not to sound like a certain former president, but it depends on your definitions of "adopt" and "protection dog."
> 
> Some people use adopt as a euphemism for purchase. Other people use adopt to mean from a shelter or rescue group.
> 
> ...


Personally I'd get a dog like the one above (his post is still up!) and some signs that are very impersonal like "Security dog on premises" or what have you.
AND the shot gun is a great idea but so are handguns by the bedside.


----------



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

By the way this must be really scary for you. I'm sorry you and your family are having to go through this.


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

The dog on the CL ad is gorgeous. I'd snatch him up if I were in TX looking for a PP dog!


----------



## jang (May 1, 2011)

Emoore said:


> By the way this must be really scary for you. I'm sorry you and your family are having to go through this.


Emoore, You're a nice person to show such concern---To the Op--best of luck to you, too..I'm sure you will find a solution to your problem..Blessings
Jan


----------



## FlyByNight (Feb 16, 2004)

What about an LGD? Maremma, Kuvasz, Anatolian Shepherd, etc?

My understanding from talking to people who own them, is that most will readily engage an intruder with little/no formal PP training. That could be a more cost-efficient option.


----------



## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

That's actually a pretty good idea - except if the OP has kids who have kids over frequently. The dogs are so protective of their home and kids that they are sometimes a risk to other visiting kids.


----------



## FlyByNight (Feb 16, 2004)

That's true - not knowing the OP's household setup, putting the dog away while friends visit may/may not be feasible.


----------

