# Does anyone here actually have a trained protection dog?



## Julian G (Apr 4, 2016)

I'm just wondering if anyone here actually has a professionally trained protection dog. If so, I'm curious to the do's and dont's. What boundaries do you set? What are the dog's boundaries? Just things you absolutely must do, and cannot do with these kinds of dogs.


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## zetti (May 11, 2014)

No PP dogs but I have owned two former police K-9s. I did not keep up with their protection training, but I maintained their obedience which was quite correct.

Both dogs were well behaved an easy to live with. Both were social with humans and ok with other dogs, though my first, after many years of living in harmony, attacked and severely injured my little Sheltie while he was sleeping.

Both dogs were what I would call sharp. My first, a female was not as clear in the head as you would expect for a K-9 and in fact, I found out years later that she had washed out of the K-9 program. I don't know at what stage.

My second K-9 was Czech, more stable and less prone to inappropriate aggression. Though he could get bitey if pushed to do something he didn't want to do. He had super ball drive. I was able to track down his original trainer and found out he was dual purpose, patrol and dope. Nice dog.

Those were my experiences. 

I would say start with the best, most clear headed dog you can find that has correct drives and nerve for the work. You also have to find a REPUTABLE trainer who knows what he or she is doing

You can buy a fully trained adult, which is the most practical way to go. The problem is, you won't have the expertise to evaluate the dog properly. A lot of weaker dogs look like tigers on their home turf.

All of your questions should be answered in depth by the person from whom you get the dog. You're going to spending a lot of money--$20K is not out of line. And a responsible seller is going to ensure that you can manage the dog.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

There are lots of variations of a "professionally trained protection dog". Please define.


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

MineAreWorkingline said:


> There are lots of variations of a "professionally trained protection dog". Please define.



^^^I agree with this. It can also depend on the dog.


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## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

Red was a Sch3 then trained and sold as a Personal Protection Dog to my aunt. My aunt did not keep up any training, not even obedience. I kept up the obedience. This did cause problems as Red became my dog. My two older boys also would work Red in obedience. She listened to us, not my aunt. We inherited her. She was introduced to new people, especially if away from the house BEFORE they touched me. She would intently watch people around me. Any action of my own to touch another person was acceptable, others touching me without an introduction was met with Red getting between us and if they didn't back up a growl. I made sure to introduce people so she knew who could touch me. Once introduced she was fine, still watched, but that was all. Keeping up the obedience is essential. I tried to tell my aunt that not keeping up the obedience and making sure Red listened immediately to her was like having a loaded gun with the safety off.


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## Julian G (Apr 4, 2016)

MineAreWorkingline said:


> There are lots of variations of a "professionally trained protection dog". Please define.


I'm not an expert, but I'm not talking about sport dogs. I mean real life situation trained dogs. The Sch meets I went to explained to me that most of what I see are sport dogs. That may offend some people, but he said to me that "just because they bite on the field doesn't mean they will bite during a carjacking or in a dark alleyway". 
Was an eye-opening statement to say the least.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Julian G said:


> I'm not an expert, but I'm not talking about sport dogs. I mean real life situation trained dogs. The Sch meets I went to explained to me that most of what I see are sport dogs. That may offend some people, but he said to me that "just because they bite on the field doesn't mean they will bite during a carjacking or in a dark alleyway".
> Was an eye-opening statement to say the least.


Oddly enough I not only assumed this but was told the same thing in conversation. It's going to depend on the dog. IMO a GSD should protect whether trained or not, it's in their breed, they are guarding kind of dogs and very loyal to their own. There will be some that need no training at all and will protect, there will be some that have training for sport and it doesn't go past that and then I'm guessing some that are trained in real life situations. The problem I see is that even the ones that are trained in real life situations the bad guy still has protection gear on which is completely not the case in real life situations.


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## Pan_GSD (Oct 2, 2016)

Julian G said:


> I'm not an expert, but I'm not talking about sport dogs. I mean real life situation trained dogs. The Sch meets I went to explained to me that most of what I see are sport dogs. That may offend some people, but he said to me that "just because they bite on the field doesn't mean they will bite during a carjacking or in a dark alleyway".
> Was an eye-opening statement to say the least.


i've also heard this. that dogs, unless specifically trained, engage in bite inhibition for hesitation when biting into a real human flesh, not a sleeve.

i watched a youtube video of a TV show where owners with strong breeds were asked whether they thought their dog would protect the home when there was an intruder.

there were Rotts, Dobermans, Labs, and Great Danes. Dont recall seeing Shepherds

so this intruder came waltzing into the house, and all dogs initially barked very loud and stood their ground, but the "intruder" talked to them in a frendly voice and walked in in a calm manner, while casually taking stuff from the house

i dont think there were any dog that successfully warded off the intruder and the owners were all very disappointed


my 5m old puppy barks very loudly at the faintest sound of a car door being shut or neighbors walking about but i dont expect him to "defend" me or the house


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## cloudpump (Oct 20, 2015)

Pan_GSD said:


> i've also heard this. that dogs, unless specifically trained, engage in bite inhibition for hesitation when biting into a real human flesh, not a sleeve.
> 
> i watched a youtube video of a TV show where owners with strong breeds were asked whether they thought their dog would protect the home when there was an intruder.
> 
> ...


I agree most dogs wouldn't act. But I'm curious why they didn't simulate an attack on the owners and see then? For the most part, dogs were trained to allow guests in. So a robber would be seen as another guest.


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## lighterhanair (Oct 8, 2016)

Julian G said:


> I'm just wondering if anyone here actually has a professionally trained protection dog. If so, I'm curious to the do's and dont's. What boundaries do you set? What are the dog's boundaries? Just things you absolutely must do, and cannot do with these kinds of dogs.


Hi Julian,

I am brand new to this forum, and your question is an important one for me. I've settled on a GSD, since I owned one as a child and loved him to death, and I think that while GSDs are not the best at any particular activity, they are probably in the top three at everything, making them a winning choice overall.

I am looking for a PP dog when I retire and return to the States. Investigating the various trainers, breeders, and importers is just bewildering. And the price points are so wide I feel like I'm trying to buy diamonds. On Ebay. Blindfolded. 

I've been told that K9s should not be around strangers (invitees to your home, no less), and that they are fine around strangers, properly introduced.

Sch III -trained dogs are great, but also that, while impressive on the field, they cannot really be called PP dogs and must be retrained at great expense.

I've been told that German-sourced GSDs have lost their originality, and that Czech-sourced GSDs are the "only way to go." Oh, and that American AKC individuals are generally no good for PP duties.

At some point, I would like to find an actual owner of a PP GSD to understand what I can expect and who I can reasonably trust.

Good question......Thanks.

Stephen.


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## Pan_GSD (Oct 2, 2016)

cloudpump said:


> I agree most dogs wouldn't act. But I'm curious why they didn't simulate an attack on the owners and see then? For the most part, dogs were trained to allow guests in. So a robber would be seen as another guest.


the video was only a clip of the whole show but it was simulating a "break in"

there was no owner in the house, house was empty, and the actor assuming the role as the burglar was wearing full body suit to protect against potential dog attack

but the actor was behaving in a non threatening manner, speaking in "doggy language" and not making sudden movements


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## cloudpump (Oct 20, 2015)

Pan_GSD said:


> the video was only a clip of the whole show but it was simulating a "break in"
> 
> there was no owner in the house, house was empty, and the actor assuming the role as the burglar was wearing full body suit to protect against potential dog attack
> 
> but the actor was behaving in a non threatening manner, speaking in "doggy language" and not making sudden movements


Ah, now I'm curious how a dog would react if the owners were threatened. I have seen an untrained Rottweiler act in defense when two people were goofing around.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Years ago when I worked at a vet that did boarding we had a couple dobermans come board. I was walking one of them at about 11pm--I met these dogs briefly earlier in the day. The vet was located next to a bar. As we walked around some guys started whistling and harassing me, coming closer and doing so. The dog(doberman) advanced on them showing all his teeth and growling. It was actually pretty impressive since he didn't know me and he stepped up. Needless to say the men stopped approaching and shut up, the dog was not playing and they knew it. We continued with our walk like nothing happened.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

Julian G said:


> I'm not an expert, but I'm not talking about sport dogs. I mean real life situation trained dogs. The Sch meets I went to explained to me that most of what I see are sport dogs. That may offend some people, but he said to me that "just because they bite on the field doesn't mean they will bite during a carjacking or in a dark alleyway".
> Was an eye-opening statement to say the least.


I wasn't talking about sport dogs. I was talking dogs strictly trained for personal protection.


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

The difference between a high level serious sport dog and a personal protection attack dog is about 2-4 weeks worth of once a day 15 minute sessions. A lot of people not aware of this. You don't really treat them that differently.


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## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

cloudpump said:


> I agree most dogs wouldn't act. But I'm curious why they didn't simulate an attack on the owners and see then? For the most part, dogs were trained to allow guests in. So a robber would be seen as another guest.



I got a Doberman in once because he wasn't protective. They simulated an attack but there were two items missing. The MP husband sent in a friend who was to pretend to attack the wife. The wife knew what was being done and screamed and yelled help, but there were no pheromes of fear. The dog was totally confused. The second thing was neither the man nor the wife had bonded with the eight, yes eight, month old Dobe. He wasn't even leash trained. I took him home, worked on obedience and within two weeks I had to watch him like a hawk as he was much too ready to protect me or my boys, to the point of jumping the fence if another child on the block yelled at one of my boys. So a lot depends on each individual dog, and on the person/family bond with the dog as well. In a robbery, most dogs will hold the flashlight for the burglars.


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## Slamdunc (Dec 6, 2007)

I don't think that you will find many people with a truly "trained protection dog." 

I raised "Boomer" from a pup and was training him in IPO until he was 2 years old. I put a "BH" on him and had him doing a full IPO 3 routine by 18 months. A very serious dog, very civil and strong in the protection work. He absolutely was a National level IPO dog. I converted him at 2 years old to be my Police K-9 and he has done an excellent job over the years. I "donated" him to my PD to be my patrol dog and was not allowed to compete with him any longer in IPO as part of the deal. It took some work to convert Boomer from some of his IPO training to Patrol work. The foundation in obedience was fantastic and easily transferred over. I had to change his focused heeling to a new command from "fuss" to "Heel" which just means walk in the heel position but you can be free to look around. 

We do not do a "hold and bark" with our Police K-9's, that took some work to change. We also need our dogs to engage on legs, backs, triceps, etc. The sleeve work in IPO is a little problematic for a well trained dog and I had to train Boomer off of arms as his primary target. He is a unique GSD and there are few like him, genetically he just has it all. The drives, the nerves, the confidence, the power, the commitment and a very serious and civil temperament. Social enough to be around the SWAT guys, but not the dog you let run around at the family picnic. 

I have never handled him differently, whether I was at the IPO club or now working him on the street 10 years later. His temperament is what it is and he has been a serious dog since he hit a year old. As a pet, sport dog or my K-9 partner, I treat and handle him the same way. Only difference is that now as a Police K-9, the liability and consequences are way higher if he was to bite the wrong person while at home. 

Yes, you can fairly easily convert the right sport dog to be a PPD or a Police K-9. It takes some work to get past the sport foundation of targeting arms, it also has to be the right dog. I raise and train my own sport dogs from puppies to IPO 3. I have had another male that was very sharp, very civil and I trained him to an IPO 3. He would have made an excellent Patrol dog. I have raised and trained a few females that were IPO 3 dogs and they would never bite a person for real. Not every SchH 3 or IPO 3 dog can be converted to a "true PPD." Few SchH 3 or IPO 3 dogs could be converted to an effective Police K-9, IMO. It takes the right dog to make that transition, at least for what I think an effective Patrol should be.


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

lighterhanair said:


> Hi Julian,
> 
> I am brand new to this forum, and your question is an important one for me. I've settled on a GSD, since I owned one as a child and loved him to death, and I think that while GSDs are not the best at any particular activity, they are probably in the top three at everything, making them a winning choice overall.
> 
> ...


People are going to tell you a lot of things Stephen, and other people are going to contradict a whole lot of it. You need to spend time seeing the dogs and ideally the training. The dogs are easier to figure out then the people, they won't try to bs you.


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

Julian G said:


> I'm not an expert, but I'm not talking about sport dogs. I mean real life situation trained dogs. The Sch meets I went to explained to me that most of what I see are sport dogs. That may offend some people, but he said to me that "just because they bite on the field doesn't mean they will bite during a carjacking or in a dark alleyway".
> Was an eye-opening statement to say the least.



My GSD's are protection dogs. Not sport dogs. We do compete in sport, but we do not train sport. Make sense? I do not run patterns and train routines. We train everyday scenarios. My dogs see the pattern and scenarios of a trial field on trial day. Although for Kimbers Police Dog 2 I did spend a lot of time teaching the call off. But it's not easy calling a dog off a bite from a decoy who is running away. I use trials to test my dogs. I use sports and titles to give credibility to my training. If I ever did use my dogs, I hope that the titles will show that they have control and just don't run around biting everyone. Also why they still go out and do CGC's. It's paperwork so that if anything went to court I have something to back my dogs up and hope they won't have to get put down for doing their job. 

Management for us is easy. My wife has her dogs and I have my dog. My wife and I do not handle each others dogs. All our dogs are house dogs, so they do listen to both of us to an extent. What you do hear a lot of in my house is "babe get your dog, he's bugging me" lol. Our dogs are first and foremost members of our family. They go everywhere with us. After all, what's the point of a PPD if it's not with you? My dogs are well mannered. I trust my dogs. They have become very good at reading situations. Even better than that, Kimber can read me like a book. She can read body posture. So as far as management goes, it's like what Ballif said. Not much different than sport dogs. They still need to work and keep up training regularly. So don't discredit all sport dogs. There are some really nice ones out there. The stud we just used for Kimber is an IPO3 who is competing at nationals. If you have seen me on the forum at all then you probably know I hate IPO. So why did I pick an IPO3 male? Because what I saw from him showed me they type of dog he really is. What I saw off the field was more important than on. The venue a dog is in, is just part of an equation. 

This picture started out as a car jacking. Once Kimber bit the decoy pulled her out of the car through the window and started to have fun with her. Oh and this was done in Alaska. We live in California so it was a long travel for our dogs.


Building search. Not a trial field. 



Horrible quality, but a building search to a passive decoy in a hidden suit. Decoy was told not to fight or activate until she engaged. The only reason she is online, is because there was other people in the building that I didn't want her to bite. 




And just to show some balance. Here is how we spend most our time.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

My last German shepherd had police training and wash washes out not releasing he also had done some schutzhund work. He had some command to attach. He was a great dof fiercely loyal protective and did not show any false aggression. confident and aloof to anyone almost so aloof as if the person did not exist. He did not mistake false threats and we could have anyone over he could go to his spot and watch.he had no problem greeting anyone and we could have workers in the house and trust he would not approach them. Very displined dog always wondered if he was trained to ignore people or it was just him. He was like that with other dogs to. Acted as if they barely existed. Just did basic training for fun nothing formal or routine never had behavioral issues except was weird with his feet and nail trims not to crazy about the vet.


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

Julian G said:


> I'm not an expert, but I'm not talking about sport dogs. I mean real life situation trained dogs. The Sch meets I went to explained to me that most of what I see are sport dogs. That may offend some people, but he said to me that "just because they bite on the field doesn't mean they will bite during a carjacking or in a dark alleyway".
> Was an eye-opening statement to say the least.


Most isn't all. Ask the helpers if you get a chance. They'll be able to tell you the difference.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Sabi was a trained PPD. 
I raised her and I trained her. Or rather my boss trained us. 
I was doing high risk security and protection work. Because of the jobs we were doing we worked with trained dogs as partners. Everything we did was real life.
At home we hung out. She played with the kids. She went camping. She was a pet. We had rules like no rough play with me but she pretty easily figured out a drunk buddy and a threat. There were things she didn't like and she would voice her opinion but she never made a bad call.
Trust the dog you see. People lie.


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## Julian G (Apr 4, 2016)

lighterhanair said:


> Hi Julian,
> 
> I am brand new to this forum, and your question is an important one for me. I've settled on a GSD, since I owned one as a child and loved him to death, and I think that while GSDs are not the best at any particular activity, they are probably in the top three at everything, making them a winning choice overall.
> 
> ...


From what I've learned from real life and from the forum members is that genetics is pretty much 95% of it. The other 5% is training. If the dog doesn't have it in him he doesn't have it in him. I have some highly reccomended breeders of the dogs you're looking for that the forum memebers have suggested for me, if you're interested I'd be glad to PM you.


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## Julian G (Apr 4, 2016)

@mycobraracr great pics. So you let them on your couches 
I was curious if you raised them from puppyhood or if you got them as adults. And if there are any tips on the do's and don'ts. Please explain the CGC to me further, I'm new to PP but not new to GSDs. I recently noticed someone tried to break into the house through the backyard basement entrance. The lock was tampered with. I have been using my brothers GSD as a deterrent since then but I don't think he will do much more than bark if he hears something.


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## Slamdunc (Dec 6, 2007)

lighterhanair said:


> Hi Julian,
> 
> I am brand new to this forum, and your question is an important one for me. I've settled on a GSD, since I owned one as a child and loved him to death, and I think that while GSDs are not the best at any particular activity, they are probably in the top three at everything, making them a winning choice overall.
> 
> ...


Please do not fall into the Czech dogs "are the only way to go" trap. There are some excellent German working line dogs, there are some excellent dogs bred in the US. Germany, Holland and Belgium have some superb GSD's. While there are some very nice Czech dogs, you really have to be careful with the all the "hype" and folks selling them. I like a nice WG / Czech bred dog and you can get a super nice dog bred in the US by a reputable breeder. 

Be very careful with the DDR or Czech dogs as the only way to go. It's the big marketing pitch these days. If I was looking for another GSD and I have 2 that have both WG and Czech lines, I can easily find a nice dog bred in the states. The WG and Czech mix is really nice, IMHO. But the WG working lines still have some excellent dogs. I will be looking for another GSD in the near future and while I like some Czech dogs, I will not rule out other breedings and an all Czech dog will be low on my list. If I decide to import a high end dog or a puppy, I will contact people in Germany, Holland and Belgium. 

As you have mentioned that buying a GSD is like buying diamonds on EBAY. Not something that you want to do. It's more about the breeding and breeder than the actual country of origin. Go to a breeder that actually works their dogs and is not just a dog broker. Go to a breeder that excels in the venue that you want to pursue, not one that just cranks out the "wonder dog" puppies but never does anything with their dogs but breed them in their yard. Make sure you get OFA on the hips and elbows, make sure you contact other folks that have dogs from the breeder. 

The individual dog is really what matters, not the pedigree. The pedigree does give some insight into the lines and what the dog may become, the actual dog is what it is. 

Again, be very careful with all the Czech hype. There are many very nice GSD's being bred in the US that make exceptional working dogs and companions. If you can not find what you like in the US, and are serious in your search, look into Germany, Holland and Belgium. But, you will need to do a lot of research and have some help. Google is your friend and research will save you a lot of grief, aggravation, disappointment and money.


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## Muskeg (Jun 15, 2012)

Depends what you want. Plenty of sport dogs can do PPD with not a whole lot of extra training. The control you get doing sport is super important to future PPD work. 

I work the control with mine, mostly, 100% control is critical. A good PPD helper is hard to find and not cheap. Generally, a deterrent bark and the "look" of a GSD-type is more than enough. I wouldn't be super upset if my dogs let someone steal whatever they could find worth stealing in my house (there really isn't anything worth stealing...) because why risk their lives for my stuff? I value my dogs much more. But if I were in the house, I have no doubt they would protect me. Which is the way I want it. 

Important to realize that once a dog is trained to bite someone for real, you've got a huge liability on your hands. I'd prefer a dog that would bark and hold-or bark and defend the handler, far better, for civilian purposes. I totally understand why Law Enforcement would not want that. In everyday life I run into few bad guys who are desperate enough to fight a dog. While that is part of the job for a LEO. If I had a trained PPD, I'd probably have a GoPro running on me (bodycam) to protect the dog if anything went down.


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## Julian G (Apr 4, 2016)

Muskeg said:


> Depends what you want. Plenty of sport dogs can do PPD with not a whole lot of extra training. The control you get doing sport is super important to future PPD work.
> 
> I work the control with mine, mostly, 100% control is critical. A good PPD helper is hard to find and not cheap. Generally, a deterrent bark and the "look" of a GSD-type is more than enough. I wouldn't be super upset if my dogs let someone steal whatever they could find worth stealing in my house (there really isn't anything worth stealing...) because why risk their lives for my stuff? I value my dogs much more. But if I were in the house, I have no doubt they would protect me. Which is the way I want it.
> 
> Important to realize that once a dog is trained to bite someone for real, you've got a huge liability on your hands. I'd prefer a dog that would bark and hold-or bark and defend the handler, far better, for civilian purposes. I totally understand why Law Enforcement would not want that. In everyday life I run into few bad guys who are desperate enough to fight a dog. While that is part of the job for a LEO. If I had a trained PPD, I'd probably have a GoPro running on me (bodycam) to protect the dog if anything went down.


I had someone poking around the backyard basement door, the lock was tampered with. I'm using my brothers GSD as a deterrent, it will bark if someone tries to break in but deep down I'm not confident he will do anything to an intruder.


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## Muskeg (Jun 15, 2012)

What would you want the GSD to do to an intruder?


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

A PPD should not leave it's person. It is not there to chase people or to run them off. Protection dogs should always remain with the person they are protecting. On every occasion when someone was in or attempting to get into my house, Sabi remained silent and with me, because it wasn't the house she was protecting.
As a rough example, at approximately 20 feet Sabs would let me know they were there, at approximately 10 feet she would warn them off, at anything nearing arms length, under 6 feet, she would engage a threat. If they backed away she let them, if they gave up she let them. If at any point I asked her to leave it she would and if at any point I asked her to watch it she would. If I was down she maintained a perimeter. And while she recognized uniforms, she did warn a couple of officers for walking up to close behind me. 
Rather then lunging, barking fools, PPD's must be in most cases the best of the best. They need to be able to discern between the general public and a threat, they must be able to override their desire to chase and remain on alert to protect all without burning out or making a mistake.


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## Muskeg (Jun 15, 2012)

Sabi- I completely agree. A PPD (unlike a police K9) is there to protect the handler, and to stay with the handler. Never to be sent out to attack a fleeing intruder or any other person. If the person backs off, the dog should let them go. That is a good PPD. That is how I train and work my dogs for being out and about.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Muskeg-I did train her to bark her fool head off at a tssst sound from me. Not barking at anything, just barking. A useful skill when a wanted people to know we were there, but just a game.


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## Julian G (Apr 4, 2016)

Muskeg said:


> What would you want the GSD to do to an intruder?


I didnt mean that I wanted the dog to do anything, but if I ever needed help I'm not sure he would engage.


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

At the end of the day, everyone has their own idea of what a PPD should and shouldn't be. Things they should perform or not perform. So you need to find someone who you trust. Open a line of clear communication and express what your needs and wants are. Then hopefully you can find the right dog for you. 

In response to the question about my dogs being up on the couch. Yes they are allowed up there. They also can sleep in the bed however most don't. They get too hot. I raised them since puppies for the exception of Heidi who we bought for my wife to handle. Things like the couch, bed, toys and what not are all earned things. I do not allow my eight week old puppies on the furniture. They need to earn it. As far as raising them, I for the most part follow NILIF. When raising my puppies, everything I do is for a reason. Yes they still get to be puppies and go out to explore and learn. But that is also for a reason 


Edit: There are usually classes done by LEO trainers who provide laws and rules explaining the legal side of using a dog. In my area I know there is one about every 12 weeks or so. When push comes to shove, for me my motto is "I'd rather be judged by twelve, than carried by six."


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## Muskeg (Jun 15, 2012)

Cobra- any links to find out more about those courses? Seems like it would be useful information to know. Thanks!


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

Muskeg said:


> Cobra- any links to find out more about those courses? Seems like it would be useful information to know. Thanks!



I would try contacting your local LE agency and find out who has their K9 training contracts. In California most training is done by an outside third party. In my area I know who runs them and am on an email list. Here the classes are about $200.


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## Blitzkrieg1 (Jul 31, 2012)

Every dog is different and every client has different needs. What some want others dont. 
There is no hard and fast rule other then obedience on and off leash and the ability to engage on command.

As to price point..let me put it this way. If the going rate for pet training is 1800-2000 then to put the time effort and expense into buying a green dog and training him for PP you need to be doing much better then that.


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## Thecowboysgirl (Nov 30, 2006)

Sabis mom said:


> Muskeg-I did train her to bark her fool head off at a tssst sound from me. Not barking at anything, just barking. A useful skill when a wanted people to know we were there, but just a game.


We trained my old male to do this for the word "guard!" It was a very impressive trick. He went jogging with my tween and teen daughters and this was the main reason we taught him this. He just did it for a cookie but it sure looked good. The kids never had to use it but it was nice to know he was out there with them and could be counted on to put on a good display. I don't think anyone would have called his bluff, he had an awesome booming bark.

Some service dog handlers teach their dogs bluff tricks like "watch my back"....

I imagine things like this would suffice for the average person who just wants to feel a little safer and so long as the dog just thinks it is a trick for a cookie no harm and the sky is the limit


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## Thecowboysgirl (Nov 30, 2006)

And if my dogs bark at night and I send them around the check the house or yard I talk to them and say "if you can find him, you can eat him" or stuff like that. If anyone is ever lurking around my house that is what they will hear me say to the dogs.


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