Having worked in the dog training field for more than 20 years, I have been asked this question more than once. This seems to be a major concern to most dog owners. They really want to know how it will change their dog.
From the viewpoint of training it really makes no difference, it doesn’t affect the mentality of your dog. However, in some of the small breeds it might aid in housebreaking training.
It is an old wives tale that neutering a male will stop him from wandering. It only affects the ability to perform, not the want. He will still become excited when a female is in season, and try to perform.
With a male dog if you own a pure bread dog and might want a pup from him one day you can leave him intact. If you don’t think that you will want an offspring form your male, neuter him this can save him other health issues in the future. The female on the other hand, if you are not planning on breeding her, you might as well get her fixed. The female heat is quite messy and can be smelly also.
The drawback to spaying your female dog is that she may gain weight. Keep a close eye on her diet once she is spayed, an overweight dog can have many more health issues.
By: Wendy Aston, Global K9 Group, LLC
We travel in our RV quite often, finding a pet friendly campground is much easier now a day. The world has become so much more accepting of people traveling with their pets.
Having a family protection dog with us on the road gives us peace of mind. We also get the enjoyment of, spending quality time with our dog. While on the road we get a chance to brush up on all of our training maneuvers and socialization.
Of course you must remember to obey the park rules regarding leashing your pet and picking up after him. It is really nice when we find a place that has a designated dog run area where we can let him go off lead and play ball and run.
Remember before heading out on the road with your personal protection dog, plan ahead. This way you will have the best experience with your dog, and some freedom for him to enjoy also. Be sure to have extras of any medications your dog may be on. You will also want to carry a copy of his shot records just in case.
Be vigilant these are new surroundings to your dog; he doesn’t have any reference to where home is if you get separated. A good family guard dog will not separate from the family, but curiosity can get the best of us.
By: Wendy Aston, Global K9 Group, LLC
Family Protection Dogs should be trained to the highest standards for interaction in homes with and without small children. Basically, these dogs are meant to become a valuable ‘dual personality’ member of the family.
Properly bred and raised dogs have a flatter curve relating to their various drives . On that curve is a strong level of ‘stability’, which is most important for social situations. When a dog is properly temperament tested the results will show that the dog is willing to position himself between a family member and a criminal, and also be friendly to friendly people. The owner of a well trained protection dog should be comfortable taking their dog any-where with anyone present. Properly trained protection dogs should do its job in any environment, at home or away.
You should feel comfortable having dinner guest in her home while the dog is present. Also safely deliver her children and the neighborhood kids to the soccer game. Then, while being a spectator at the game, friendly visitors can comfortably meet the dog and visit without fear of getting hurt.
If any adult family member decides to go for a walk the dog should work extraordinary obedience on lead and off lead. Of course family members will want to walk in public areas with their dog on lead. If the handler decides to stop and talk with a friendly person, the dog will quietly sit by their side. However, if someone decides to grab or become aggressive with a member of the family, the dog will automatically disable the attacker.
By: Wendy Aston, Global K9 Group, LLC
Being in the dog business people seem to think that we don’t have what we call personal dogs. It is truly a passion to work with dogs, and to be able to experience the unconditional love they give us. We at Global K9 Group, all have our own dogs to help us appreciate what a client is going through.
In raising and training personal protection dogs, we get very deep into the personality of the individual dogs. This makes the relationship that much more. With our own dogs we can see the possibilities of every dog that we work with. Knowing that they strive to please us but once they fall completely in love they work even better.
Having a dog that is a partner in your life is such a benefit, that we try hard not to take it for granted. Which as with anything if you have always had it you don’t appreciate it as much as you probably should. This is where having lost a dog that is so special to you, is a reminder that you can’t imagine life without a dog..
We are known for memorializing our dogs after they have past. We will have a private cremation and get just the right box with a brass tag saying who they were to us. We also have graphics and portraits done to keep them in our lives.
One of our clients has started a business with graphics www.pgrafix.com she has found a way to once again keep our best friend in sight even after we have lost them.
By: Wendy Aston, Training Supervisor, Global K9 Group, LLC
When considering a protection dog, you need to look for a supplier that is geared towards family dogs. Most trainers are focused on police service dogs, search and rescue dogs. Most dogs used in these areas are not family dogs but high drive working dogs.
Family guard dogs, need to be more social and less energetic then the average working dog. If a dog has to high of a drive in the home, he will appear hyper. A Family security dog will be more relaxed in the home and social situations.
If you decide to go with a titled German dog, you will want to have a trainer supply the dog that has the ability to take the dog from a competition frame of mind to one of real life. Our company will supply titled dogs only after working the dog in real life scenarios.
Make sure the supplier is willing to take the time to address all of your questions and concerns prior to your purchase. If they don’t have time for you before the sale, what do you think will happen after you buy?
You need to receive personal training and a face to face introduction to your new dog. This will help to insure your families’ safety when receiving your new dog or puppy.
By: Wendy Aston, Global K9 Group, LLC
When taking a road trip with your best buddy you will want to make sure he is happy too. When I travel with my protection dog, I always carry bottled water and some dog food. The last thing either of us want to have happen on a trip is for him to get an upset tummy.
Dogs can be very sensitive to a change in water or diet. This is why when we are on the road my dog drinks bottled water; No it’s not Evian, it is grocery store water in the gallon jug, but bottled all the same. Water varies so much from one geographical area to another.
Change in diet can cause some horrible abdominal stress also. So be sure you have his food with you, or that it is easily found in stores. This will cause less stress on both of you, remember if you are stressed so is your dog.
Every now and again we will come across a candidate for protection dog training that has a problem with car sickness. This is something that needs to be corrected, in the early stages of training. Short trips can sometimes get the dog past it, but other dogs need more help.
There is a product called Happy Traveler: that is an all-natural herbal calming formula for stressed, nervous, or anxious dogs. I have found this to help greatly with car sickness. If it is used regularly, most cases will be cured after a while.
By: Wendy Aston, Training Supervisor Global K9 Group, LLC
Of course you can, you do want to let your supplier know from the get go that you have a cat or two. Some dogs just can’t have cat friends. But then there are quite a few who really treasure the relationship they have with cats.
We start our dogs as pups with cats around, we have a Maine coon that will set any puppy straight on how to act in the presence of such a regal animal. Then we have a calico that has learned the less you move the less you are noticed. So we really have the best of both worlds. We have our trained protection dogs around our cats on a regular basis.
We will every now and then get a dog that loves to chase the cat but as soon as the cat stops the dog stops. These dogs can be worked in obedience with the cat present so that eventually they can be correct for the chasing of the cat.
Many times the games are started by the cat. For instance, my protection dog has landed in the pool more times then he would admit. Due to the orange cat named critter, who has figured out how to get the games closer to the pool. This cat will actually position the dog so that when critter swipes at the dog, and the dog jumps back there is a pool there.
They all have such different personalities; I speak of the dogs and cats. Some enjoy a good game and others can go a life time without a good chase.
When considering the purchase of a protection dog for the family, one must consider many different elements. Beginning with breed consideration, and the age of the dog when you receive it. Also it is very important to choose the right supplier.
Wendy and Sergio
When choosing a supplier you will want someone who is going to provide you with: Personal handler training and introduction to the dog. You will also want to make sure that you will receive written health and training warranties.
Size of a dog for protection-The dog will need to be at least 55 pounds to physically be able to do the job properly. The last thing you will want is a dog that is courageous enough to do the job but can get hurt due to lack of physical size.
Stability-The dog needs to be very balanced in the drives he possesses. You don’t want a dog that is so high in drive that it appears hyper. A well balanced dog can still do the job and be relaxed in day to day situations. There are different factors that attribute to drive levels. A good breeding program, that matches the parents according to their abilities as well as their linage. Also the raising of the dog up to the point that you receive it. Drives can be nurtured to be exactly what you want, or they can be exaggerated past what is needed for family protection dogs.
Courage-The dog needs to be courageous not fearful. If the dog is not raised in the proper manner it could become fearful, which can lead to erroneous biting. A fearful dog is a dangerous dog, due to the fact it will bite for the wrong reasons. A courageous dog will make the right decisions once properly trained.
The age of the dog when you receive it is subjective to your personal situation. Do you have an immediate security need? Do you want to raise a puppy with your family to the end result of a protection dog? If you want to raise a puppy in hopes of having a protection dog, you should purchase a puppy that is accompanied by a written training contract with warranties.
By: Wendy Aston, Global K9 Group, LLC
When looking for a personal protection dog, you want to find a well balanced dog. This is a dog that will both protect when needed and socialize with friendly people. If a protection dog can’t be taken in public, you are not protected for a major portion of your day.
Most people have the misconception that a trained protection dog, is a dog that can’t be around people. That is a falsehood that only pertains to an untrained or poorly trained dog.
If a dog is trained properly he should be a family pet and companion as well as a protector. If the dog needs to be put away when people come to the house, what will happen when a bad guy come to the door?
We at Global K9 Group take all of our dogs to parks and stores, places where people are. They have to be subjected to a wide variety of environments. This is how we know what to expect of the dog, and the dog knows what we expect from him.
We are located in a suburb of Orlando with lots of people and traffic. This gives us the perfect opportunity to expose our dogs to a wide array of situations. Building a strong foundation for stability in social situations, meanwhile building the proper amount of suspicion and protection.
By: Wendy Aston, Global K9 Group, LLC
