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for article "What is Protection"
Schilling's Northwest Law Dogs offers an intense protection dog
training program. All dogs that have completed the obedience
course at Schilling's are eligible to enroll in the protection
course.
The
protection classes are an exciting way to give your dog an
excellent workout, and have the additional benefit of having a
well-trained protection dog. Both the owner and dog are
encouraged to participate in the training. 
Protection courses give both the dog and owner confidence, and
can lead into a fun hobby. Students of Ken Schilling (SOKS)
is a competitive club that travels around the United States to
various dog shows that hold protection competitions. Schilling's
even hosts competitions of their own.
If requested, strict confidentiality will be honored.
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WHAT IS A PERSONAL PROTECTION DOG?
An Analysis by Wendy M. McCoy (1995)
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the
words "personal protection dog"
- An attack dog?
- An aggressive dog?
- An unpredictable dog?
- An unfriendly dog?
- A mean dog?
- An untrustworthy dog?
- A dangerous dog?
- A dog not good with children?
The list goes on and on, but all of those negative qualities
previously mentioned -- and many more -- are just the opposite
of what a good, well-trained personal protection dog displays.
Following are some of the attributes one can expect from a
well-trained personal protection dog:
1) A personal protection dog must, first and foremost, be an
obedient dog. Great emphasis is placed on instilling obedience
before any advanced protection training has commenced and
obedience training continues to be an integral part of a
personal protection dog's training. In general, a personal
protection dog is, ultimately, more obedient than a dog that has
only gone through basic obedience training because it is
challenged to react in a wider variety of real-life situations.
2) A personal protection-trained dog is not an aggressive dog. A
common misconception people have about aggressive dogs is that
they are brave or "tough". This is simply not true. A greater
majority than you might think appear aggressive out of fear;
hence the term "fear-biter". These dogs usually bark and growl
uncontrollably. When a dog is in a panic, it does not have the
presence of mind to assess a situation or even listen to its
handler. Much of the time even basic obedience training will not
alter this behavior. An important part of personal protection
training is to build the dog's confidence. A confident dog does
not need to continue barking and growling if it is assured by
its handler that the situation is under control. Once a dog
begins to gain confidence, a noticeable change will be present.
The dog will seem to learn more quickly and retain more of what
it has learned due to the fact that the dog's brain is not
clouded with fear -- it has more capacity to store and retrieve
information.
3) The term "attack dog" is more appropriately synonymous with
"junk-yard dog." This type of dog lives for the chance to attack
-- anything. A personal protection dog lives to be with its
handler. A personal protection dog defends, but does not go out
looking for something to assault. The skills of a personal
protection dog are developed to contend with an attack or threat
of attack with the minimum amount of force necessary: bark and
warn the "bad guy" to stay away first; engage only if the threat
continues/increases or if instructed to do so by the handler.
4) Personal protection dogs are trained to understand that any
aggression they may need to project in a dangerous situation
MUST be controlled aggression. It may appear to the untrained
eye that the dog is trying to rip a perpetrator's arm out of its
socket when, in reality, the dog is simply doing all it can to
maintain physical contact with the "bad guy" until the handler
indicates it is safe to let go. Upon hearing the "release"
command, the dog will let go of the person's arm, but remain
focused and alert.
5) Any "aggression" demonstrated by a personal protection dog is
only a response to provocation. That is why these dogs are
neither unpredictable nor untrustworthy. The only time the
personal protection-trained dog shows aggression is when danger
is perceived. An extensive part of the dog's training is
teaching it to distinguish between real danger and an everyday
situation, such as a jogger or bicyclist heading toward you or a
friend giving you a hug.
6) Many people believe that, in order to be a formidable
protector, a dog needs to be unfriendly. This is unequivocally
not true. One way a dog becomes unfriendly and even dangerous is
when it has been teased or harassed. Personal protection dog
training is not done by either of these methods. It is done with
a positive approach in which the dog is kept happy and
comfortable, not fearful and uneasy. Personal protection dogs do
not have a fear or hatred of people. On the contrary, they are
confident, intensely alert, and people-oriented. In fact, the
ideal personal protection dog is friendly and social and able to
abide all kinds of life; from lizards to livestock and birds to
bull moose. After all, if a personal protection dog is not
mannerly and social, it will not be able to accompany its
handler -- and it cannot protect the handler if it is not with
the handler.
7) A common misconception is that personal protection dog
training is synonymous with "Schutzhund" training. Although
Schutzhund training does include protection training, it is a
sport and -- just like Agility or Obedience -- it is a means to
obtain a title on a dog. Although he is quite competent in this
area as well, Ken Schilling offers training which concentrates
on preparing a dog to deal with actual situations and real-life
encounters.
Although these are only a few of the positive rewards you can
expect from a personal protection-trained dog, I hope I have
dispelled some of the myths and mysteries surrounding the
ominous title of "Personal Protection Dog". |
