Today at PetSmart
So….today I walked into PetSmart to purchase a ”Chuck it” (My dogs love the ball). On the way out I’m growled at by this lady’s catahoula mix while she paid the cashier. We are leaving at the same time and as she starts walking, the dog stops growling and forges in front of her. She then clicks her clicker and keeps walking. The dog then stops, urinates, then starts walking again. She again, clicks the clicker. I tell her (on my way to my vehicle), click the clicker after the behavior you request specifically. She replies by telling me that she knows what she’s doing and she’s been taking the classes at PetSmart.
So…I’m not knocking the excellent training at these local pet stores but I certainly encourage all of you to do your research with any trainer previous to signing up. Clearly, that girl and that catahoula mix are missing out on good instruction.
Just my thoughts.
Read MoreSelecting a Protection Dog…Part 4
The fourth step is to acclimate the dog to your household while enhancing protectiveness in a real scenario. We practice carjacking scenarios, mock break-ins with a variety of intruders, possible attacks and abductions, gun fire stressors, and so on. While continuing this real simulation, we acclimate the dog to a variety of real life needs: going to a coffee shop or grocery stores, long car rides without barriers, drive through restaurants, and the such.
Read MoreSelecting a Protection Dog…Part 3
The third step would be testing it’s obedience, tracking, protection, and all of it’s abilities. Choosing a dog that is alert, confident, powerful, and formidable weighs heavy in our experience with sport and working dogs. As law enforcement officers, we know what the bad guys are doing and have done. We also know what deters and protects better than anyone else. After enduring our tests overseas, we bring the dog back and place it into our training program.