Having a Personal Protection Dog Comes With Responsibility
There is a lot of misunderstanding around personal protection dogs.
When people hear the words personal protection dog they often think about the obvious part.
But that is not the only part.
The important part is also everything that happens when the dog is not protecting you.
A protection dog still has to live in the real world.
He goes for walks. He meets people. He comes with you to different places. People talk to you. People walk past you. People shake your hands. Someone comes close to you.
Most of the time nothing dangerous is happening. And the dog needs to understand that.
A protection dog needs to be able to think
I want a dog that is confident enough to stay calm when there is no reason to do react.
And then when something really changes the situation the dog needs to be able to understand that also.
The handler has a huge responsibility
When you own a powerful protection dog the responsibility is not only on the dog.
It is on you. You need to understand the dog. You need to know what he is capable of. You need to know how he behaves in different situations and you need to be able to control him.
You also need to be honest with yourself.
Do you actually need a personal protection dog, do you need a milder version of it, a with good trained threat display or you just need a dog to company you?
And if you do need one are you prepared for everything that comes with it?
Because having a trained protection dog is not just having an extra layer of security, they need proper training and proper handling their whole life.
I want to be able to take my dog and not have to worry about what he is going to do every time somebody comes close.I want to be able to talk to people.I want to be able to walk through different environments.I want the dog to be able to stay with me and understand that nothing is happening, all while still alert enough to react when needed.
That is not separate from protection work, it is part of protection work.
This is all something I look for when developing dogs through the Genesis Program.
I am not interested in creating a dog that simply looks imposant. They need to have the right mindset for the life they are going to live.
A Canis Panther that is being developed for personal protection still needs to be a stable dog that can live with people and function in everyday life.
That is a different from creating a dangerous dog.
Not every dog needs to become personal protection dog
Not every dog needs protection training. And not every person should own a personal protection dog. There is nothing wrong with having a dog that is simply a companion.
Protection work comes with responsibility people need to understand before getting involved with it.
It is easy to look at a protection dog and only see the impressive bits. But you don't see all the work that goes into making and keeping that dog reliable in normal life.
And you don't always see the responsibility of the person holding the leash.
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