PROTECTION LEVELS

We are extremely proud of our Command Dog levels that have taken decades to perfect. Each of our Command Dog levels offer precisely trained dogs that are custom fit for each situation that you may have or budget restraints that may be present.  We understand that there are many choices for you to consider as you do your research to find the company that best suits your needs.  We want to offer you some information that sets Command Dogs apart from all others.

You will find that most companies offering protection dogs basing the value of the K9 on the dog being a “titled sports dog” that has been imported from Europe.  This is a deceitful practice to represent a “titled” dog as a “protection family defender”.  Please read our EDUCATE YOURSELF section on “Is a Sport Dog the same as a Protection dog?“

Another popular false way to attempt to impress people is by boasting about being a “police dog handler/trainer” or even WORSE a “military dog handler/trainer”.  Anyone that tries to compare police dog training, or military warrior dog training to suggest that those training techniques have a benefit to you, seeking a family guardian dog, is the first sign of that they lack understanding of what the proper psychology behind a personal protection dog is really all about.  Please read our EDUCATE YOURSELF “Why an ‘ex-military’
or ‘ex-police’ K9 training is not desirable?”

We offer several different levels of Command Dogs to clients that are in search of a loyal, genetically sound, custom trained personal protection k9’s to love and protect you and your family.  The major thing that sets Command Dogs apart from others is that we do not just import titled dogs and sell them as trained protection dogs.  We have created a special program that customizes each and every one of the dogs that leave our company as a “Command Dog”.

All Command Dogs must have been raised in homes with families, and not as kennel dogs.  Our goal is for each Command Dog to have experienced the true environment that they will live once going to their forever home.  Our goal is to not just provide you with a loyal, loving, deterrent, but a determined family guarding that you can trust to watch over your family as you are traveling, or better yet, bring with you and your family anywhere you decide to go.  Knowing that your family is being protected by a Command Dog that has been custom trained to perform specific duties offers you peace of mind no other way possible.

Alert on Command:

A Command Dog’s “Alert on Command” is much different than what is normally considered by most other companies as an alert.  A Command Dog, of every level, has impeccable voice command controlled obedience.  This means that when you give your Command Dog the command to “Alert” on an unwelcome threat, you will have total control of your K9 and will not be forced to attempt to physically control your dog as he acts aggressive.  When you watch a Command Dog’s alert upon command you will see the handler have total control of the dog.  The Alert on Command is meant to be a deterrent and avoid needing to take it to the next level.  The second phase of the alert command is to have the dog halt the aggressive barking and posture.  The goal is that your K9’s alert will avoid the need to take the K9 to the next level of an actual go forward and bite. A Command Dog must have the ability to turn on and off like a switch upon your command.  In an ideal situation, this Alert will cause your threat to look for an easier assault victim.  This most basic protection command is always a great demonstration (or video) to watch to see the quality of training that has been put into the dog and his ease of handling you can expect.

Go forward and Bite on Command:

This command is used to tell the dog to leave handlers side and engage the threat.  The different levels of the Command Dog determine the level of combat skills and how the apprehension takes place.

The apprehension command tells the dog to immediately leave the handler’s side and chase down a person that has committed a life threatening act upon you or a loved one.  Upon your verbal command the K9 will be directed to run full speed to apprehend the threat until you further command the next action to release and return to the handler.

Release and Guard:

This is a verbal command given by the handler to your Command Dog that would be used after your dog has apprehended and has hold of the threat.  A Command Dog is trained to hold the threat until you give a command to release. This gives you time to get safely away and phone 911, at this point you can choose to command your K9 to release.  Your Command Dog will not return to you, but will stay with the threat keeping him in place with an aggressive bark and behavior.  Your Command Dog will immediately re-engage the threat if they make a move.  This allows your Command Dog to hold the threat until police arrive. Once the authorities arrive you will give a verbal command for your K9 to return to your side.

Defend upon Contact:

This is a verbal command given by the handler to the K9 giving him permission to apprehend anyone that lays a hand on you.  This is a command that you would use if you feel that you are in imminent danger of being assaulted or apprehended by an intruder or assailant. This bite exercise requires advanced training of the K9 and handler.  An example of when you would use this command would be if you were being followed while walking in a parking lot or at the park with your family.

Firearm Apprehension:

A verbal command is spoken for the dog to immediately leave the handler’s side and chase down a person that has committed a life threatening act by brandishing a firearm.  Upon your word the K9 is directed to run full speed to grab a hold of the arm holding the firearm, until you further command the next desired action.  After you have disarmed the threat your K9 will be given a command to release and return to handler.  Upper level Command Dogs can be commanded to stay and guard the threat until police arrive and do a prisoner transport if needed.  A crucial part of this exercise is to condition the dog to a firearm being discharged before or during the time apprehension takes place.

Frontal Apprehension with Threatening Objects.

A command is spoken for the dog to immediately leave the handler’s side and chase down a person that has committed a life threatening act, perhaps brandishing a firearm towards you.  Upon command the K9 runs full speed to grab a hold of the threat until you further command the next desired action.  After your K9 disarms the threat, you can choose to command the K9 to return to your side, or to go into a guard upon the threat. An upper level Command Dog can stay with the threat and guard them and do a prisoner transport .  This exercise is to condition the dog to many different types of objects attacking either the handler or the dog before or during the time apprehension takes place.

Defend Upon Contact.

This is a very complex and precise exercise which the K9 executes differently depending on what level the Command Dog has been trained.

A Command Dog is conditioned with a level of awareness to people that act strange, drunk, or under the influence of many different types of substance by watching on alert.  The K9 will remain on high alert and unless commanded by the handler the K9 will not act on his own.  However, once a command is given the K9 fully understands that you feel you are in imminent danger and have given the K9 permission to equalize any threat.

More advanced levels include a command for the dog to watch the back of the handler.  The Command Dog will reverse, walking backwards, as handler tries to exit the area. While under this command, if at any time, the handler has direct physical contact by a threat, the Command Dog will intercede and engage to defend handler until commanded to stand down.

Call Off Apprehension.

A “Call Off” allows you to cancel your command to attack after you have commanded your K9 to go forward and apprehend a threat. The level of training of the Command Dog depend on the distance they are able to be called off.  We take pride in the upper level dogs being so verbally controlled under all circumstances that even during an escalated situation the K9 will hear the handler’s command and turn away from the threat in mid air and return to the handler without biting the threat.

Carjacking Exercise.

The statistic of a person being assaulted while in or near their car is so great that we devote hundreds of hours into different carjacking drills. The scenarios rehearsed include being stopped at a red light as someone tries to jump into your passenger side door, opening your drivers door to attempt to drag you out, being at a service station pumping gas and your children are waiting in the car, or just car protection as someone attempts to take the auto when handler is not present.

Home Invasion Training

This is every family’s worst nightmare and a crime that is rapidly on the rise in every city.  Your trained K9 is your first responder if you are the chosen victim of this horrific crime. Ideally, you have not been specifically targeted by the invader, and the aggressive bark of your K9 will be a deterrent for the would be invader to move on to an easier target.  If you are specifically targeted, or if all too common today the intruder is under the influence of mind altering drugs, causing irrational behavior and no fear, when your home boundary is broken your Command Dog will jump into action before you are even aware of the present threat.  You, your family and your K9 will work with our staff to rehearse what each person, and the K9, will do in the event or an actual home invasion. These home invasion practice sessions will assure you that your family and your Command Dog are as prepared as possible.  Every person in your home will be involved in these practice exercises, and just like a fire drill helps schools and businesses prepare by ongoing rehearsals, our home invasion drills will assure you and your family that you and your K9 are are prepared as possible.

Advanced level Command Dogs include stealth exercises and countering techniques after entry.

Stealth Command:

The Stealth Command is used to command you K9 to be silent, not to give away your location, giving you the upper hand in a home invasion.  Your Command Dog will remain hidden with you while you await for the threat to leave or help to arrive.  This training is especially suggested for the Command Dog of a child.  The child will rehearse in the home invasion drills to go to their assigned place and wait for a parent or law enforcement officer to bring them to safety.  The K9 will remain with the child, helping to keep them calm and feeling secure, while the parents, or other family K9’s deal with the threat.

Multiple Attacker Exercises

Upper level Command Dogs are worked on this very difficult exercise.  Advanced training enables your Command Dog to engage with a fighting attacker and upon your command to disengage from an active combat and engage with another attacker.

K9 Team Training:

We specialize in K9 teams and take great pride in our success with properly pairing K9 teams that work in unison
together.  A Protection K9 is an alpha dog personality and it takes two very special K9’s to work together as a team and live together in harmony.  A K9 team requires long term advanced training and two very special dogs to create this spectacular protection force.