Family, Patrol, or Executive - why the different categories?

Just like humans, different jobs require that the dogs have slightly different temperaments. A reliable patrol dog (who will tirelessly work a perimeter) is not likely to be a dog who will settle nicely in-home or on a plane. Of course, there are dogs that can do a little bit of everything, but nowhere near as well as a dog that is selected and trained for a specific purpose. Family protection and executive dogs tend to be somewhat more similar in temperament, however an executive dog receives training in slightly different scenarios (such as on planes, offices/meeting rooms, and specific vehicles).

What commands will the dog know?

This is tailored to each individual client’s needs and preferred language. However as part of our curriculum, all dogs receive full off-leash obedience commands including: sit, down, stay, recall, heel, and send to place/bed.

How much does this all cost?

Our personal protection dogs average around $75k, but prices vary depending on individual client needs. See a sample payment and training breakdown here.

Why is the price so high?

Aside from sourcing high-quality working dogs, the number of training hours and decoys (trainers) involved in ensuring our clients receive a fully socialized, functional personal protection dog comes with a high cost. In order to stand behind our dogs’ ability to do what they are advertised to do, we don’t cut corners or spare expenses to ensure they receive the countless hours of work and conditioning they require.

Why aren’t more dogs immediately available?

Just like service dogs, our executive dogs are carefully screened and selected for each particular client.

No two dogs are the same, and what a particular person or family may need can vary significantly. For example, a reliable property patrol dog does not have the same temperament as one intended to protect and live with their family in-home. We prefer to assess individual client needs FIRST, to determine what breed, temperament, and size is best suited for the job. We then find them the right dog (or puppy) from our wide network of reputable breeders and trainers.

We have available dogs on occasion, who were pre-selected as puppies or young adults because they displayed ideal temperament and characteristics as a protection dog. We don’t believe in keeping these types of dogs in kennel environments, so those in our program live in-home with a trainer. This way we can ensure they are well-adjusted to a household environment and family life.

Is an executive dog safe with kids?

Absolutely. Our training program ensures that any executive dog placed in a family with kids is socialized and desensitized early on to children of various ages. We also include all household members in our relationship-building and handling sessions to ensure that the dog properly bonds with all members of their new family.

Will a titled sport dog protect me?

While some sport dogs occasionally make good personal protection candidates, a dog that is successful in sport may not be suitable for a variety of reasons. On one end of the spectrum, they may be too reactive or have too much “drive” - making them extremely difficult to handle and unlikely to settle indoors. On the opposite end of the spectrum, they may be well conditioned to equipment, but not able to handle the pressure of a real confrontation. To the untrained eye, any dog that barks aggressively can be perceived as one that will fight to protect you, but this is unfortunately far from the truth. Just as we advise you do for any type of dog training, be a skeptic! Ask questions, and talk to reputable working dog trainers who are experienced in reading aggressive displays to determine what’s really going on behind those bared teeth.

Why don’t you breed dogs?

Firstly, there’s the issue of deciding on which breed - not all are suitable for every client. In addition, temperament and drive can vary enormously with the individual dog, irrespective of the breed standard. Even if a particular dam and sire display suitable “working temperament,” the litters they produce will not necessarily inherit these traits.

To complicate things further, a good working dog (for sport or K9) may not be suitable for work as a personal protection dog. Inevitably, a portion (if not all) of a given litter would not make the cut.

Fortunately for us, it’s not as impossible as it may seem to balance demand and ethics. We have a strong network of reputable working dog breeders who we remain updated on, in order to select the right dog for the right client, at the right time. No need to be constantly producing litters to find a top quality personal protection puppy!