Note: This is an interview with Ty Brown, owner of Protege K9, a service that trains as well as offers security dogs. Ty has trained as well as put a lot more than 100 security dogs in the united states as well as other countries. He likewise runs Ty the pet dog Guy, a pet dog obedience as well as habits adjustment service in Utah.

How did you ended up being a expert pet dog trainer? When did you begin training security dogs? What is your function in Protege K9?

I started training dogs when I was 14 years old. I have always been an animal enthusiast as well as considering that the age of 12 I had been filling out task applications at pet stores as well as veterinarian offices, etc.

Of course, nobody would hire me at that age. When I was 14, I came across a pet dog fitness instructor as well as begged him for a job. He didn’t pay me however enabled me to apprentice for him over the program of a few years.

From that experience I trained semi-professionally for many years up until I landed a task as the training manager for one of the largest security pet dog business in the country. I spent a number of years at this business criss-crossing the globe as I trained as well as provided security dogs to a VIP clientele.

As the owner of Protege K9 I oversee the choice of appropriate dogs, oversee the training as well as oversee the shipment of the dogs to their new homes.

I comprehend that trained security dogs are indicated to secure households as well as individuals. They serve as watchdogs as well as can be trained to show aggression, secure as well as attack. What else are these dogs trained to do?

Essentially a well-trained security pet dog is a pet dog that can opt for you everywhere. He can go along with you to the soccer game, lie under your desk at work as well as welcome guests for a dinner party.

When called upon, however, he is capable of showing aggression as well as backing up that aggression with an assault if necessary.

At Protege K9 we like to personalize the training for every private client. Dogs are trained to be able to tactically manage a prospective vehicle jacking, ward off a mugging as well as manage a house invasion amongst other prospective threats.

People believe that dogs will “know what to do” if a hazardous circumstance arises. This just isn’t the case.

What we have to do is examine prospective dangers as well as style certain security exercises to battle those threats. That may indicate running to a door as well as barking to stop an intruder from entering or grabbing the arm of a guy who is attempting to go into a car. If we want a pet dog to secure against a specific danger we have to train for that.

What is the most typical misunderstanding about trained security dogs?

I was when in a laid-back setting speaking about my own pet dog who is trained as a security dog. somebody overheard as well as instantly jumped in saying, “Oh, don’t train dogs to do those things. That will make them dangerous.”

The opposite is normally the truth. security training normally makes dogs a lot more safe. almost all dogs have specific protective instincts as well as what security training does is show them exactly how to utilize those instincts as well as when it is okay. very advanced obedience is a prerequisite as well as high levels of on as well as off leash manage are a must.

A well-trained security pet dog is not a risk to those around. He is a fantastic buddy that only utilizes force when it is proper as well as commanded.

Some people believe their (untrained) dogs will assault or secure their owners when necessary. What is wrong with this belief?

This is a fantastic question. It is a myth that when a pet dog feels bonded to his owners that he will secure them with his life. lots of owners believe this to be true when they see their pet dog bark at strangers or growl as somebody approaches. Sure, there are lots of documented situations where a household pet dog secured his liked ones.

Most of the time, however, the household pet dog may bark or growl however when push pertains to shove he will do nothing to protect. There are many reasons why an untrained pet dog is extremely unlikely to supply actual protection:

1- actual security needs extreme stamina of character. a lot of dogs don’t have it. That is not a knock against the household dog. Heck, a lot of people don’t have what it takes to offer viable safety as well as protection. I understand I don’t.

2- An untrained pet dog wouldn’t understand what to do. people presume that just since a pet dog has teeth as well as a loud bark he understands exactly how to protect. Well, a lot of people have hands as well as feet however exactly how lots of people might successfully protect themselves from an attacker without self-defense training? Dogs aren’t born understanding exactly how to defend. They requirement to be taught these skills.

3- Aggression against humans has been selectively bred out of a lot of breeds. For generations pet dog breeders have bred specimens with bite inhibition tendencies as well as the capability to be handled quickly by humans. lots of dogs have no issue growling or barking at strangers however would be extremely difficult pressed to really back up their threat.

Most of the Protege K9 dogs are purebred rottweilers, German shepherds as well as Doberman pinschers. What other high qualities do you look for in a prospective security dog? Why can’t you train specific shelter dogs to be security dogs?

There are a number of high qualities we look for:

1- Sociability. A genuine security pet dog needs to be extremely social as well as friendly with buddies as well as family. We like dogs with fun characters who like to play with their families.

2- strong drives. We look for dogs that have both high prey drive as well as strong defense drive. defense drive is used to show the pet dog the truth of a hazardous circumstance as well as prey drive is utilized to show biting skills.

3- Deep bloodlines. just since a dog’s ancestry is full of high quality security dogs as well as sport dogs doesn’t indicate he or she will likewise be a fantastic security dog. It sure helps, though.

I like shelter dogs however they normally just aren’t capable of security training. discovering the ideal pet dog for this type of training is not an mishap or coincidence. For generations dogs in Europe have been bred for extremely certain attributes that enable them to be trained for this type of work. It takes a extremely special pet dog as well as that type of pet dog normally doesn’t happen by accident.

European countries have exceptionally high breeding standards. before a pet dog is bred they are needed to pass health, temperament, as well as training tests. This doesn’t make sure that each pet dog will be outstanding however it does stack the odds. That is the reason why you will see that almost every authorities dog, armed forces canine, as well as security pet dog in the world is directly from Europe or comes from parents that were European.

Shelter dogs just don’t have the exact same genetic cosmetics as dogs bred particularly for this work. That shouldn’t deter the prospective pet dog owner from browsing in a shelter for their next pet. If they requirement a security canine, however, they requirement to look in other areas.

Has there been a circumstance where you invested time as well as money into a prospective security pet dog as well as it didn’t work out? exactly how did you choose the pet dog wasn’t ideal for the program?

This does occur from time to time. There are times when it becomes obvious that the pet dog does not have a steady sufficient temperament or strong sufficient character for the work. In situations like that the perfect is to discover somebody who is familiar with the breed as well as comprehends the difficulties as well as to provide them the pet dog at low or no cost.

In theory, if I were to find across a pet dog that was a risk or liability, we would have to think about euthanasia. thankfully this has never happened. We try to secure against these pitfalls by preserving great connections with European vendors. We depend on that the dogs we purchase from them to put into our training program are steady as well as capable of the work.

Do the dogs get continuous training throughout their lives after they are purchased?

We motivate our clients to continue to come back for training. Obedience training is quickly maintained by our clients on a everyday basis by themselves. The security training, however, needs the aid of trained professionals.

Just since somebody has the money to purchase a trained security pet dog does not indicate he or she is a capable owner. who must or must not own one of these dogs? What screening process do you use?

Anyone included in unlawful activities must not own one of these dogs. You may not be shocked to hear that medication dealerships are of program thinking about this type of canine.

We screen clients by discovering out exactly how lots of kids they have, what type of way of life they lead, what their occupations are, their offered time commitment to a pet dog in the home, past dogs they have had as well as why they no longer have those dogs, their expectations of what the pet dog must do, etc.

In all seriousness I have had people phone call as well as state they requirement a pet dog who is hard as well as mean, or a pet dog that will tear somebody apart that comes with their door, etc. Those kinds of people who look to utilize the pet dog asa weapon rather than a deterrent don’t belong with one of our dogs.Have any type of of your dogs ever saved someone’s life?

I when provided a pet dog to a household in western Europe. On one event the pet dog stopped a break-in by attacking the intruder for long sufficient to ensure that the hubby might get his gun as well as keep it trained on the poor person up until the authorities arrived.

On one more event the exact same pet dog halted a house invasion that might have led to the death of one or all the household members. a number of guy broke in with automatic weapons. The pet dog was sent to assault as well as did so. The pet dog was seriously outnumbered as well as beaten as was one of the owners. His attack, though, provided just sufficient of a diversion to ensure that a household member was able to getaway the home as well as phone call the police.

Luckily this is rare. a number of dogs I have trained have been called on to show aggression on command. This is normally sufficient to stop a lot of would-be attackers. It is a unusual situation that a pet dog really has to back up his bark with a bite.

Do you get criticism about training dogs to show aggression as well as attack? exactly how do you counter this criticism?

Absolutely we get criticism.  It is somewhat questionable what we perform in mentor dogs exactly how to utilize force.

I have been able to counter the criticism by showing people what a security pet dog truly is. My own rottweiler, Rocco (pictured), has been featured on radio programs as well as charity events where he has done security routines for the public. It has provided me fantastic chances to share that these are really extremely stable, friendly dogs.

I like to compare these dogs to our service guy as well as women. When they are on the task they are capable of high levels of aggression to secure house as well as liberty. When they are off the task they are just as much household people as the rest of us. The exact same is true for well-trained security dogs.

Breeds such as rottweilers as well as German shepherds frequently get a poor track record for being aggressive. I picture training them as “attack dogs” only adds to this stereotype. exactly how are these judgments inaccurate?

If you research study where these stereotypes come from you see that with extremely bit exception these reputations obtain from untrained animals. My hope is that our dogs as well as dogs like ours are ambassadors to the breeds.  My hope is that people can see these dogs of what they are, benevolent protectors.

An untrained pet dog is a liability as well as perpetuates a stereotype. A trained pet dog breaks those stereotypes.

It is crucial to likewise comprehend right terminology. An ‘attack dog’ is a poorly trained, poorly socialized pet dog that can’t be around people as well as is chained up in a yard. A security pet dog is a household buddy who employs an assault only as a last resort.