Protection Dogs, Children & Safety

For people in the market for a trained personal protection dog, a common concern is safety. In particular, if you have young children at home, you want to know if you have something to worry about when it comes to mixing dogs and children. But here is the deal: in a dog’s world, aggression is only an option in the context of a threat or a challenge. Otherwise, when faced with any other situation, a dog’s preferred course of action is to flee. So if you’re wondering - “Will my children be safe if I get a personal protection dog?” the answer is simple. Yes. The key is to choose the right dog to be a perfect fit for your whole family and this includes taking into account things like the temperament and personality of the animal and trainability. You also need to dog-proof your kids and kid-proof your dogs. 

The best protection dogs for young families with children

When choosing a personal protection dog, an important consideration is to choose an animal that will be a sword by your side but at the same time, is fun loving, good with children and fits right into your family in terms of energy level and lifestyle. The first thing to think about is dog breed. Individual dog breeds can be compared to one another in terms of size, trainability, grooming needs  as well as personality and general temperament. German Shepherd protection dogs, for instance, are large and require some grooming. They are also fun loving, eager to please, smart, confident and hard working but require lots of exercise. In contrast, Belgian Malinois protection dogs, which are a medium size dog and eager to please require more exercise. They are also courageous and fit right into families with children. 

The next consideration is adequate training. Before you get a personal protection dog, you need to make sure it has gone through expert training and that includes going through every temperament test conceivable. You can’t just assume that a dog, because it knows how to “sit” and “stay”, will turn the other cheek if your toddler pulls its tail or smacks it on the head. Dogs need to be trained and adequately socialized to make sure everyone in your family, including your children feel comfortable around them and more importantly, happy and safe. The relationship between a child and a dog can be a most fulfilling one but the prerequisite to that is that the dog is custom trained to be a perfect fit for your family. 

Teaching your children to be mindful

And finally, German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois protection dogs may make the best and most loyal companions but you also need to teach your children the dos and don’ts of interacting with dogs and playing with them. If your children are big enough, you can even consider teach them certain commands including obedience commands and exercises like "protective escape”, in which, under threat, a dog will bark and show aggression while maintaining a tight circle around the handler. The animal will not bite unless the handler gives another clear and very specific command to do so. 

About CCPD

Operating out of California, CCPD is a premier dog-training center with a specialty in training German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois protection dogs, two of the best breeds for protection dogs. Using a combination of communication, direction and correction training, we make sure that our dogs match your lifestyle, wishes and expectations with the right confidence and skill set to be a sword by your side. We coordinate with some of the top breeders in Europe and our dogs are stringently tested for their temperament. To learn more about our Protection Dogs for sale please visit our website at www.ccprotectiondogs.com

Potential Benefits vs. Potential Risks Of Raw Food Diets For Dogs

Proposed by Ian Billinghurst, an Australian veterinarian in 1993, raw dog food diets remain a popular topic for debate among dog owners and veterinarians alike. Basically, there are two schools of thought about whether or not dogs should be fed raw diets. One school says the animals always ate them in the wild and therefore they would thrive on such a diet. The other school documents the risks of raw diets and also proposes that since the animals do not live in the wild anymore and have been domesticated instead, raw diets may cause more potential harm than good. 

But first, what constitutes a raw dog food diet? In essence, a raw diet for canines is just that - raw. It typically consists of things such as muscle meat, bones, organ meats such as liver, raw eggs, vegetables, fruits and some form of dairy product such as yoghurt. Proposed benefits of such a diet include arguments such as: 

Raw protein and vegetables are healthier for canines

According to The Whole Dog Journal, cooking meat and vegetables denatures important enzymes needed for effective digestion and better nutrient absorption. On the other hand, the enzymes remain intact during the processes of freezing and subsequent defrosting.

Dry kibble is not ideal

If you feed your dog commercial dry foods, take a look at the list of ingredients on the packaging. The rule is: the most important ingredients in a canine’s diet should be 1) quality proteins and 2) quality vegetables and fruits. At the same time, the food should be devoid of grains, corn and their by products. Is this what you see? Probably not! Commercial dry dog food also typically contains significant amounts of things such as preservatives, dyes and also sweeteners.

A raw diet may help prevent many health problems

In dogs, a raw diet may help dog owners combat common health problems in their animal including obesity, heart diseases, diabetes, allergies and cancer. After all, dog food companies don’t care about your canine’s health. They are in it for the money and the foods they put on the market may include ingredients harmful to your dog such as corn and rice fillers as well as low-grade animal by-products.

A raw diet is generally more varied in terms of vitamins and minerals

Think about it, if you ate the same thing everyday for breakfast, lunch and dinner and for 365 days a year, inevitably you will become deficient in certain important nutrients that your body needs for good health. The same is true with your pet.

Dogs on a raw diet look better

And finally, dogs on raw diets are often reported to have more attractive coats, less fat and healthier skin. They also generally have cleaner gums and teeth and the animals poop less too. 

But there are also drawbacks and potential risks to feeding your dog a raw diet. For example: 

Raw organic dog foods cost more than dry kibble

Unless you buy massive quantities of meat at cost price or you arrange something with your local farmer, feeding your dog a raw diet will cost more than dry kibble.

The animal may develop digestive issues

If you’ve been feeding your dog cooked food or dry dog food kibble, a switch in the animal’s dietary habits may cause some digestive issues including an upset stomach. It’s debatable whether it’s better to make the switch gradually or straightaway with no transition whatsoever.

Raw meat and vegetables are messier to handle than dry kibble

Raw dog foods such as raw meat and raw fruits and vegetables are messy - to store, handle and defrost and also to clean up once the animal is done eating. The food also takes up more storage space in the freezer.

Some dogs can’t have raw protein

Last but not least, some dogs including older animals with kidney issues and/or pancreatitis can’t have raw dog food. To be sure, consult your vet before making the switch.

To learn more about raw dog food diets and protection dogs for sale , call on 877.687.2259 or go to www.ccprotectiondogs.com. CCPD is a premier dog-training center that sells fully trained Protection Dogs.

The French Ring Dog Sport

Although most dog sports are essentially built around the same basic principals, each sport is unique in its own way. One of the exercises that makes French Ring sport different from other competitive dog sports is its retrieval exercises. There are three types of retrieval exercises, but only dogs competing in French Ring III, the most advanced level of French Ring titles, are expected to perform all three.

The first of the three exercises is known as the thrown retrieve. In this exercise, the handler throws an object, and the dog is simply expected to retrieve the object and return it to the handler. The throw must cover a distance of at least 5 meters, and the dog is only given 5 seconds to complete the exercise. Due to the time restrictions, the dog must move quickly, but it is also important that the handler be able to throw appropriate distance. Throwing further than 5 meters will obviously cost you time as your dog is required to run farther than the minimum 5 meters. Practise and coordination are required by both the dog and the handler.

The thrown retrieve exercise is performed in all three levels of French Ring. In French Ring II, a new retrieve is introduced, which is known as "seen retrieve". The seen retrieve involves the handler and dog heeling down the field. The handler drops an object in plain site of the dog, and they continue moving. Finally, they stop, and the dog is instructed to run back and retrieve the object. In French Ring III, another variation of this is introduced, known as "unseen retrieve". The unseen retrieve is essentially identical to the seen retrieve, except that the object is dropped without the dog seeing it.

Retrieval exercises are certainly nothing new to dog owners. It is certainly not uncommon to see dog owners from all walks of life teaching their pets to play "fetch". French Ring tries to go a step further by incorporating elements of obedience and agility into the exercises. Of course, it's important to remember that French Ring is just a sport. Sporting exercises are wonderful entertainment for handlers, dogs and spectators alike, but one should never confuse a sporting dog for a true protection dog. If you want a true canine protection, you need a dog that has been trained for protection, not for sport. A sporting dog should never be sold as a Protection Dogs, regardless of whether it's a German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois or Dutch Shepherd. For more infomation about the Frinch ring retrieve visit, www.ccprotectiondogs.com