Search forum
Back to German Shepherd Dog
Liked top 20
ForumsGerman Shepherd Dog > Home/Family Protection Dog vs Police/Military Dog (38 replies)
Home/Family Protection Dog vs Police/Military Dog by Gusmanda on 12 May 2012 - 17:40 |
| What attributes would you look for in one role vs the other? I more or less get the idea of what you need in a sport dog vs a "work" dog, but not sure what would differentiate a Home/Family Protection Dog vs a Police/Military Dog? |
Gusmanda by GK1 on 12 May 2012 - 18:43 |
| My opinion is there should be little to no difference - meaning a dog bred or tempered for police/military work should also have the basic attributes for family/home protection duties: stable, structurally sound, loyal, versatile, confident, smart and courageous. My pup is from Czech W/L (advertised as suitable for LE work) yet I bought him specifically for family/property protection and companionship. At 6 months, he is already territorial yet is playful, athletic and an all around nice dog. As he matures, I intend to indoor/outdoor/vehicle protection train and test him, but nothing involving titles. I predict he will excel at all tasks I present to him. So far I am pleased with the pup's traits and adaptability to his home/family. I believe this is at least in part due to his breeding along proven working lines suitable for LE/mil. |
by Slamdunc on 13 May 2012 - 00:24 |
| First you need to understand the role and function of each, then you would see the differences. Breeding and genetics are obviously one part of the equation. The major difference would be the amount of training required, the multitude of tasks a Police K-9 must perform and the ability to perform them all well. Finding dogs that are suitable to be Police K-9's is not all that easy. |
Slamdunc by Hired Dog on 13 May 2012 - 01:06 |
| Yes, there are differences, a few of them actually. A PPD is strictly a defensive animal, meaning it is NOT supposed to chase anyone down the street, hence, it does not need prey drives as high as a police dog that is expected to chase. A PPD does not need hunt drives as developed as a police dog since its not hunting for a criminal at 2:00AM in a wooded area. A police dog is "supposed" to have zero environmental sensitivities as it will need to function in multitude of areas. I can go on and on, but, I am sure you get the point. Better nerves, more stability, etc, are required of a police dog, but, I will agree with Slumdunk, they are NOT easy to find anymore. |
by Slamdunc on 13 May 2012 - 01:32 |
* |
by Gustav on 13 May 2012 - 12:19 |
| Up unto the past 10 or so years the military and police often procurred their dogs from home or private ownership. Same dog.....just different things asked of the dog in the work environment than working. If it is a good solid German Shepherd, their is no reason one can't turn into the other with proper training. Now if the breeding is specialized........all bets off!...LOL |
by Hired Dog on 13 May 2012 - 14:15 |
| Actually, the police and militaries the world over have been getting their dogs through brokers in Europe, and some in the USA, that have acquired their dogs in Europe, through brokers over there again. There is no way that a private home can come even close to supplying the demand the military places on orders of 200-300 dogs. Single or small multiple dogs can come from Holland, for example, after the KNPV trials are over and the dog gets titled..they can be purchased on the spot, but, its a myth to think that these police dog candidates come through private/pet homes. Good, solid, any breed does not udually live as a pet in a house doing nothing and if its a good sport dog, they are not usually for sale. While genetics indeed play the BIGGEST role when selecting a police dog condidate, it is wrong to think that these dogs live in homes or are treated as pets while waiting to be sold. As far as GSD...well, most agencies are now using the Malinois, its become very had to find a decent GSD for a good price an agency can actually afford. |
by duke1965 on 13 May 2012 - 15:39 |
| on the spot there hired dogs good GSD are too expensive so are not even offered to these brokers , so its malis and crossings they have, but also a police or military dog comes in different shapes and forms , for detection you need another dog than for crowd control or nightpatrol , so (small) huntingdogs are wanted more and more I think hired dog his first post makes a lot of sense but many people really dont see it that way , a lower prey. high defencive protective dog is not recognized as a good dog by most today , but I have some and I love them |
by desert dog on 13 May 2012 - 17:57 |
| Good answers from everyone. I agree with GK1 there should not be any or at least little difference. But as Gustav, who I rarely disagree with said when specialized breeding comes in to play all bets are off. Jim I agree that there are a lot of hours involved in training K9 dogs, and good ones are hard to find. But the way I look at it is, each dog is a individual, some are always going to be better than others and that all comes into play with mating, selection, training, handling. But for what ever degree of success the dog has there will be someone that will think it is the best ever or the worst ever. I've seen so many opinions of what a police k9 or personal protection dog should be that it is no wonder, people can't evaluate what they want. Right now I have 4 protection dogs . All different, all good, and not for sale. Each of these dogs if they were to be sold would be sold for different environments. They could all work well in any, but would work at a totally different level in the right place. They are not bred that different, but they are individuals, and they do have things that make them excell in certain things. The most important thing a person has to do is define what he wants in a dog, instead of buying one and seeing what he has to offer, then saying the dog is good or bad. Duke just keep doing what you're doing. hank |
by duke1965 on 13 May 2012 - 18:19 |
Thanks Hank I will , I had a bit of bad news yesterday however , A male of my breeding that I want to use for future breedings , and from which the buyer said he will not sell him , will be sold after certifying for his KNPV PH1 , I guess money makes the world go round but screws up some plans of mine |
by desert dog on 13 May 2012 - 18:28 |
| That seems to be the way things work anymore. I can remember when if a breeder had good dogs another breeder that had good dogs could have his pick of anything he wanted because it was gain for both in bloodlines. Now good breeding is secondary to the dollar. Sorry to hear that Hank |
by duke1965 on 13 May 2012 - 19:13 |
| when he bought the young male he said it was his last dog and he would stay with him forever so that was good for me , now he will most likely end up in the USA or far east If I had the $$ I go there and buy him myself but that would be some expensive studservices LOL |
by Gusmanda on 13 May 2012 - 20:09 |
| thanks everyone for the feedback, there are so many things I had not considered that are needed for a police/military dog (not having any experience in that area myself). I now understand why Filas are so popular for home protection, but are not seen around with the police/soldiers. So it sounds like most police dogs would make fine home protection dogs, but not all home protection dogs would make fine police dogs. Is this fair to say? Or are there traits that make a good police dog good that conflict with the dog being able to be a good home/family protection dog (other than perhaps it needing more exercise to brun off the energy)? |
by Hired Dog on 13 May 2012 - 21:09 |
| Actually, in an ideal world, I would say that a police working dog can be a PPD as well...but, that also depends on the dog too. Case in point..there are Malinois coming out of KNPV program, a program that I love, by the way, that may not be so stellar with strange noises and such. Its a nerve issue and I have seen it once too many times for my taste. When it comes to the ultimate dogs, nerves, active aggression, civil drives, etc, I think that the NVBK line Malinois are the best all around dogs in the world and be used for ANY working/protection purpose. If I were looking to protect my house or my family, there is nothing better then a well bred Fila, plus, it needs no training to protect, but, they are not much good for anything else. The Malinois will forever be my breed. |
by desert dog on 13 May 2012 - 21:27 |
| Hired dog I don't understand that. how could any dog of any breed, ride in a car shopping, go home let dog out, do a parameter search of property (un attended), open the house door, let the dog in to do inside search of residence, watch little kids while playing with neighbor kids. And attack a would be assasin. Without training? No Fila, No Mali, No GSD. That's my point. If you have to put a dog on a leash to control while protecting then it is of minimal value. Or better yet just generic dog that will bite. Because it is a K9 dog would not have much to do with it unless trained for that purpose. A good protection dog is one you never know is there until you need him. temperment and strong nerves would be the utmost. Hank |
by Hired Dog on 13 May 2012 - 21:59 |
| Hank.. I am not sure what you said...maybe you can explain it so I can respond intelligently. What I said is that if I wanted a STRICTLY protection dog, I will go with a Fila since I have owned the breed and have experienced the level of protection it offers. It is not a breed for everyone, I agree, it does not support a very active social life, I agree, but, when it comes to protection, without training, nothing beats a well bred Fila. |
by desert dog on 13 May 2012 - 22:37 |
| That could very well be right. My point was not to offend you or anyone else. My point is you have to determine the task required of the dog. To say one would be interchangeable just because it excelled at one task does not mean he would be the same caliber at another task. And at any job selection should be based on task required, and trained according to that. It is not so much a breed, or sex it is about what the dogs possess that would make them better than just another dog. Hank |
by Gusmanda on 13 May 2012 - 23:21 |
Yes, Fila's are not for social people, that's for sure. It has to be very well kenneled when having guests, unless you don't want the guests to ever come back  |
by destiny4u on 15 May 2012 - 00:22 |
| maybe energy and drive? i am sure a military and police dog will need a lot more energy and drive than a pp dog which stays at home a lot only being worked like once a week. A lot of mals seem to be pd dogs but how many make good family protection dogs? they are not the kind of dog you keep in the house loose while you are out. A PP dog is a dog you want sleeping and open all the time, while you are out not crated as an adult. WHat good is a protection dog if it is locked up while someone comes in your house>? a pp dog is a pet that can get civil and serious and bite and fight for you when you need it. A pd or military dog has bunch of tasks it seems and much more complex. A pp dog seems a lot more easy to find, you can try many other breeds if a gsd is not what you want but today it seems a gsd is what you will have best luck in by far. For PD it seems mal/dutch and gsd is what police and military are limited to? (For the patrol/arrest/attack stuff not sniffing etc that labs and other breeds are used for) this is just from what i have seen i dont know for sure. |
by Gustav on 15 May 2012 - 12:06 |
| The eighteen year old kid that stays at home and plays computer games is the same kid that when they finish basic training is ready to be a military person.....think about it.! |
Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!