Your dog. Your questions.
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You do not need to know all the terminology to start. A Protection K9 is a dog prepared for protection work. But that label alone tells you very little about the dog in front of you.

Here is where I want you to begin: What has this dog been taught? What has it actually demonstrated? What are its limits? And what do you need to learn to handle it safely?

A demonstration is not your training. You and your family need preparation too.

Before you spend money on protection training, let’s look at the dog you have and the life you live. What are you asking the dog to do? Who lives with you? What training have you both had?

My team and I need to understand those things before recommending a next step. I cannot tell you that your dog is suitable just because you have read this page. That takes an individual assessment.

“Trained” is the beginning of the conversation, not the answer. Ask your provider what your dog was taught, what records support that work and what the dog has not been prepared to do.

Then ask the question people skip: What have I been taught to do with this dog? I want you to understand both sides of that responsibility. Do not stage a confrontation to find out.

You are spending your money and bringing a dog into your home. You deserve answers about that specific dog, not just a presentation about the provider’s program.

These are the questions I want you to ask: What has this dog demonstrated? What are its limits? What will you teach me and my family? What support will we have after the dog comes home?

Get the training records and written terms before you commit. If an answer is unclear, ask again. You do not have to pretend you understand something you have not been shown.

You do not have to know the right training term to ask for help. Tell my team what happened, what has changed and what worries you. Start there.

Do not provoke your dog or stage a bite to test the problem. If your dog is injured or its behavior changes suddenly, contact your veterinarian. If someone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services. Do not wait for an email reply.

Start with the work you do every day: handling your dog, communicating clearly and practicing the basics. You need to understand your dog before you ask for more.

In the Personal video series, I’ll walk you through those responsibilities with my team of specialists. Registration and sign-up open November 21. These classes are for people learning, not people expected to know everything already.

Videos do not replace supervised protection training. Do not experiment with bite work on your own.

Ask these questions before you pay: What experience do you have with dogs like mine? How will you assess my dog? What will you teach me, not just the dog? How will we know whether we are making progress? What happens if my dog is not suited to the work I want?

I want you to leave that conversation understanding the plan, the cost and the limits. If you do not understand the answer, ask the trainer to explain it plainly.

Your family lives with this dog too. They need to be included, not handed a list of commands and left to figure it out.

Ask your trainer to show you who handles the dog, how to manage visitors, what supervision is needed and what each person should do if a situation becomes unsafe.

My point is simple: buying a trained dog does not mean your family has been trained to live with it. Make that preparation part of the plan.

Ask it. If something is unclear, I would rather you ask than guess. Tell my team a little about your dog, your experience and what you are trying to understand.

You do not need to write a report. Explain it in your own words.