Here’s a statement we get often when people contact us about a puppy.
“I want a puppy who is easily trained. I have kids so I need him to be a good companion for them and everyone who visits. But, I also want him to be a good protector. We also have 2 cats and another dog so getting along with them is a must.”
I made one part of that statement bold for a reason. With regards to kids, cats, parrots, helicopters or whatever a puppy must be conditioned to those things. They are not born with the understanding of what will or will not hurt them. In almost every situation the puppy just needs to be subjected to the “distraction” multiple times with assurance that it will not hurt him. Easy stuff.
However, let’s get back to the bold text about protection dogs. When people type the message that way they seem to think there is
a difference in the dog and the price. There isn’t. If you are looking for a dog that does protection then it is a protection dog and those come at a price if you are buying a real one.
Nobody can tell whether or not an 8 week old puppy has the qualities to become a protection dog. And the Belgian Malinois isn’t a breed who tends bite for no reason. In other words, a bad guy is breaking in your house and you think the dog should get him. That rarely if ever happens.
If you want a Belgian Malinois, personal protection dog you are going to have to train him. When I say “you” I mean that you will have to find the right puppy, the right trainer and right finances. There are very few people outside of the business of training dogs to bite who have even a small chance of training the dog.
In the business we often talk about how everyone is a dog trainer. I hear the same stories that the client’s family always had German Shepherds growing up and they trained one to do basic obedience. In reality they trained the dog not to pull on his leash when walking. That is not obedience training. It’s really not much of anything.
When most people try to throw in the term “protect me if he had to” they have far reaching and wishful thinking. They are hoping that a dog will be a natural protection dog at the price of an obedience trained dog. If you are dealing with a reputable breeder that situation doesn’t happen.
The most a kennel can offer you is a strong, working line puppy who has a chance of becoming a protection dog. When one buys a dog who is 2 or 3 years old you can see what the dog has become and what he can do. But, with a puppy you are buying an unproven product.
In every case the deciding factor of what the dog becomes is based upon the training. And you have full control of that part. Just don’t under estimate the difficulty and time it will take.
