FAQ

• What's it like to own a personal protection dog?

  After much thought and consideration, you’ve decided that a personal protection dog is the perfect addition to your family, you’re probably wondering what it will be like actually LIVING with one. We want to help ease any worries about this. At Integrity K9 Services, we select only the best dogs that have shown that they possess great personalities and high intelligence that have been raised in loving homes so you will only have the best to choose from. Our personal protection dogs have been trained to socialize with other people and animals as well as a multitude of other activities. Training is of paramount importance to us, therefore, we train our personal protection dogs in basic and advanced obedience training. 

  Once you see first hand how highly trained your new personal protection dog is and how much your dog will grow to like you, you will realize many of your worries will go away. Our in-home training that comes with the drop-off of your dog serves to help you and your personal protection dog to acclimate to each other. We will make sure you are comfortable with your personal protection dog by going through some of the everyday things you do. You will learn all of the commands and abilities of your new dog for everyday use and during any threatening situation that might occur. If you would like additional time with a trainer to learn more about how you can be the best handler for your personal protection dog, we offer Owner Training Courses.  

• Will my dog protect me from intruders?

  If you own a dog that has not undergone protection training the answer is maybe, but maybe not. The only real way to tell is to have a real intruder break in to your house and see what your dog does. Unfortunately that’s not really the time you want to be testing the waters. Some dogs may have the impulse to attack or intimidate an intruder, while others may have a tendency to run away and hide. Still others may try to help and dissuade an intruder, but without the proper training they may be inefficient at best and put themselves in danger at worst. The majority of dogs that have not undergone protection training will bark and jump and growl until the intruder is inside, then they will retreat and hide from the threat. 

  Dogs that live with humans as pets have no experience fighting, using their teeth and jaws or dealing with true threats. Dogs are generally protective of their homes though, they are territorial animals and have a keen sense of what is their property. When an untrained dog seems to be protecting their owner, they may actually just be protecting their home. 

  Dogs protecting humans isn’t necessarily a natural behavior, but because dogs are loyal to their owners, they do take to protection training very well. Protection training helps dogs to understand they must help protect their owners, not just their homes.

• Are protection dogs aggressive?

  No, true protection dogs are not aggressive. 

  Protection dogs are chosen for their temperaments and personalities and we do not select dogs for training who show any sign of aggression. A protection dog is calm, confident and expertly trained to resolve threats. A true protection dog has thousands of training hours under their belt of how to behave perfectly and how to protect their owners in case of threat. Protection dogs are assertive, which means they sit and observe and do not get riled up at any little thing. They save their energy for true threats.

  Aggression is generally a personality and temperament issue. We do not select dogs for protection work who show signs of aggression. Aggression in dogs generally comes from fear and fearful dogs do not make quality protection dogs. All of our dogs are chosen for their confidence, sound temperaments and trainability so you know that you are getting a great dog with a fantastic personality.

• What makes a great family protection dog?

  Here at Integrity K9 Services, we pride ourselves on the quality of our personal protection dogs so you can rest assured that you will always be able to count on our dogs for the safety of your family and your home. The extensive protection and obedience training that each of our personal protection dogs complete before they enter your home guarantee that they will provide the peace of mind you are looking for. A great personal protection dog is ready to protect you and your family during all of your day-to-day activities and more, from going on walks or a run, going to the mall, or pumping gas, an Integrity k9 protection dog is always alert and ready to jump into action. Alongside providing protection for your family, Integrity k9 personal protection dogs are trained in obedience, thus assuring you that an outing with our personal protection dog, or even staying at home, will be without the stress of an unruly dog. Our personal protection dogs are also family oriented so they are able to interact with children and other members of your family due to being raised in loving homes. An Integrity k9 personal protection dog is a great companion due to the strong bond they form with their owner which ensures that our protection dog will protect and defend you at all times. 

   

• Where do you deliver your dogs?

  We deliver our protection dogs across the world! We bring your dog to you, wherever you are, and spend time in your environment with your new dog.

   

• Who trains your dogs?

  Our head trainer is no other than William Ellinger. He has 40 years of dog training experience and has trained and titled hundreds of dogs in his career.

  The personal protection dogs of Integrity k9 Services steal the show, and we are proud to say that master trainer, Dr. William (Bill) Ellinger is the one responsible! Over four decades, Bill has dedicated his life to training and working with dogs. He is a certified agitator and judge for the Canine Civil Defense League (CCDL). He is a certified decoy and judge as well as Director for the North American Dog Sport Federation (NADF). Bill is also a certified decoy for Iron Dog, and was the Southwest Regional Director for the Protection Sports Association (PSA) and Regional Select Decoy for PSA. He has trained and titled dogs at the National and World levels for Schutzhund, French Ring, Mondio Ring, PSA, CCDL, and NADF. Bill has studied under many of the greats in each sport, both in the USA and abroad, from Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and France. 

  Bill’s many years of training has taught him how dogs’ minds work. His training techniques are humane, yet firm, which results in mutual love between dog and trainer. All of our trainers are also trained in Bill’s successful methodology, thus providing quality training for all the dogs that are selected to be trained as personal protection dogs. All of our dogs and trainers benefit from his knowledge and expertise. 

• How do I welcome a protection dog into my home?

  Just like new appliances, toys, or tools come with an instruction manual or video, we at Integrity K9 Services provide in-home training for 2-3 days for you and your protection dog to assure that you are comfortable with the newest addition to your family. We aid in teaching you commands from obedience training so you know what commands to give on a day-to-day basis or in a threatening circumstance. Our in-home training also consists of helping you acclimate your personal protection dog into your home by meeting members of your family and anyone else you and your family have regular contact with. Our trainers do not just help you acclimate within your home, but outside your home as well. Worried about taking your children and a dog to the grocery store? No problem, we will go with you to show you that going about your daily errands is just as easy as always, but a lot safer with your personal protection dog by your side. By the time we leave, you will be well on your way to forging a strong bond with your personal protection dog.

  We can answer any and all questions you might have about your highly-trained personal protection dog at drop-off, but if you forget to ask while we are there or come across other questions in the future, we are just a call away. If you would like a follow-up visit we also offer Owner Training Courses where a trainer visits your home to assist in any additional training needed. All this is part of the IK9S difference.

• Do dogs like training?

  Trained dogs are happy dogs! Dogs generally like training, especially working dog breeds! It’s something fun and stimulating for them and they really don’t see it as work but rather as bonding time with their training. Training dogs brings structure and expectations to their lives and allows them to be mentally stimulated as they learn and follow directions.

  Training a dog gives the owner and dog a common language so that both will be able to communicate with each other. Additionally, it helps build a bond between them. Having an untrained dog can be a source of much stress and that stress can overflow onto the dog. Stress, for both human and dog, can be avoided with training as worries such as how a dog will react in public places, if it is left at home alone, or how it will treat children.

  Safety is another benefit of training. It can keep a dog safe as well as other people that come in contact with the dog. Training is mutually beneficial and, here at Integrity K9 Services, all of our personal protection dogs have received the best training by the best trainers. Learn more about our trainers here.

  Specialized skills and training. As dog breeds have evolved, some have become more specialized in certain skills. and personalities of certain dog breeds have become more distinct. As such, training has to become more specialized and unique to each dog breed. You wouldn’t train a horse the same way you train a dog, right? The same goes for different breeds of dogs. German Shepherds, Bulldogs, Malinois and Poodles all have different personalities and breed characteristics and as such need to be trained differently. Sometimes these differences in training techniques aren’t drastic but they are tailored to each individual dog.

• What is the difference between protection dogs and guard dogs?

  Is a personal protection dog the same as a guard dog? The short answer is no, it’s not. A guard dog functions without a handler guiding its actions, such as giving different commands. While a guard dog certainly has its place in the world, its place generally does not involve being around children or in public spaces. A guard dog does not make an ideal family dog because of this reason. Guard dogs LOVE working and are happy as can be herding sheep or protecting livestock. But guard dogs typically lack the social skills needed to safely interact with your whole family. 

  A personal protection dog acts under the guidance of a handler or owner. They wait for commands to act as well as defend their owner and their home. This added discipline protects, not only the owner from threats, but the personal protection dog and other people. A personal protection dog makes for a perfect family dog. Their ability to follow commands due to a high level of obedience training enables them to be around all members of your family including children and other animals. Here at Integrity K9, we promise that our personal protection dogs are always alert and ready to jump into action to protect you, your family, and your home. 

• Can any dog be a protection dog?

  Though many people might know that not just any dog can be a protection dog, they might not know why that is or what it takes to be a personal protection dog. Besides the obvious factor of size (no chihuahua is going to make the protection dog team no matter how ferocious it thinks it is), other traits such as trainability, temperament, and drive to fearlessly protect their owner are needed in a personal protection dog. Many dog breeds will run away and won’t try to save you in a threatening situation–no matter how much the dog loves you–because of their natural self-preservation instinct. Personal protection dogs have to have the drive to protect their owner and fight instead of fly to save themselves. Additionally, if a dog has trouble obeying simple commands, then the advanced commands will be beyond the skills of that dog. Though there are dogs that are very obedient to these everyday commands, it does not necessarily qualify them to be a personal protection dog.

   

  The dogs that make the best protection dogs are those that were raised in a family setting, show signs of being very trainable, and love to work! Size comes into play in different ways with protection dogs. Dogs of smaller statures can be perfectly amazing protection dogs and have the added bonus of being able to travel with their owners more easily than a huge dog. This is where our dog matchmaking skills come into play, we are committed to finding you the perfect dog for your needs and lifestyle, we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all dog matching model. Contact us today to start the process of finding the perfect protection dog match for your needs! 

• What are the best protection dog breeds?

  At Integrity K9 Services, we have the best breeds for personal protection dogs. We have trained many dog breeds that are built for meeting the demands of a personal protection dog. Some of these breeds include: American bulldogs, Belgian Malinois, Bouvier des Flanders, Czech Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds (Check out our lineup of available personal protection dogs.). These dog breeds make great personal protection dogs because of their instinct to protect their owner, loyalty, agility, and ability to be trained.

  Belgian Malinois are known for their high energy, agility, and trainability making them great personal protection dogs for a person or family that has an active lifestyle.

  If you enjoy activities such as running or hiking, your German Shepherd or Doberman will be right there beside you to keep you safe.

  If you prefer a slightly less energetic dog, maybe an American Bulldog, Cane Corso or Boerboel would be the match for you.

  Want a personal protection dog that is also hypo-allergenic and non-shedding? Then a Standard Poodle or a Bouvier des Flandres are the dogs for you!

  In addition to different personalities based on breed, each dog has their own unique personality that we match you and your family to. We pride ourselves on our matchmaking technique instead of a “one-size-fits-all” approach!

• Can my dog be trained by Integrity K9

  What if you have a dog breed that you think would be a great protection dog? We can make your life easier by training your dog for you–if it has the right temperament for a protection dog. What does the right temperament require? For a dog to be a personal protection dog it has to have the drive to protect, it has to be social with people and animals, and it has to be trainable among other things. If our trainers find that your dog is a match for protection dog training, your dog will begin its training at our training facility with our amazing trainers! If not, your dog can still work with our trainers and will come back to you as a fully obedience trained dog.

   

• Can a protection dog be a family pet?

  Yes, absolutely. A protection dog offers all the loyalty and companionship of an untrained dog with the added bonus of completely protecting you in any threatening situation. A protection dog that has been raised around children and in a family setting makes the best protection dog for a family. A correctly chosen and trained protection dog has a calm and controlled temperament – even if they have a playful side. Protection dogs are trained to detect and resolve threats which make them incredible dogs to have for your family and children.

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