Personal protection dogs are
not a panacea for all of one's protection needs and should be part of
a total protection system.
Personal protection dogs - some things
to consider. The fist thing to consider is do you really want a dog. A
dog is a living being and has certain needs, such as a need for exercise
and constructive social interaction with their pack. Even the best behaved
dog is going to be some extra work. So, you need to be willing to have
a dog in your life, and put up with the little inconveniences that go
with it. It is also important to remember owning a protection dog carries
with it more responsibility than owning an ordinary house pet. How much
time can you put in to maintaining the dogs training?
Each person's self protection needs are different. Every personal protection
(self defense) system should start with planning.
Anticipate what kind of threat you may
encounter, then mentally rehearse how you would deal with it, HAVE A PLAN.
This involves simple things like looking at a map and planning how to
get around in a new city, or planning to get money from an ATM before
dark. Little things can make a big difference. Focus your attention on
preventative security measures. You will want to think about, making yourself
a HARD TARGET for criminals
Personal protection system some important
elements
The first is good household security, which includes good locks, doors
and door frames. You will also want to make sure your windows are as secure
as possible. Every year many attacks occur, because the attacker found
an easy target.
Remember, to be a hard target, the harder
the better. Another area where people are frequently targeted by criminals
is on the road and in our vehicles. This is why vehicles must be kept
in reliable condition with proper maintenance, adequate fuel, and if possible
a cell phone.
You should also develop your defensive
driving skills and have a plan should things go wrong. You may want to
think of defense scenarios and develop a standard operating procedure
to deal with that type of threat. If you do this, you will be mentally
prepared to more effectively deal with that situation.
Some people may chose to include weapons
in their protection system.
A dog can be a great deterrent to crime and can be used as an effective
weapon against those intent on doing you harm. There are many ways to
incorporate a dog into a security system. The simplest is just to have
a dog. At this level I would recommend a large dark color dog or one of
the protection dog breeds. Simply having a formidable looking dog with
you, can be a psychological deterrent.
Protection dog as burglar alarm and threat
- alarm dog
The next level up is having an alarm dog
or watch dog. Most of the protection dog breeds are good watchdogs and
will alarm the owner to the presence of strangers. An alarm dog's primary
function is to look intimidating and bark at threats.
Protection dogs that look like they will
bite - bluff dog
Progressing to the next level of self defense,
is what I refer to as a bluff dog. A bluff dog will bark on command, pull
and lunge on leash while acting aggressive and may bite. This type of
dog is not serious enough in it's attack to stop a determined assailant.
A dog like this, is often easily backed down.
I am always amazed at how often this type
of dog effectively defend their handlers. This type of dog will sometimes
give their handlers a false sense of security. If this is the kind of
dog you own be aware of it's limitations. To get this level of response
from a dog often requires training. In fact, this is what I would consider
the average trained protection dog.
Protection dog as
man stoppers
Now we come to the dogs that can be used
for serious protection. These dogs have the courage, the drive and the
training to stop aggressive humans. At this point we are in the realm
of true attack dogs. This class of protection dogs ranges from leash dogs
on the low end to highly trained police or military dogs on the upper
end.
Whatever type of weapon, you choose
to include in your security system, it must be emphasized that you also
acquire the special training necessary to effectively use that weapon.
Firearms are a very good example. I suggest
that anybody considering a firearm for self defense start by taking a
firearm safety class. Then they should take a class to become familiar
with their weapon and to learn the fundamentals of shooting. Since there
is a big difference between target shooting and combat shooting, I encourage
a class in self-defense shooting.
Your mind is your most important weapon.
Self-defense classes and martial arts can be a very good idea for those
interested in developing a balanced personal security system. Self-defense
classes should teach more than fighting back, they should teach the proper
mindset for violent encounters as well as crime prevention and how to
harden your defenses.
Learning how to make yourself a hard target
is over half of self-defense. It is my belief that physical confrontation
should not be the nucleus of a persons self-defense strategy.
One of the big advantages of having
a personal protection dog with you is that it makes you a much harder
target to deal with.
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