I will probably have a lot of disgruntled breeders and trainers out there that would disagree with me, but I believe the Bouvier des Flandres makes the best personal protection dog.

Wait, let me explain.

First of all, everything in this blog is my opinion. But, my opinion is based on 25 years of training police service dogs and attending dog training seminars. Why don’t I tell people that German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois and Dutch Shepherds are the best personal protection dogs? These dogs are great at chasing catching and killing.

No, police dogs are not trained to kill, but that is the dog’s intent when chasing animals. We train police dogs to bite and hold, generally the bad man’s arm. These dogs are also highly motivated to chase things that move.

When I trained police service dogs, the new, inexperienced handlers always wanted the dog to bark when it was in the cruiser. Be careful what you wish for because you won’t be able to shut them up. Dogs with that are motivated to chase don’t typically bark. It is something that needs to be trained.

Police dogs barking in a police vehicle are intimidating. However, when you are on patrol or pulling up to a crime in progress, you certainly do not want the dog to alert the bad guy to your presence. The suspect will be gone before you arrive because they will hear your partner barking blocks away.

A dog with a high motivation to chase things generally does not bark. Confident dogs do not bark. The confident dog wants you to get close enough for him to bite you, he does not want you to run away.

A dog that barks is basing his actions in fear. They want to warn you – go away, see my big white teeth, I will bite you. A dog that barks wants to scare the bad man away.

One reason that German Shepherd dogs (GSD) make poor protection dogs is because they have been overbred. I see far too many GSD’s that are lazy, nervous, lap dogs. 99% do not have the guts to ever be police dogs. Dutch Shepherd and Belgian Malinois make really poor house dogs because they are intense and high energy. What I mean is, don’t be mad when they shred your furniture.

There is a reason the Dutch Shepherd and Belgian Malinois are now becoming the go-to dog for the Military, Secret Service, and Police, they never stop and they are intense. High energy and intense is a poor combination for a house companion.

The primary reason burglars pass on a house is the presence of a large barking dog. Bouviers are large barking dogs. They don’t shed because they need to be clipped, so they are very clean. If you keep your dog’s coat cut short it is very manageable.

A Bouvier is a herding dog, just like the German Shepherd dog, but the Bouvier is not overbred. Most people don’t even know what a Bouvier is. These dogs are fierce protectors and great family dogs. They are calm in the house and yet on guard for intruders, so I feel they are the best for family protection.

Last year someone entered our home at 6:20 am and Titus, my male, barked ferociously at the intruder who immediately left the premises. I never saw the guy. My wife had just left for work, I was on the couch having coffee when I heard the side door open. Titus immediately let the guy know he was in the wrong home.

Later we learned that the burglar broke into 4 other homes in our West Michigan neighborhood that night. Titus did his job. I was really proud of him because he is a big lover. When people are invited into our home, he leans into them for a pet. The instincts of these dogs are incredible. They are not all like Titus, my female Bouvier is more serious and is not so welcoming to strangers. When this all went down she was sleeping in our bedroom but came a running when Titus sounded off the alarm.

If you are thinking about a Bouvier you need to find a reputable breeder, one that does dog sport or herding with their dogs. There are some lethargic Bouviers and that is due to breeders who are not interested in working dogs. If the breeder only does confirmation, keep looking. Confirmation breeder will have lots of ribbons for best show or obedience and that is about it.

The breeder should compete in dog sport and have a video of their dogs and pups working in IPO, Protection and Herding trials.Look for work, not beauty. If you want to learn more, you are welcome to schedule a time to meet me and my dogs. Both are naturally protective and also trained in protection.
Please contact me at our email to schedule a time – admin@adamsk-9.com

The breeders I recommend are:

If you are a new fur parent and looking for some help with training, please contact us at Adams K-9 and schedule a free evaluation. And remember – love your dog, love your dog’s behavior.

 

 

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