You've seen them used by police departments -- highly trained dogs that protect officers and fight crime. Now you can own one yourself.
High-end, highly trained, protection dogs are becoming more popular here in the Valley. A local kennel that trains dogs for law enforcement agencies also trains them for personal use, to protect you and your family.
CBS47’s Kathryn Herr shows you what the dogs can do and the families who are welcoming them into their homes.
Jarrod and Emily Martinez are a young family with two children, a cat and a dog. They look like your average family but their dog Roscoe is anything but average. Nice and loyal, but Roscoe is also a fierce protector. During a demonstration, as soon as Roscoe heard a sound in the other room, he jumped to attention and stood right by Jarrod's side.
Roscoe checked each entrance into the house. There was an intruder in the backyard and one in the house and Roscoe jumped into action, subduing the intruders. The men playing the attackers are actually trainers at the kennel where Jarrod purchased Roscoe. They were not hurt but they were captured.
The Martinez family decided to get Roscoe because Jarrod travels a lot for business. “As the economy got worse there were a few instances where things were starting to happen in the neighborhood so we started looking a little more serious,” said Jarrod. “I feel like we have this watchman by my side protecting us while Jarrod's away,” said Emily.
They took a training class along with other owners who have decided to add a little more security to their homes too.
Bryan Alessini is training his dog to guard his family. Bryan has 6-year-old twins at home. “The way things have been with some of the home invasions that we all know about .We thought it would be a good first dog and so far it's worked out real well,” said Bryan.
The increase in crime also prompted Joe Galvan and his wife to get a protection dog. There have been a series of break-ins near their home. “I'm a farmer. My wife's by herself all the time. So I thought with a trained dog, I'd feel safer,” said Joe.
The class is as much for Joe as it is for their dog Mattie. “She's being trained and I'm being trained at the same time,” said Joe. That's because the owners have to be able to control the powerful dogs and give the command to attack.
Trainer John Kratter runs the group through a drill. His son-in-law plays the role of bad guy and each dog, including Roscoe, gets a turn catching the man who's threatening their owner.
The training is where the dogs practice protection but if they're going to be part of a family, they can't be in protect mode all the time, they also have to be good pets and good with children and other pets.
if you decide you want a personal protection dog for yourself, prices start at around $10,000 and go all the way up to a quarter of a million dollars. Compare that to police dogs, which cost around $10,000.
Not just any dog makes the cut. They must have the proper drive and motivation to be a protection dog. The high cost is for the pedigree of the dog and the training that goes into it.
CBS47 was invited to visit the kennel Roscoe came from. They start working with the dogs when they're puppies.
The dogs at Kreative Kennel in Turlock are all German Shepherds. “I think because it was a herding animal to begin with, it has an instinct to protect the family,” said John Kratter.
The trainers there have seen an increase in business from people who want to protect themselves or their family but don't want a gun. “A gun can't alert you when you're sleeping. A dog can. A gun doesn't have the capability of hearing a noise when a dog can. The dog can alert you because he can hear what a gun can’t.”
If you decide to add a protection dog to your family, experts say:
- Make sure you go to a respected trainer and breeder. Talk to people to find out who is reliable.
- Make sure you know what the dog has been trained to do, so you know what's its capable of and its limitations.
- Make sure you continue training.
The Fresno police K9’s train at least once a week to keep the skills of the dog and the handler fresh. Matt Vincent with the Fresno Police Department’s K9 Unit said, “If you don't use it, you're gonna lose it. That's why we train so much as a K9 unit. You're looking ten hours a week bare minimum with our dogs.”
And just like law enforcement departments, the owner is liable for everything the dog does. If the dog gets out and bites someone, the owner is responsible.
The Martinez family is careful when new people come to visit now that Roscoe is in the house, but his presence gives them peace of mind and a devoted companion. “He's always on watch and it's just nice,” said Emily.
Click the related link for more information on the local kennel that trains these dogs and prices.
