Personal Protection – Part One

Mandy was probably around 5 foot 1 inches tall and very slim,  her dog was a Border Collie called Ruby who couldn’t have weighed more than 12k (26lbs) which was at the lower end of the breed standard. The request was to teach Ruby to protect Mandy.

It transpired that Mandy enjoyed walking the coastal path around Cornwall but unfortunately there had been an disagreeable experience with a very unpleasant young man who had attempted to engage her in conversation and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Mandy had felt threatened enough to report the matter to the police and wondered if Ruby was a suitable candidate for personal protection.

It has to be said that In a world of personal protection where German Shepherds and similar breeds rule Ruby was not an obvious candidate, however, as I looked intently at this smallish dog laying on the floor of my office in front of me my mind drifted back many years to a time when I was a spectator at an agricultural show and watched a display by the local police dog section……

It started with the dogs retrieving cumbersome objects, the biggest being the sort of sign used by crossing patrol persons more commonly known as lollipop ladies/men for children crossing the road outside schools.  It looked so impressive. The dog picked it up and having it perfectly balanced and returned to his handler. I am not sure how many people noticed the carefully disguised coloured tape that almost certainly contained the handlers scent thus ensuring that the dog picked it up in the exact place guaranteed to provide perfect balance. This was followed by an agility type course, the star turn being the wooden wall as dog after dog threw itself at the vertical obstacle and scrambled over the top. Finally came the highlight of the event. The dogs stopping the criminal escaping.

The “criminal” that day was played by an extremely large policeman who was probably around 6 feet 4 inches tall and appeared to be even larger due to the fact that he was kitted out in a full attack suit. When playing this role a simple protective sleeve does not provide sufficient protection, however, whilst the suit gave complete safety it was rather cumbersome and restricted the “criminals” movements.

We were entertained as a succession of police dogs, all of whom stopped the “criminal” escaping. That day the canines from this dog section were all German Shepherd Dogs. As someone who has played the criminal I can tell you that being hit by 40 kilos (88lbs)  of Shepherd travelling at speed is a memorable experience. Why anyone thinks that they are able to outrun this type of dog is beyond me.

To put it in perspective, try putting about 15  standard size building bricks in a bag. Lift it and imagine being hit by that at 30 miles an hour!

To add to the entertainment after the police dogs had finished their routine a number of civilians had been invited to show off their dogs expertise. During the entire process the “criminal” had remained upright as non of the dogs had brought him down but as I said he was a big chap. Finally the last dog entered the ring, much to the amusement of the spectators. It was a rather small Border Collie.

Now it became obvious that the crowd were expecting a comedy routine as it was plain to see that this dog, was never going to be a match for his illustrious cousins the German Shepherd Dogs.

The assembled onlookers were in for a shock. The little Collie was released and at top speed the he appeared to launch himself from about 2 meters away and grabbed the criminals arm whilst being airborne. Now being hit by anything moving at that speed is going to affect your balance, but when it is a dog that has clamped his jaws on your arm and his momentum passes you then your equilibrium is seriously compromised. The criminal hit the ground hard much to the delight of the assembled crowd and it became obvious that he was seriously winded and would take a while to recover………

Mandy was delighted when I agreed and promised me faithfully that she would inform her house insurance company of what she intended to do and so we started with the basics.

It is not my intention to go into the intricacies of teaching personal protection and anyone considering this should obtain professional help.

Please always be aware that all training should result in the dog being able to understand when it is required to be working, the dogs`temperament should in no way be altered, this type of dog is a pet first and foremost and should never be a danger to anyone other than an individual intent on causing harm or distress. Before even contemplating training a dog in the art of personal protection it should be understood that the dogs obedience training must be of the highest standard. We also have to be conscious that we have trained a dog to defend us, however, the dog must be able to differentiate between a physical threat from an assailant and a child running towards you. A personal protection dog is there to protect you from attack and is not a guard dog, however, as we will find out occasionally the two can become intertwined.

Ruby was a willing pupil and very quickly decided that this new “grabbing the arm” game was jolly good fun. She rapidly progressed from the “puppy sleeve” to the “adult” version and even I was slightly surprised when I went on to need the “professional” sleeve, the one that is for the elite dogs. Whilst I am not aware how the manufacturing process was achieved the sleeve was rigid, impenetrable and was covered with a layer of thick carpet that the dog can get hold of without causing the trainer injury. I must admit I always took a degree of pleasure when dogs progress to this stage, I was better protected but it also meant that my training was coming to a satisfactory conclusion.

Within weeks Ruby was very proficient in the art of protecting her mistress, Mandy told me she felt so much safer when going for a walk and I took pleasure knowing that my client was protected.

Mandy and Ruby departed and I didn’t expect to see or hear from them again, however, before the year was over Ruby had trapped an intruder, the intruder demanded that Rubys owner be arrested, Mandy was helping police with their inquires and I had to explain why Ruby sat quietly in front of the intruder but made no attempt to bite….again.

Until next week…….