Assessment comes first
Not every dog should do protection work. Before a sleeve appears we assess nerve strength, recovery, social neutrality, grip quality and clarity under pressure. Dogs showing fear-based reactivity are declined — training such a dog to bite creates danger, not security.
Obedience before engagement
A protection dog must be under absolute control before it is taught to engage. We require a reliable out, recall from a decoy, and duration positions under high arousal before progressing. The out is trained as a rewarded behaviour, not a fight.
- Verified control before any bite work
- Prey foundation, then targeting, then defence
- Grip development: full, calm, committed
- Out and recall from live decoy engagement
- Escalation and de-escalation on handler cue
- Muzzle work, civil work and scenario training
Building the grip
We start in prey with correct equipment and precise decoy work to build a full, calm grip. Defence is introduced only once the dog is mature and confident, and always in a way the dog can win. Pressure is applied in measured increments so the dog's confidence grows rather than erodes.
Scenario and environmental work
Real deployment does not happen on a training field. We work in car parks, stairwells, gardens, vehicles, at night and in confined spaces, with distraction, noise and multiple people present, so the behaviour transfers to the environments that matter.
Law and responsibility
UK law places the responsibility for a dog's behaviour squarely on the owner. We brief every client on the Dangerous Dogs Act, reasonable force, insurance requirements, secure containment and record keeping. A trained protection dog is a serious legal responsibility as well as an asset.