Oh, I absolutely understand that it's not just one that you donate/sell dogs to. I admit I know very little about police work, but doesn't it take a very special individual to "cut it" as a police service dog? If 90% of all litters originally go to train as police dogs, how many actually have the right stuff for that kind of work? Do you sell dogs as puppies or adolescent/adults? I'm not picking at what you do, just interested in learning more.
Hey not a problem: What I do is this;
1) First off I breed two exceptional high drive dogs. Not the extreme aggresive dogs. But dogs that have so much energy that does not know when to quit. The dogs must have everything evaluated hips eyes shoulders, and elbows.
2) Must have high prey and defense drive, but at a level that is workable.
3) Both dog must show full confidence as an individual and not an over bearing dog at all.
4) At times we may take a soft dog and breed it to one of the above to secure a solid temp. So by that we bring in best of both worlds.
5) Pups are born and assessed right away. Sure you can not see alot at that time. But you learn to see which one is quick to the draw. If you know what I mean.
6) Pups at 5 weeks we take the time to see who runs or who comes right away. Well all of mine come right away.
7) At eight weeks we have chosen who stays and who goes. who is pet quality and who is either for show and or sch.
8) We now sell these individuals off that are the pet quality, and yes on a alter program.
9) At 9 weeks we work on the pups that show us these areas. Have total security and go off on their own. Pick up toys plastic bottles keys anything in front of them.
10) Food is generally put into a bowl other than when we want them to work and or look for the food. This is where we put together a sent pad 2 feet x 2 feet. We then have someone hold the dog and build him up. You want that you want that? Well then we throw the hot dogs in the sent pad and let the dog go. Just watch and see the little stinker. This teachs the dog to pick up both human sents and food sents. Eventually the food is gone. We do the same in buildings.
11) We take the young pup into a building no latter than 10 weeks old. Again to build up confidence. We get the ball crazed dog to chase every thing. Balls bottles everything. Then we have sent traps in the corners. Now I do not mean Mouse traps but sent traps. Which is both human and the chicken hot dogs. Now the dog is instructed to search with assistance assured. Off he goes. Now again this works as a reward there for finding the sent and the food.
12) all of the above is done off leash, why? to secure the dogs confidence to want to work. Remember pup is now 3 months old.
When we have these areas done and it is always a game. we generally do not have any problems going further with them. So by 4 months old and all shots taken care of the pup gets a leash and a colar. Leather colar. We take them into the puplic areas. Tim hortons stores any where. Then off we go till the dog is 18 months old.
13) All dogs we keep back are prilimbed at 6 months old. Why? Well if the dog were to have either areas name above recognised as hip displactic it would be shown at that time. Therefore if the dog does show either, the dog is then altered and placed. No sense in putting the dog through something that he/she can't handle or do.
14) Agility is done when the vet gives the okay. we will again have the dogs x-rays done to watch the growth plates so that we at no time have injured the dog or that its growth is off. We always take our dogs off puppy food at 5 months old. you can over protein as well as under protien and these guys do well on adult food.
15) Protection work is not allowed on our facility. Why? Well the Police Services prefer to train that area them selves so that we leave alone. We do bring out the tug and do work on the holds and barks. As well as get them to hold the tug with confidence just to get them going. But that is it.
When I started this the O.P.P can you beleive this, paid $64.976 dollars per dog and handler to be trained. That did not include the purchase of the dogs. They generaly train 10 Officers per course x 2 so I will let you figure that one out.
In 1994 the Detroit Police K-9 Services purchased 5 Sch 1 dogs from Holland. They paid $5000.00 Usfds per dog. These dogs worked wonders on the field. But hit the dirt or folded in the buildings. These dogs just could not do the job. So this training is so very much more intence than most training. The DOG MUST HAVE THE HEART THE DRIVE THE WANT TO. He/she needs the foundation in the breeding end. But needs the foundation from the trainer first and for most. So yeah it is a load of money and work but well worth it in the end.