Purchasing a Personal Protection Dog - FAQ

Zeus Extreme Personal Protection Dog

Questions you should ask before buying a personal protection dog

When purchasing a Personal Protection Dog it is important to understand that all things (Training Levels of Dogs) are not equal in the dog industry.


How long have you been training personal protection dogs?

Can you provide me with references?

How do you plan to support me if I purchase one of your dogs? I am not a dog trainer.

When it comes time to deliver the dog do you come with the dog and show us how to handle the dog. What is the cost of that?

Do your dogs get along with small children and other animals?

Will both my husband and my-self be able to handle the dog?

If we buy a Level I Personal Protection Dog from you, and our situation changes an we need more advanced training do we have to buy another dog to get those skills? What do we do?

Other Frequently Asked Questions:

Trainers talk about Schutzhund when I am asking about a PPD. What is Schutzhund?

Some trainers say only buy Schutzhund trained dogs as that is the only way to insure good temperament. Is that true?

We entertain on a regular basis. What do I do with the dog when we have 30 people over?

My husband and I travel a great deal. Should we board our dog when away?

We purchased a Level I Personal Protection Dog and now our needs and situations have changed months after the purchase. I think he needs additional training. What do we do?

My husband and I plan on traveling for 3 weeks and we are unable to take the dog with us. My father said he would feed and take care of the dog. Is this a wise thing to do?

We have had our dog for about a year now. We have had an increase in home- invasions since I bought the dog. I am not sure he will protect us. What should we do?

We have had our dog for awhile now and we have a desire to do sport with him. Do you think this is a good idea?

I am working at night going to the construction site to insure all of the units are locked. I feel vulnerable and am not sure my dog will work in those conditions at night. What do I do?

I have a 3 year old GSD and she is very aggressive behind the fence. Will she protect us?

I have heard that you need to start with a puppy because an adult dog will not bond with the family. What about that?

I want to buy a pup because the price is much lower. I want to raise the pup to be my personal protection dog. Is that possible?

How long have you been training personal protection dogs?

I personally have been training personal protection dogs for 30 years with many dogs trained in that length of time. My helper has 15 years training as a law-enforcement K-9 trainer and handler. Back to Top

Can you provide me with references?

Yes, I can provide you with references of satisfied customers. Many are located on my Web-site and are glad to share their experiences with VFS and talk about their dogs. Back to Top

How do you plan to support me if I purchase one of your dogs? I am not a dog trainer.

We will support you with training at your location and work with you before and after the sale. We support all of our customers by answering emails, phone calls, and with videos that will help resolve any issues that might come up. We also will return to your location, for expenses, up to 2 years after the sale to aid in your success of owning one of our protection dogs. This is unheard of in the industry today. If your needs change and you need more training you can send your dog to us for the additional training at a reduced rate. We intend to add value to and support you with your new personal protection dog. We want you to be successful and we will go to unprecedented lengths to achieve that. Back to Top

When it comes time to deliver the dog, do you come along and show us how to handle the dog? What is the cost?

We will deliver the personal protection dog to you for expenses. That would include airfare for me and the dog, which is in the range of $550.00, depending on the location. The health certificate will cost $75.00. The crate for transportation will be $100.00. We will need to stay in a nice hotel and have meals. You provide the transportation from the hotel. That is basically it. Many people selling dogs charge $750.00 a day plus expenses or they require you to come to their location for a period of time, which is hard to accommodate for most busy people. Some dog sellers just deliver the dogs without the personal touch of the location training. This is not the proper way to do business, as far as I am concerned. At this point, you need to have one of VFS competent staff members, or me, to personally guide you through the introduction stage into the home or business. This is a very important question to ask and a vital part of the final stage of the protection dogs training and your development as well. Back to Top

Do your dogs get along with small children and other animals?

All of the dogs we sell go through a complete testing program that gives good information as to the character of the dog. All of our imports come from environments much like we have here in the States. The dogs live and train in the family unit and grow up around farm animals, other people, and small children. When we receive our import dogs we test them and proof them around children and other animals to insure we are providing you with the most stable dogs with great temperaments. Back to Top

Will both my husband and I be able to handle the dog?

Yes, in time. In the settling in period it is best to have one person handle the dog. This phase only lasts up to 10 days or so. Everyone should feed the dog and interact as much as possible with your new friend. Everyone in the family should help with the house rules and maintain those rules as it applies to your new personal protection dog. The bonding will happen very fast and the roles of leadership or pack structure will start to form. When the bonding starts and the dog starts to understand your routine, this is the time to have both the husband and wife work together to handle the dog and work towards a mutual understanding for the entire house. The training we provide at your location should include all of the family members when we deliver your personal protection dog. Back to Top

If we buy a Level I Personal Protection Dog from you and our situation changes and we need more advanced training do we have to buy another dog to get those skills?

When you purchase a Level I, II, or III personal protection dog from Vom Fieldcrest Shepherds we support you for the life of the dog. If your needs would change and you need minimal training for the dog we can help. If more extensive training is required you have options.

• You can send the dog to us for additional training at a reduced cost.
• We can provide you with videos, conference calls, email, and help you put training on the dog for a nominal fee.
• You can also request our services at your location if your needs are minimal and all you need is basic help. We will do this for expenses. We are here to insure your success and that of your dog.

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Trainers talk about Schutzhund when I am asking about a personal protection dog. What is Schutzhund?

Schutzhund (SchH) was designed to be a temperament test to ensure proper breeding of the working dog. SchH is built around 3 major working groups for the working dog. They are:

• Tracking
• Obedience
• Protection
• It is possible to earn a title of SchH I,II or III
• Each one of these groups comes with a specific set of requirements or skills to be preformed in a pattern of sequences. In each category there is a possible of 100 points awarded according to the performance of a given day or event
• Today SchH is a sport and a temperament test.

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Some trainers say only buy Schutzhund trained dogs as that is the only way to insure good temperament. Is that true?

• This is not true. At Vom Fieldcrest Shepherds we have a 3-tier screening process that all of the dogs go through before they are selected to be sold to anyone:
• They are screened in Europe for sound temperament, solid nerves, and workability. At this point we take into consideration all of the conversations from the new owners
• They are shipped to my facility and I personally screen all of the dogs for the same characteristics
• My top trainer does his own screening to evaluate the soundness of the dog. The dog has gone through 3 separate testing phases before he will be part of our program or sold to a new owner.
• Each one of these groups comes with a specific set of requirements or skills to be preformed in a pattern of sequences. In each category there is a possible of 100 points awarded according to the performance of a given day or event
• Another reason I say no is that the Schutzhund sport dog comes with many traits that have to be undone, due, in part, to the sport dog training. For instance, no one ever breaks into your house with a protective sleeve on. These exposed sleeves are used in the dog- training world to protect the helper from being bit. It also is a primary target for the dog to focus on. When removed from the scenario,( no sleeve to hit on), like in real life, the dog does not know what to do. This is a big problem. Sport dogs are taught to only bite on the sleeve and not the legs. A personal protection dog needs to use all of the target areas to his advantage. Those areas would be, but not limited to: the back, legs, arms,( inside or out), and arm pit. This is a big problem for a sport dog. The SchH dog never does real life scenarios that we may encounter at one time or the other. This is a critical part of training for a personal protection dog and is not part of the sport dog- training plan. The SchH sport dog is trained on a football field type environment and is imprinted to act and react in a sequential way to gain the most points on the SchH field. The only points a personal protection dog is concerned about is: Has my family made it out alive and well? Did I do my job?
• There is a big difference between a SchH sport dog and a fully trained personal protection dog. If you purchase a SchH dog he will have to have additional training to be a rock- hard, proven, personal protection dog. Don’t depend on your SchH dog to protect you. He may not.

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We entertain on a regular basis. What do I do with the dog when we have 30 people over?

The dogs we sell at VFS have the stability, great nerves and temperament to handle large gatherings. It should not be a problem with the dog. On the other hand, your guests should have the option of not having the dog present at your party. Dogs are social and will want to interact with your guests. It is up to you as a host to determine whether the dog stays or you put him up.

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My husband and I travel a great deal. Should we board our dog when away?

Because you are very vulnerable when traveling, it makes sense to take the dog with you whenever possible. Whether you use your own transportation or are using the airlines it is a wise decision to take your protection dog.. In most cases it only costs $50.00 to $100.00 extra to take your dog on airlines as an extra bag. Plan ahead with reservations for your hotel stay. Most hotels will accept pets and your dog will do very well in this kind of environment. I use all the major airlines to ship dogs and I have never had a bad experience with any of them. Live animals take priority to cargo and sometimes even other passengers on most airlines. I would say take your dog with you at all times. It is part of your family and is very adaptable to your travel needs. The main thing is to plan ahead. Back to Top

We purchased a Level I Personal Protection Dog and now our needs and situations have changed months after the purchase. I think he needs additional training. What do we do?

You have several options. You can send the dog back to VFS and we can put the additional training on the dog. We do this for a reduced rate since you bought the dog from us. Usually the training can go pretty quickly since we don’t have to start over. We also make training available at your location for 3 to 4 days, for expenses. This may be all the training you would need to feel comfortable with your new situation. Call and let’s discuss your options. We will support you whichever way you choose. Back to Top

My husband and I plan on traveling for 3 weeks and we are unable to take the dog with us. My father said he would feed and take care of the dog. Is this a wise thing to do?

This is not a problem if your father is dependable and will do what he says. These are basic steps you should prepare in advance of your departure:

• You should meet with your father 10 days prior to your trip and prepare a written outline of those things you expect him to do.
• You should prepare an itinerary for your trip with phone numbers and names of the places you plan to stay for the duration of your trip.
• You should provide him with the name of your vet and after-hours emergency vet phone numbers and addresses. Go to map quest on your computer and create a map to both locations and print them out for him in case of emergency.
• You should notify your vet that you are leaving and your father will be taking care of your dog. Give your vet the important phone numbers where you can be reached in case of an emergency.
• You should notify your utilities-provider and local police department to let them know you are going to be away. I believe that an average billing plan is a better way to do business with the utility companies when it comes to entering the area where the dog is kept. This is possible in many cities today.
• You should notify your neighbors of your plans and include your father in the conversation.
• Your father should pick up all delivered newspapers, or stop the paper while you are gone. Also have him bring in your mail in your absence
• It is good to put padlocks on all gates and the dog’s kennel to keep people from entering your back yard or wherever the dog is kept. Make sure if you use locks with keys that there is more than one key. Put the location of the spare key on the instructions for your dad.
• You should already have a kennel in place, but if you don’t, you should use a 10’X10’X6’ kennel and a Dog-Aloo dog house.
• Have your dog well acquainted with your father in advance of your departure date.
• Show your dad the routine you use to feed and water the dog and then document it on the instruction sheet you give him.
• A week before you leave your dad should assume the duties of care for your dog. Supervise those duties for the first 3 days, and the last 4 days let him do it on his own. Show him where the food is kept, how many times of day to feed, and how to water. This is very important. A dog can go without food for several days but not long without water. This is a must. It does not hurt to have the neighbors do a check-up to see that your dad is taking care of the dog everyday, if they are willing to help out.
• Give your dad a copy of the instructions with all of the numbers on one sheet of paper. Make a copy and tape it to the fridge or other appropriate place for a visual queue.
• All of this seems difficult, but it is worth taking care of your investment and will insure all is well on your return. The peace of mind you will have on your trip will be well worth the time and effort you took
• Final thought. When you can, take your dog with you

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We have had our dog for about a year now. We have had an increase in home- invasions since I bought the dog. I am not sure he will protect us. What should we do?

The training your protection dog received from VFS is more than sufficient to deal with this kind of situation. The training we do involves home invasions, abductions, assaults, and many other scenarios. The training is in place and the dog is very capable of taking care of business. What happens over time is the dog and the family gets complacent because nothing has happened. They feel their lives are secure, and apathy can sets in. The thinking is we are all safe in our home, or, this happens to other people but not us. If you need positive reinforcement for your family and the dog, we will come to your location, for expenses, and put you and the dog through refresher training. The training will be for a period of 3 or 4 days. Be assured your personal protection dog will still be able to protect you and your family even if it has been a while since he has had training.

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We have had our dog for awhile now and we have a desire to do sport with him. Do you think this is a good idea?

• You can do sport with your protection dog, but I would suggest that you don’t. Sport training and the personal protection dog training are very different things.
• Your protection dog has been trained to operate as a thinking dog with freedom to make decisions based on training and experience. He has not been trained to operate with a strict set of guidelines and rules that the sport will require you to follow. The obedience is different and is pattern trained. The protection phase is much different as the dog is only allowed to bite the sleeve, not the rest of the body.
• The sport dog is trained in the same manner week after week and will be expected to operate in strict pattern approach. This is contrary to the way your dog was trained as a personal protection dog.
• In sport, the entire mind-set of the dog and handler must be changed. This change is restrictive and confining compared to the training you and your dog received when your dog was trained as a personal protection dog.
• The bottom line is, you must understand that you and your dog will have to change to participate in sport. You have a personal protection dog that has very advanced training that is geared towards real life situations. The training allows for many variables that the dog has adapted to and he is expected to make changes in his approach to different life threatening situations. You will have to make the decision whether to participate in sport or not. My opinion is that you don’t

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I am working at night going to the construction site to insure all of the units are locked. I feel vulnerable and am not sure my dog will work in those conditions at night. What do I do?

If your protection dog was trained by VFS this is not a problem. How you handle the dog with confidence is important. You state you feel vulnerable. I can assure you the training is in place for the dog to be vigilant and protective. Comfort level is a learned experience and should be viewed this way. My opinion, you should never feel too comfortable. You should always be aware of your surroundings and expect the unexpected. On the flip, you should not walk around all freaked out either. We at VFS can provide you with training at your location that will bring you much peace of mind. Please contact us at (316) 722-3297

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I have a 3 year old GSD and she is very aggressive behind the fence. Will she protect us?

If you have not had any protection dog training for your female I would say no. You just don’t know. The fence aggression is usually not protection. Many dogs have very weak nerves and respond this way out of fear. Their nervous system will not handle the stimulation of others coming on to your property and they respond aggressively. We call this kind of dog with weak nerves fear-biters. The other possibility for the dog reacting in this manner is that she has territorial drive and is acting out in that drive. But to say the dog will protect you can not be determined without an experienced, competent trainer to evaluate your dog and possibly get her into a class for protection training.
These classes are expensive and can cost from $4000 to $6000 for a fully trained personal protection dog. There are many people out there who would take your money and the dog will be unable to perform the work. You need to be sure your dog can finish the program.

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I have heard that you need to start with a puppy because an adult dog will not bond with the family. What about that?

This is only partly the truth. If you purchase an American bred dog that does not have next generation ancestry from working lines, a pup would stand a better chance in the bonding process than an adult dog. American bred dogs do not have the genetics to bond completely with the pack structure in the family. All of that has been bred out of them.
The European bred dogs with working ancestry will bond very tight to the new family as adults. The bonding process can take as little as 1 week but is usually complete in 90 days. The structure of the family is very important to the new dog and he will easily adapt as part of the pack.

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I want to buy a pup because the price is much lower. I want to raise the pup to be my personal protection dog. Is that possible?

• All things are possible but have many variables.
• First you must be sure the pup can do the work. From 7 weeks on, the breeder should provide you the selection testing process and the results.
• You should have access to the kennel and observe for yourself the litter structure and the pups interaction with each other and people
• Even with the best intentions of the breeder, and all the important aspects in place for producing good working dogs, there are no guarantees that the pup you select will make a good personal protection dog
• Let’s assume you make the right selection and the dog has everything needed to work out as a personal protection dog. The chances are not in your favor to be able to bring the dog along well enough when it reaches 8 or 9 months of age, to start real training. The reality is that many people try this and some succeed but most don’t.
• The margin for success and failure is very narrow. The work with a small puppy needs to start early and progress. Without guidance, most will make mistakes that shape the puppy for life.
• The cost, to start with a pup from 8 weeks to 18 months, and get the correct training from an experienced trainer can cost $8000 to $10,000.
• I can help you with the training from 8 weeks to 7 months by online classes, videos, and phone calls and design a program that is structured and easy for you to follow. This will allow you to do all of the training yourself, up till the pup is 8 months of age. You cannot do the bite-work training yourself from this point on. You can send the pup to me for 4 months and I will put the needed bite-work training, control work, and obedience to help you be successful. This is a sound approach and sound investment for you and your pup
• Call for your consultation soon (316) 722-3297

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