A1K9 Spotlight

Family Protection & Residential Obedience Training

At A1K9 we train our family protection dogs to such a standard that it is possible for a young child to handle them. Even though this is something we wouldn’t advocate it just shows the level of training that has been achieved. Our protection dogs are first and foremost the family’s pet, but also their protector when required. This training is partly protection work, but also obedience and control, which combine to form the structure of dog training principles – as discussed in our previous blog and YouTube video.

Part 2 in our series offering an overview of what we do here at A1K9 covers our residential obedience training and shows how well our dogs work with and interact with children of all ages. Take a look at what our dogs, and some clients dogs, have gotten up to here at A1K9 in our new vlog.

A Day in the Life at A1K9

We like to say here at A1K9 that owning a dog is the formation of a team between you and your dog and in some cases, the whole family. That’s why we think it’s so vital for you to be able to see exactly how our dogs perform around children, when both working and playing, so that you know what they’ll be like around your own family unit.

In this vlog, you get to see exactly this. During the school summer holidays, some of the children of our professional dog trainers came to the A1K9 base to lend a helping hand. By showing you snippets of their days here, you get to see what it’s all about here at A1K9 as well as an insight into our family protection dogs.

These children, just 8 and 9 years old, successfully handle and work with the dogs, both at basic obedience training, when out for walks, and even trying their hand at protection work for the first time (whilst under guidance and supervision). This serves to demonstrate that our specially selected dogs, along with our balanced and consistent training, can make for a pet that is both a welcome addition to personal/ family security as well as a loving companion.

Protection in the Family Home

No matter your family unit, we recognise how important it is to know how your protection dog will fit into your home dynamic. Here at A1K9, we have been training protection dogs for approaching 30 years, many of which have taken up the role of family pets and protectors, on hand to defend the home and family from increasing levels of crime. Our dogs thrive when they have company and are as lovable as any other pet, the difference comes down to the training; when needed our dogs will protect your family, and they also have exceptional obedience training making them a joy to live with.

In our recent vlog you’ll get to see children working with these dogs and getting them to follow their commands as easily as they would obey one of our professional dog trainers. Once a command is ingrained into your dogs training and you learn the correct way to deliver it, handling your protection dog couldn’t be simpler. Equally as important is the bond you build with your dog, like any other pet; attention, affection, and love are vital for your protection dog to fully thrive. From this alone it should be clear how well these dogs integrate with families, they love interacting with children, but are also very happy to work with them, and the kids love spending time with them in return. We often find that seeing this helps reassure any potential clients, giving them the confidence to know that mastering control of our highly trained dogs is simple once you’re shown how.

In the video you’ll see a range of commands performed as well as protection work, with the audio left on so you can see how verbal and physical control of the dog is related in this scenario. Standing correctly, tone of voice, and praise after a successfully executed command are all just as important as the command itself. See these dogs in action, and the power of these protection dogs, as well as how sweetly they interact with the kids!

Residential Obedience Training: Available to All Breeds

The final part of this vlog covers our extremely popular residential dog training, which is renowned for both our diligence and effective results. Our obedience course lasts a month, and in this time your dog’s behaviour and training will only improve, with lasting results. Whereas protection work usually requires a recognised guarding breed for the best result, obedience work is a vital part of training all dogs, no matter their breed.

It’s quite common for dogs to come to A1K9 pulling on the lead and reacting to other dogs, but they will leave our base walking to heel, even on a long line. We’re in the extremely privileged position here at A1K9 to have a lot of our own land enabling us to train in a number of locations, whilst setting up varied situations or scenarios. Our protection dogs in training also give us the chance to train your dog alongside our dogs, ensuring that your dog leaves with the strong foundations of obedience training in place that will have been proofed with natural park like distractions.

We accept all ages and breeds of dog, for obedience training we don’t discriminate. This is something we believe all dogs and their owners benefit from and can learn with the right methods and support. It’s vitally important to ensure that training is balanced using both positive and negative reinforcement, correcting the bad and praising the good. Training is a delicate balance that your dog should enjoy and look forward to, making it easier for he or she to learn the required skills.

We love nothing more than reuniting dogs with their owners; despite what you may think they will not forget you – not even for a second. When you collect your dog at the end of the 4-week period, we ask that you spend a few hours with us; this is so we can demonstrate to you what the dog has been taught and then work with you to ensure the dog does everything for you too.

Once they have left the course, it’s vital that you maintain a regular upkeep of their training, even 5-10 minutes a day can make the world of difference in reinforcing your dog’s obedience. Take a look at our previous blog for further recommendations!

Generally, our residential obedience training programme will last for a 4-to-5-week period and it’s incredible what your dog can accomplish in this time. For footage of this process, check out our vlog below for a snapshot of the progress that’s been made. You can watch Part 1 and Part 2 of our series on the A1K9 YouTube channel, or tune in for Part 3, showing our dogs in action across different scenarios and environments!

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The A1K9 Story

A1K9 Personal and Family Protection Dogs

A1K9 is a professional dog training company and have for over 25 years been at the forefront of the very niche family and personal protection dog industry in the UK. We source, train and supply impeccably behaved and incredibly capable family K9 companions that integrate with their new families as would any well trained family pet but with the added benefit that they are trained to be highly skilled in protecting those in their family pack. They are in short, dogs with a job!

At A1K9 we pride ourselves on the highest standards. The highest standards in selecting our dogs, the highest standards in training them, and the highest standards in matching them perfectly with our clients’ requirements both in terms of personal protection and family life. Our dogs are there to be part of your family, and to protect your family whenever necessary.
Whilst personal protection dogs absolutely have to protect, they are very different animals to military dogs, most police dogs or working security dogs and the stereotypical scrap yard guard dogs. An A1K9 personal protection dog must be able to think for itself when needed, and at the same time needs impeccable social skills to bond perfectly and easily fit into a family unit and be accepting of friends and family who may visit. In short, A1K9 personal and family protection dogs must be as happy playing with the children as they are capable of neutralising the threat from an armed robber, after all, they will most certainly spend more time being a pet than they will a protector.

Knowing how to select the right dogs for this role, and then being able to train them into it over many months takes a great amount of knowledge and a deep understanding of both the dogs and the clients they will ultimately go to live with and protect..

A1K9 has over 25 years of experience in this highly-specialised field and a satisfied client list that extends around the world, with many customers returning for their second, third and even fourth dogs. It’s a record we are very proud of and one we believe speaks for itself.

Residential Obedience Training

Alongside our core business of training and providing personal protection dogs, we also lend our experienced hands to dog obedience training, offering residential obedience training on a four week course. We cater for all breeds of dog irrespective of size, the only criteria being that they must be over 10 months of age to be enrolled and must be fully vaccinated. We utilise balanced training methods, similar to those employed when obedience training our protection dogs and we always seem to wow dog owners when they come to collect their dog by the standards we have achieved.

Dog Training Classes

Run weekly at our facilities, we offer a full complement of group dog training classes, covering from puppy class right through Junior, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum dog obedience classes. These are open to all breeds and are tutored by Gaynor, one of our directors who not only a very experienced dog trainer but also a fully qualified canine behaviourist. The classes are fun, friendly, and in a glorious setting, with both large outdoor and indoor facilities, which means that we have adequate space for your dog to socialise with its pals in a controlled environment at the beginning and end of each class, the dogs get to learn, socialise and have fun at the same time!

As a professional dog training company, A1K9’s experienced staff can help solve any obedience, or behavioural issues that you may be having with your dogs, so don’t struggle with your dog problems, get in touch!

If you would like to find out more about owning an A1K9 Family or Personal Protection Dog, or if you would like to know more about the Dog Obedience Courses that we offer; we’re always happy to talk so please feel free to call us on +44 (0)1792 883395, or +44 (0) 7444 234500.

Alternatively, you can email us info@a1k9.co.uk with an overview of your requirements and your telephone number and we will be pleased to call you to discuss how we might be able to help.

We’d love to hear from you.