Guns vs Dogs, and the 08 agenda

While perusing the great WWW in the past, I frequently ran across people that insisted they had a dog in protection training but they had a gun to take care of real business, because everyone knows a dog can't really stop a man.

"The only way to be really safe is to have a two step program. With a dog to slow the man down, while I get my gun and blow them away!"

After reading those type of posts I would always wonder "So why aren't you posting on the Colt 45 board?"

Later I realized that it was a good thing they posted on a dog board, because they obviously had already purchased their dog, and didn't have a clue as to what they had, or how to go about using it. Not that they would get any real PP info on a message board, but they had a slight chance of being referred to someone that might be able to teach them something.

Now before I run off all our Smith & Wesson fans, let me point out a few things. Any properly trained dog over sixty pounds is quite capable of stopping any man in an average assault. Any properly trained person with a 22 pistol is also quite capable of stopping any man in an average assault. And any person with experience beyond the training field or shooting range will probably agree.

But this is not the 'AK47' Pro board it is the 'K9' Pro board and we should not speak to things we don't know about.

(I know, you never thought you would read THAT on a message board, did you?) So let's address dogs and their man stopping abilities.

In my guard dog company we leased about twenty five dogs a night to assorted companies. Some out in the Boonies, with no other form of security, some in the worst parts of a town that shared a border with an impoverished third world country, where stealing from the Gringo was a time honored family business (these guys were pretty damn good too). After a decade we had on average, one successful break in or property loss per year. If properly trained dogs were not man stoppers, I'd have been out of business, quick.

And although I said a dog of sixty pounds, sometimes smaller still works. One dog, named Cuz, was a mixed breed of about forty five pounds. His mother was probably half blue heeler and part Airedale and Jack Russel.

His dad was likely half mean and all POed! Cuz was about knee high to an average man, wire haired, and Uuugly. He was NOT territorial but he had a thing about oxygen. He felt all oxygen in any space he occupied belonged to him and he would fight to the death any thing that tried to use any oxygen in the space where he was working.

Casa Ford was the largest ford dealership in El Paso, and had an "overflow" lot where they often stored excess new cars that were shipped in. The lot was on a small back street with no lighting. It had become a popular after hours supply depot for auto stereos and chrome wheels and other assorted new car parts. Then came Cuz!

On his third night of work two people, apparently working in the family business, entered the sight in search of new inventory. They found that, no matter that Cuz was small, he was very well trained, and highly protective of his oxygen, which he found them breathing!

Torn tendons mean swinging a tire tool is pretty much out of the question and Achilles tendons ripped while in retreat greatly hinder ones ability to flee the scene. And all of this done with out the aid of a firearm.

You see the firearm is a great tool for responsible people, as is the dog. As this organization is about dogs and as we have just ended our 2007 season we are setting goals for 2008. While watching videos of some of my old guard dogs in action (Cuz included) I realized that when K9PS started, one of our goals was to give civilians a chance to learn about proper Protection training as well as give them a setting where they could show off that training. Today like back then (1992) there are still no places where civilians can go to learn about proper PP training, and so we are renewing that mission, both with our message board and with our DVD training series we have come out with.

I will be offering a special tactical seminar as well as the usual training seminars for people. We will try to answer all questions from the public with information from sources that are recognized as experienced in their fields , not typeists that want to write about what their trainer at the sport club thinks might happen.

I want to thank all our participants from this past year in the states as well as Europe and Australia. We look forward to serving all your protection dogs needs in 08 and hope I get to meet you all someday.

Listen Well, Bite Hard!!! (keep that barrel clean)

Butch Cappel
Founder
K9 PRO SPORTS