KNPV and Water Exercise

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KNPV is a lot closer to real protection work than many other dog sports because it comes the closest to mimicking real scenarios. One scenario seen in KNPV that isn't seen in other sports is the presence of water in the environment. In the real world, a police Protection Dogs must not only be able to swim, but must be able to do so with speed and efficiency in order to engage a target across a body of water, or to rescue a drowning person from a river with strong current.

KNPV uses two exercises to test a dog's swimming ability. In the first exercise, the dog is instructed to swim across a canal with a minimum distance of 15 meters, wait at the other side, and then return to the handler when instructed. Unfortunately, while it is admirable that KNPV would include water exercises, this exercise does not come close enough to a real scenario to be effective as training for a true Personal Protection Dogs. In the real world, the dog will be sent across a body of water in order to perform a task, such as engaging a target. To have the dog sit and wait for a second command to be given on the other side of a river is absurd, and wastes valuable time. The dog should be trained to swim the distance and engage the target with one command.

In the second exercise, the dog is instructed by the handler to retrieve a large object in the water, approximately 7 meters out, and bring it back to shore. Again, it is admirable that KNPV would include this exercise, but it is still not close enough to the real scenario. The most important thing a dog could be bringing back to shore in this instance would be a human life. To depend on a dog that has only been trained to haul an inanimate object in calm waters to save a living human being is simply unacceptable.

The bottom line is that KNPV is just a sport. Whether you're training a Belgian Malinois, a Dutch Shepherd or a German Shepherd as a police protection dog, it must be trained for the real world, using real world scenarios and real danger. There is simply no substitute for true Executive Protection Dogs training.

When Will My German Shepherd Finish Whelping

The term "whelping" is used to describe the final stages of canine pregnancy and the birthing of litters. As is true for pregnancy in any mammal, a pregnant canine will require care and attention to unsure that the whelping goes smoothly and that the pups are born without difficulty or complication. Unfortunately, some complications are impossible to avoid, but knowing what to expect and when to expect it will help you prepare for the best possible whelping scenario.

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Canine pregnancy typically lasts about three months from the date of conception. This varies from breed to breed, but is generally true of most medium-sized dogs, such as the German Shepherd. Mark the expected date of birth on your calendar. The litter may not necessarily be born on this exact date, but it should serve as a good reference for when to start preparing for whelping. One to two weeks before the litter is expected, your dog should be noticeably pregnant, with an enlarged abdomen. You should being taking your dog's temperature regularly during this time, as changes in body temperature will mark the first signs of labor.

Labor typically begins between 24 and 48 hours before birth. The first stages may not be immediately noticeable, but the temperature of your dog will begin to drop from its regular temperature of about 99-101°F. As her temperature drops, she will begin to pant heavily. She may vomit, or begin shaking, and will likely need to urinate frequently. Her temperature should bottom out at about 98°F, at which point she will begin giving birth within 2-12 hours, depending on whether or not it is her first litter. At this point, your dog will be in her second stage of labor, and will be visibly straining with contractions. Newborn German Shepherd puppies will not be far behind, so be sure not to leave her side during this period.

Of course, having your veterinarian on speed-dial is a necessity during whelping. Complications in whelping can risk the life of the pups as well as the bitch. Be prepared to transport your dog to a veterinary hospital if the need arises. Hopefully, all will go well, and your female German Shepherds will have successfully whelped a healthy litter of German Shepherd Puppies.

KNPV Guarding an Article Exercise

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The Koninklijke Nederlandse Politiehond Vereniging (KNPV) is a dog sport originating in Holland that uses a number of exercises in an attempt to mimic situations encountered by police k9 units. One such exercise is centered around guarding an object.

For dogs with a natural protective instinct, training to guard an article should not be a difficult task. The same guard drive that a canine would have experienced in the wild to protect food, a den or young puppies, can be applied to any object. For the K.N.P.V. exercise, the dog's are trained to ignore distractions such as a people walking past the article, and to attack the decoy who will attempt to take the article. The article can be any object, but medium-sized objects such as a bag, or coat are often used. After the dog has taken a bite on the decoy, the decoy will  step back, at which point the dog will return to the article without any outside command.

As with many K.N.P.V. exercises, the idea behind it is well-intentioned, but the execution of the exercise as a sport is inevitably unsuitable for a real world scenario. The scenario that this exercise depicts is one in which someone has carelessly left something of value in a wide-open, public space. Imagine that you have something of great importance that you need protected, but instead of locking it inside of a building, within a contained, fenced-off area, you have left it out in the middle of a park. This is, essentially, the K.N.P.V. scenario. In a real scenario, Protection Dogs are most often used to prevent intruders from entering a specific area rather than guarding a specific object. This is due to the simple fact that if you have an object valuable enough to hire highly skilled Elite Protection Dogs to protect it, you are better off preventing intruders from even coming near the object rather than waiting until they have fully grasped it.

Although we have great respect for the KNPV dog sport, one should always remember that it is only a sport. Guard Dogs and Personal Protection Dogs should be trained for real world scenarios, not for sport.

When Will My Female German Shepherd Come Into Season?

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The decision to have a female dog spayed is one that is often made under the assumption that caring for a dog in heat is too much work. For those who've decided to keep their female German Shepherd intact, knowledge and preparation are all it takes to keep things under control without it being hassle, and for those who've decided to take on the task of breeding, knowing your dog's cycle becomes key to success.

The first step is being able to predict when your dog is going to be in season. Unlike some animals who enter mating season at specific times of the year, female Dogs can be in heat at any time during the year. However, this does not mean that your dog is ready to mate for the entire year. In dogs, mating follows a regular cycle. It varies between breeds, and between individual dogs, but the majority of female German Shepherds will be in season approximately once every six months. Take note of the end of your dog's last cycle, and you can predict that it will happen again another six months from that time.

You will know that your dog is in season because she will begin menstruating. Bleeding typically lasts about a week, and is followed by about three weeks during which your dog is fertile. Unless you plan on breeding, it is very important that you keep your dog separated from male dogs during this time. Nearing the end of this time, your dog may require more attention and petting than usual.

Whether you're planning for German Shepherd Puppies, or have kept your female German Shepherd intact for other reasons, knowing your dog's cycle and knowing what to do when your dog is in season are extremely important.

Can a Guard Dog Break Out Of Its Dog Create ?

Dogs bred and trained to be Guard Dogs or Protection Dogs are often among the strongest, most agile and most intelligent dogs in the world. While these are all necessary traits for a working dog, it means that your German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois guard dog is far more capable of escaping its dog crate than a standard house pet.

The act of escaping confinement is usually not out of a dislike for the crate itself. Canines, by nature, feel safe and secure in confined places, and often enjoy relaxing in their crates. However, escaping the dog crate can become somewhat of a game to your dog. It is a self-rewarding experience that your dog will repeat. In the event that your canine escapes his crate, it is extremely important that you take immediate action to prevent further escapes. If you move your dog directly to a more secure crate after repeated successful escapes, it may injure itself in an attempt to escape the new crate.

The weakest parts of a crate are the hinges on the gate, and the latch. If your guard dog has escaped its crate, it is most likely that it has done so by pulling on the gate to bend the hinges, or by knocking the latch out of place. In both cases, a more expensive aluminum crate will be much harder for the dog to escape from, but more important than the crate is ensuring that the dog's behavior is corrected. Securing the gate with cable ties, or bungee chords will make it more difficult for your dog to escape, and can be implemented immediately after your dog's first escape, or sooner as a preventative measure. Positioning the crate with the gate against a wall or solid surface can also help prevent further escapes. It is important that your dog associate the crate with a calm and relaxed state of mind rather than an energetic or playful one, and removing the reward of escape can help accomplish this.

Purchasing a more expensive crate may prevent further escapes, but it may also cause your Guard Dog to injure itself. With proper training and reinforcement, your German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois will view the crate as a place of sleep and relaxation rather than a challenge or game to be overcome.

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How To Save a Choking Dog

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Your Personal Protection Dog is like any other animal, and can act curious about practically everything. Dogs often express their curiosity by picking up different things with their mouths. Being that they are low to the ground, this allows them to have numerous opportunities to gobble up objects, that could become choking hazards. It is important for a guard dog owner to know if your dog is actually choking and what to do if this emergency arises. If your Protection Dogs suddenly begins to run around in circles, pawing at their mouth, and is acting wildly and disoriented, they most likely have something lodged in their throat. These behaviors are what your dog does when trying to dislodge the item themselves. However, your protection dog may not be able to remove the object on their own, so it is your responsibility to step in and help them. Below are steps on how to save your choking protection dog.

First, if you think that your dog may be choking or have any doubts that they are able to breathe, call the emergency number for your vet immediately. Note that if your dog cannot breathe, they will not be able to cough or make noise. Once you get a hold of your vet you may be talked through first aid procedures, and asked to bring your pet in immediately. If for some reason you cannot contact your vet or until you get them to help, attempt to save your guard dog by using the following steps.

1. Restrain your dog if necessary.
2. Approach them slowly, speaking in a reassuring tone.
3. Clear their airway by opening the dog's mouth carefully. Do this by grasping the upper jaw with one hand over the muzzle. Press your thumb on one side of the mouth, and your fingers on the other. Apply firm pressure to force their mouth open. If you can see the
4.  object, try removing it with your fingers.
5. If you cannot remove the object, large dogs like German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and Dutch Shepherds must be placed on their side on the floor. Place your hand just below the rib cage and press down slightly forward and firmly, then release. Repeat this several times until the object is dislodged.

KNPV Clubs

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Founded in 1907, K.N.P.V., otherwise known as the Royal Dutch Police Dog Association has the job of certifying dogs with coveted certificates. Located in the Netherlands (Holland) this association is divided into eleven provinces, each one having its own board. Each provinces' board represents the members of the K.N.P.V. at the Head Board meetings. As of April in 1994 there were 509 K.N.P.V. clubs in Holland. According to many, Holland is a very dog loving country. Especially in the southern area where many of their clubs are located. In Holland, if you leave one of the training fields you are already headed into the next. That shows just how dedicated and involved the people of Holland are in the K.N.P.V. organization.

Holland's clubs have always been different from other countries like Germany, Belgium, and France when they train dogs like the German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois. They prefer to hold onto the old fashion dog training, to make sure that only strong dogs are produced. In other countries, training programs have changed significantly over the years, but not in the Holland K.N.P.V. clubs. They have never changed their rules, exercises, or making sure that they are breeding qualified dogs like the Belgian Malinois. Unlike other countries that changed their program to fit the breed of dog rather than starting off and dogs fit for the program. The Holland clubs know that K.N.P.V. wants working dogs and not just show dogs.

The members do everything they can to make sure that dogs accepted into the program are qualified. Members of the clubs are usually people who previously owned a dog. Most of the time they come to the club for the social aspect, commodity, and to be with other dog lovers, or enthusiasts. Many of the club members are already into dog training before wanting to join. If they do have a pup or young adult dog, they must be qualified for the program unless they do not keep them. Either the dog is fit for the program and gets a title, or else he gets sold immediately. This may seem harsh to other people, but the main reason for doing this is getting the dog titled as soon as possible. The main goal for all members of the Holland clubs is to train their dogs in the proper way to make them strong and qualified. By setting this goal, the Holland clubs are great examples of how all K.N.P.V. clubs should strive to be like.

Please note that just because a German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois dog receives a K.N.P.V. title certification it does not mean that they are certified as a Personal Protection Dog as the KNPV is only a sporting title. But if your Protection Dogs has one of these prestigious titles it is an additional asset.