Dog Temperament Archives - Scott's Police K9 LLC

Oct 12

How the Human Touch Benefits a Dog

By Scotts K9 | Dog Temperament, Dog Training, Protection Dogs, Service Dogs, Special Needs | No Comments

Petting a dog is therapeutic. It lowers blood pressure, stress levels, and anxiety. But, does human touch have the same effect on man’s best friend?

The simple answer to this question is yes. Dogs have been shown to receive therapeutic benefits from being petted.

When a human pets a dog, both of them experience a significant increase in their oxytocin levels. This is the same hormone responsible for the bond that forms between mother and baby shortly after birth.

This hormone not only helps humans and pets feel connected to one another, but it also affects their thoughts and behaviors. Dogs that are petted regularly are less likely to exhibit negative behaviors.

Why Dogs Love Being Petted

Even though there are physiological reasons for dogs wanting to be touched, let’s dig deeper into why they love it so much.

It Feels Good

Just like you may like someone rubbing your back, a dog loves when a human does it. It’s similar to a massage or getting someone to scratch a spot you can’t reach.

Helps with Communication

While dogs and people can’t communicate with each other using back-and-forth words, touch is the next best thing. Researchers have found that dogs may be able to tell how a person feels just by how they are touched. This can help them respond in a comforting way, which is why many people feel as though their dog understands what they are going through without even saying a word.

Petting during training a dog is a great way to bring your pooch’s attention back around to the task at hand, especially after he has done something correctly. A simple pet on the head along with a hand command is all you need to get him ready to learn more.

Provides Health Benefits

Petting provides health benefits to canines, just like it does for humans. These include a reduced heart rate, lowered blood pressure, and decreased stress…all of which can help our furry friends live longer, healthier lives.

Vocal Praise – Is It the Same?

Many people ask if vocal praise is as effective a reward as petting, especially when training. Not surprisingly, vocal praise is good but petting is better.

Researchers have found that dogs prefer people who touch them over people who only use vocal praise for rewarding and showing love. In addition, these studies found that vocal praise doesn’t have as much of an effect unless it’s coupled with another positive interaction, such as giving a treat.

So, while your pooch may like that you’re saying, “Good boy!” he would much rather have you pet him.

The Best Places to Touch

Dogs differ in where they like to be petted. The following are some of the most common favorites:

Upper chest
Hips and haunches
Ears
Belly
Under the chin
Shoulder
Back

It’s best to start with the back and shoulder if you are just getting to know your furry friend. As you both become more comfortable with one another, you can move to more vulnerable areas such as the upper chest, face, ears, and belly.

Contact Us About Our Trained Malinois and German Shepherd Guard Dogs

We sell trained guard dogs, such as Belgian Malinois’ and German Shepherds, to become police, military or family protection dogs. If you’re looking for this breed to join you in one of these capacities, feel free to contact us.

We would love to share why Scott’s Police K9 is your elite source for purchasing German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois protection dogs.

Oct 05

Does the Belgian Malinois Make a Good Family Dog?

By Scotts K9 | Dog Temperament, Protection Dogs | No Comments

One of the most frequently asked questions we receive is if the Belgian Malinois is a good family dog. This is a two-part answer….yes, and it depends.

The Malinois is not your typical family dog. It’s true the breed is intelligent, beautiful, and loving. All of these attributes make them great family dogs. What people also need to know is that they are extremely hard working.

The Malinois thrives on stimulation. This stimulation is ideally achieved through both physical and mental activity. This breed wants to learn and is always eager to please their owners. Don’t be surprised when your Malinois wakes up in the morning ready for a full day of activity.

This temperament may not fit into every family’s lifestyle, especially if everyone is gone for most of the day and evening, leaving their furry friends at home alone. While this may be perfectly fine for some other breeds, the Belgian Malinois wants more from their day.

The best type of owner or family for this breed is one that is ready to play and work with their furry friend. For example, a morning run with some tricks along the way would be a great way to start the day. After a break, the Malinois will likely be ready to tackle the next order of business. This could mean a ride in the car to his owner’s workplace or a trip to a field or dog park for more active work/play time.

By the late afternoon, this pooch will be ready for some affectionate down time with his owner or family. Before settling down for the night, a stroll around the neighborhood would complete the day.

A Fun, Active Family Dog

So, do Belgian Malinois’ make good family dogs? Absolutely! They are fantastic family dogs for the right family.

If you have an active life and want a dog that is eager to join in, then this breed would be ideal for you. He will be the one to hike, run, and play with you. He will help you get your work done, and then rest by your side. If you’re ever in danger, he will protect you with fearlessness and skill.

For active families, he will happily join whoever wants to spend time with him. He is loyal to not only his owner, but also to his pack. This means children can help keep the Malinois’ busy while also having a best friend and playmate. And, of course, mom and dad will always feel at ease with the protection that this highly trained dog provides.

Adding the Belgian Malinois to Your Family

The best Belgian Malinois for a family is a trained one. Our fully trained Belgian Malinois for sale are ideal for guarding families as well as working with law enforcement. This is why at Scott’s Police K9, our Belgian Malinois training includes teaching the breed how to live with people of all ages and with other family pets.

To learn more about our Belgian Malinois for sale, contact Scott’s Police K9 today.

Sep 28

Belgian Malinois Protection Dog in Training

Top 10 Reasons Why We Train German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois

By Scotts K9 | Dog Temperament, Dog Training, Family Protection, Service Dogs | No Comments

People ask us all the time if we train other dog breeds for protection services. We know that the Doberman Pinscher, Cane Corso, and Mastiff are all suitably trained guard dogs, but our passion lies in German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois training.

There are many reasons why we prefer these two breeds, but here are the top 10.

#1: Intelligence

The German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois are highly intelligent. Through our nearly two decades of experience, we believe they are considerably smarter than most other breeds.

#2: Experience

We have the most experience with Belgian Malinois and German Shepherd protection dogs. These breeds are elite because they are most often utilized for police, military, government, and personal protection work. As a result, we started with these breeds many years ago and we still prefer them today.

#3: Trainability

Simply put, our dogs want to learn. They are so eager to be trained that they usually want to continue working long after we’ve called it a day. It is truly a joy to train them.

#4: Best Breeder

After much research and experience, we have identified the best breeders in Europe for our German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois. We only accept puppies and dogs that are full-blooded and have the best genetic makeup.

#5: Loyalty

These breeds are highly loyal to their owners, and we want to provide that exceptional level of dedication to our clients. While many dog breeds are loyal, there’s something about the German Shepherd and Malinois that takes this quality to the next level. They want to work alongside their owner to offer world-class protection in any situation. They also want to serve as a companion and best friend.

#6: Affectionate

Even though these breeds will guard their owner(s) with necessary aggression, they will also seek and accept affection often. They need to feel loved on a daily basis. We believe these two breeds are so affectionate because they have a truly deep love for their owners.

#7: Kid-Friendly

Kids love the fluffy fur and big stature of these dogs, and they also love being doted on. Families with one of our dogs often talk about how sweet it is to see their children have a best friend to hug, kiss, and play with.

#8: Aggressive Appearance

We love these dogs because they do look fierce. This is important, especially if the dog is working in law enforcement or as a guard dog. Their appearance alone is often enough to keep the “bad guys” away.

#9: Long Life

Most owners can expect at least a decade of fun, protection, and love from these dogs. While we never want to think of our furry friend leaving us, we’re glad to report that these breeds have long lives.

#10: People Love Them

We couldn’t finish this list without mentioning how happy our customers are with the dogs they’ve purchased. We always have customers contact us afterwards letting us know how special their dog is, and how appreciative they are to have found a reputable, experienced trainer.

Belgian Malinois and German Shepherd Trained Guard Dogs for Sale

If you want to buy a fully trained protection dog, contact Scott’s Police K9 for more information. We would be happy to help you see our available dogs for sale, and to find the best one that meets your specific needs.

Sep 21

The Amazing History of the German Shepherd

By Scotts K9 | Dog Temperament, Dog Training, Protection Dogs, Service Dogs | No Comments

The German Shepherd has a long history of being a loyal, hardworking, and lovable dog. The name of this breed comes from where it originated and its first job. Before the Phylax Society was formed in 1891, early day breeders were seeking to mate dogs that would have strong, intelligent, and capable offspring. Not long after, in 1899, German farmers started used the German Shepherd to herd and protect their flock of sheep.

After the downfall of the Phylax Society, breeders continued to breed a variety of dogs to produce those that were stronger, more intelligent, and highly trainable. Max von Stephanitz attended a dog show in 1899, and that was where he met a German Shepherd named Hektor Linksrhein.

Hektor was the offspring of a few generations, and he fit the criteria that Max was striving for in ability, intelligence, and beauty. Max purchased Hektor, changed his name to Horand von Grafrath, and started the Society for German Shepherd Dogs.

Horand was bred with dogs that had similarly desirable traits, so that the breed would grow. We now have over 10 million German Shepherds in the world today.

History of German Shepherd Protection Dog

German Shepherd: The Bravest Soldier

Max’s goal was not only to identify and perpetuate the hardest working dog breed, but he also wanted to use the German Shepherd for military and law enforcement. With their instinctual tendencies to guard and protect, he knew this breed would be ideal as trained guard dogs.

After loaning his dogs to German police departments as the first K9 unit dogs, he quickly found that his assumptions were correct; this breed fulfilled the police’s needs. This confirmation opened the doors to adding K9s to German military units for service during World War 1.

The German K9’s main jobs included duty as:

Messengers
Ammunition Carriers
Sentries

As they performed their duties, they also helped on the battlefield by leading injured and blinded soldiers off the battlefield so they could receive medical attention.

The brave German Shepherd was immediately given great recognition due to its courage in stressful and dangerous situations. As a result, both the Americans and the English wanted to know more about this fantastic breed.

By the time World War II started, Germany wasn’t the only country using the German Shepherd; the United States started using them as well. This led to the establishment of many K-9 training camps throughout the U.S. for not only war dogs, but also for law enforcement.

Guarding and Protecting Americans

From herding sheep to assisting soldiers, the German Shepherd has a long and successful history of protecting. They guard and protect the U.S. from drugs, criminals, terrorists, and a variety of other security concerns. Because of the German Shepherd’s treasured qualities and work ethic, we all can rest a little easier knowing they are hard at work making sure we’re safe.

Purchasing K9 Dogs for Sale at Scott’s Police K9

The military, law enforcement, government organization and families seek out Scott’s police K9 because we are commitment to providing the highest quality trained German Shepherd dogs. Our guard dogs have impeccable bloodlines to ensure the good health and natural abilities that this breed is known for.

If you’re looking for a top trained guard dog and best friend, Scott’s K9 has the very best German Shepherd guard dogs for sale. Contact us today!

Sep 14

All About the Belgian Malinois

By Scotts K9 | Dog Temperament, Protection Dogs | No Comments

At Scott’s K9, we generally work with two breeds of dogs – the German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois. Many of the people who come to us know all about the German Shepherd, but not as many know about the Belgian Malinois. For that reason, we wanted to provide you with some more information on this amazing breed.

Belgian Malinois: A K9 Superstar

The Malinois is a squarely built breed that stands 22 to 26 inches tall. He is strong and built of muscle. He is not bulky; rather he is elegant and sleek. This breed is built for working hard on their feet.

Colors can range from a deep mahogany to a rich fawn. The eyes are dark brown; often compared to the color of Belgian chocolate.

The Belgian Malinois is easily trained by professional trainers. They are so eager to please that they absorb commands and positive reinforcements immediately. Belgian Malinois can be trained in as little as 10 weeks or sooner depending on the work he will be doing. Since they are a sensitive breed, they respond best to calm, pleasant, but consistent and firm commands.

The Malinois does best when worked hard on a daily basis. This includes physical and mental exercises. It’s what makes this breed such an excellent law enforcement K9, military dog, or family protection pet.

Working side-by-side with his owner is where the Malinois wants to be each day. This breed is highly emotional, and understands the world of work and how to be an affectionate companion.

The Malinois can decipher when there is a threat, and responds with appropriate aggression (as trained to do so properly). It is part of his instinct and the Malinois does not hesitate to bite in certain trained situations.

Understanding this part of the Malinois is important when training a Malinois to be a family pet. Scott’s K9 personally brings all of our trainee dogs home with us so they can be around small children and other dogs. This helps to socialize them to be the ideal guard dog and family companion.

Due to the active nature of the fun-loving Malinois, he’s perfect for owners who love to spend time outdoors. Running and long hikes are some of this breed’s most loved activities. Just be ready because he can outrun most anyone! The good news is that his passion for protecting his owners will keep him from getting too far ahead.

Our Belgian Malinois for sale are guaranteed to be free of genetic defects that could negatively affect their health. Most are imported from Europe to ensure the genetic bloodline is healthy and pure. This allows us to provide dogs that have incredible temperaments, excellent health, and tremendous work ethic in how they serve their owners.

Find Trained Belgian Malinois for Sale at Scott’s Police K9

We know the Malinois breed inside and out. For more information about how the Malinois can help you with law enforcement, military service, or family protection guarding, contact us today.

We would be happy to tell you more about this hardy, wonderful breed!

Dog Temperament