You are out walking your dog in the early hours of the morning. It is almost sunrise and you can feel the morning air breathing new life into the world. Nature comes alive with bird song and the familiar residential rumble of families getting ready to start the day.

Even though you enjoy the moment you still do a quick mental check to assure yourself of your safety. This thought would not have crossed your mind if not for the attack last month in your neighborhood. Someone was relieved of their belongings while walking their dog. You also remember the victim being assaulted by the attackers. With this in mind you reach for your pepper spray just to be sure.

Suddenly your fears are realized. It starts with a stranger appearing out of nowhere and a friendly greeting that soon turns violent. In the confusion your dog hides behind you. You use the pepper spray but the attacker does not stop. You are in shock and don’t follow the attackers instructions, for this you are beaten.

That is how 80% of the stories go. We are all heroes beforehand and would have done so many things differently in hindsight. Do not become a victim of a false sense of security. Remember that your dog looks at your behavior before and during an attack. Most dogs that have not received training will not recognize your distress until you are being attacked. There is a 50/50 chance of an untrained dog making a run for it or not taking the correct action. This could make your situation worse.

Remember the dogs we generally see on law enforcement documentaries have been trained to neutralize a threat. Neutralize being the key word. As families we train our dogs to be loving, follow basic commands and guard our properties. If your dog does a great job at guarding your house just remember that it is their territory. On the other side of the fence it is natural ground and your dog will always look at you for direction. (Except for when your dog takes off running through the open gate in a direction and you run down the road in your PJ’s trying to stop them…haha!)

Remember the first time you taught your dog how to sit and say thank you? Have you ever taught your dog how to growl, bark on command or fetch help when you are injured? Your dog is so much more than just a pet, friend or one of the furry children. A strong bond and proper training have saved countless lives.

Contact a training facility today.