LOS ANGELES Bold barking is fresh at the Delta K9 Academy dog school.
– I love dogs more than people. I trust dogs more than people. And the dogs love me, says the owner of the place Mike Israel.
The dog school is located in the middle of warehouses in North Hollywood, far from the population. Here, dogs can live without disturbing anyone.
Israel, 38, has been training dogs for a long time, first during his military career and then as a police officer for the international criminal police organization Interpol. He founded a dog school in 2019 in order to offer others the same level of protection as he says he gets from his own dog, Graff.
The demand for protection dogs has skyrocketed in Los Angeles over the past couple of years. Israel believes it is due to the increase in crime.
– People are robbed on the street and homes are broken into, and the police don’t get there in time. People no longer feel safe, Israel says.
Number of robberies (you switch to another service) increased in 2022 in the Los Angeles area by seven percent from the previous year. There were 12.5 percent more burglaries than the previous year. More crimes have also been committed in residential areas of the wealthy, which were previously considered safe.
Phones for service dog companies have been ringing off the hook after an unarmed security guard failed to stop a burglar from breaking into a famous music producer By Clarence Avant home in Beverly Hills in 2021.
Once inside killed by a thief (you switch to another service) Avanti’s 81-year-old wife Jacqueline’s.
The training of a protection dog takes years
The Delta K9 dog school trains both pet dogs and guard and protection dogs bred for working tasks.
Unlike police and war dogs, a protection dog is first and foremost a pet. If necessary, it will attack its owner or a person who threatens his family at home or outside the home.
A protection dog is a bodyguard who works for food.
– I prefer working line German Shepherds. They are very intelligent and suitable as family and protection dogs. They enjoy training and want to please their owner. We also train Malinois-Belgian shepherd dogs, but not everyone can control them, Israel says.
Dobermans are also qualified for protection and guard duties.
Elite dogs start training as early as eight weeks of age. Puppies are played with, and they are taught sociality and obedience.
At a later stage, the owners join the training. According to Israel, training owners is often more difficult than training dogs.
The training lasts two to three years, but even after that there are refresher courses for the dogs to keep their skills up.
We are taught to bite the attacker on the limbs
Only carefully selected individuals reach the highest skill level. These dogs are confident, motivated to protect and follow instructions, and have nerves of steel.
Dogs know how to check every corner of the home and yard for intruders and fight against several attackers.
Dogs are taught to bite the attacker’s hands and feet.
They don’t take orders from strangers, and they don’t touch the food they give. It is important because the food can be poisoned, Israel says.
According to him, a top-level guard dog can behave impeccably in social situations without a leash, even in restaurants and airplanes.
– The dog obeys all the commands of its owner. It is kind to children, even if they accidentally step on its paw or tail. A child over the age of five can alone control a dog of this level, Israel assures.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association statistics, dogs bite 4.5 million people per year (you switch to another service). More than half of the number are children. The tendency to bite is influenced by the dog’s individual experiences and behavior, not the breed.
Education is known (you switch to another service) reducing the risk of being bitten.
– Every owner should train their dog and choose a breed according to the purpose of use. Dogs that are naturally aggressive and strong or fearful and antisocial are dangerous if untrained, Israel says.
Jennifer Kovchy participates in Delta K9 Academy training with his three-month-old German shepherd Ace.
Kovchy holds on to the leash as Ace lunges at the goalie, who is behaving menacingly, and sinks his teeth into his arm, which is wearing a thick protective sleeve.
The lesson has been learned, as Ace loosens his grip on command.
Kovchy got Ace as a gift from his fiancee, who bought a training package in addition to the puppy.
– We will get married in April and move to a large farm in a very remote location. We wanted a dog for our security, because you never know what dangers we will face, be they animals or people, says Kovchy.
“I just sold a dog for $150,000”
During the pandemic, there were street robberies in Los Angeles’ Beverly Hills and West Hollywood that received a lot of publicity.
Wealthy victims were also robbed of watches, jewelry and money at their front door, where they were followed from a restaurant or club.
Police believe that the increase in the number of crimes is due to (you switch to another service) about the corona pandemic. Increased unemployment worsened the homelessness crisis, and remote schooling and remote work reduced face-to-face interaction, causing stress.
At Mike Israel’s dog school, protection dogs are trained for different needs. Some of the customers are very wealthy.
A low-level guard dog that can warn of danger and stop barking on command costs $25,000. Prices for top-of-the-line dogs start at $65,000.
– I just sold a dog for 150,000 dollars. Now I’m working with a client in Miami. He was stabbed 20 times in the store. I got a call from the hospital. He wanted a guard dog as soon as possible, Israel says.
According to Israel, the customer lives a luxury life and wants to take the dog with him to clubs, for example. A dog must be trained to behave even at wild parties, Israel says.
He estimates that the price of the package will rise to $225,000.
Protection dogs are trained to withstand pain as well.
– A burglar does not necessarily surrender just because there is a dog in the house. He might hit, kick or yell at the dog, Israel says.
He emphasizes that dogs are not harmed in training. If necessary, an electric collar is used on the dogs, but according to Israel, very sparingly and with minimal power.
– I just heard from the police that criminals are now learning to defend themselves against dogs. They tie the coat on their left hand and when the dog grabs it, they stab the dog with their right hand. So we train our dogs to release their grip on the sleeve if a threat comes from the other hand.
The criminal may also have a remote control or a firearm.
– Whatever it is, a guard dog must be able to assess the danger, know how to approach the situation and fight back, Israel says.
Does a guard dog seem like a good solution to insecurity? You can discuss the topic on Thu 27.4. until 11 p.m.