K-9 Bodyguards

Rating:
Summary: Useful Information
Review: I basically agree with the comments made by the reader/reviewer from Las Vegas (dated August 25, 2001). I think this book is well worth reading for the variety of useful information it presents, including insights into suitable breeds. And, while I am not personally knowledgeable about training dogs (and therefore cannot opine about the merits of this book's training techniques), the book does SEEM to make sense and appears to be based on actual experience. It is quite well written, though rather expensive (perhaps the pictures are TOO glossy). Like the Las Vegas reviewer, I think this book should be read in conjunction with at least one other reputable book on the subject. (Too much is at stake--training dogs to bite, etc.--for us to rely on only one book's viewpoint.) The other book I therefore recommend is "Protection Dogs for You and Your Family," by Weiss and Rose, et al. If you read that book along with Harlowe's "K-9 Bodyguards," you should get good cross-illumination on this important subject.

Rating:
Summary: Useful Information
Review: I basically agree with the comments made by the reader/reviewer from Las Vegas (dated August 25, 2001). I think this book is well worth reading for the variety of useful information it presents, including insights into suitable breeds. And, while I am not personally knowledgeable about training dogs (and therefore cannot opine about the merits of this book's training techniques), the book does SEEM to make sense and appears to be based on actual experience. It is quite well written, though rather expensive (perhaps the pictures are TOO glossy). Like the Las Vegas reviewer, I think this book should be read in conjunction with at least one other reputable book on the subject. (Too much is at stake--training dogs to bite, etc.--for us to rely on only one book's viewpoint.) The other book I therefore recommend is "Protection Dogs for You and Your Family," by Weiss and Rose, et al. If you read that book along with Harlowe's "K-9 Bodyguards," you should get good cross-illumination on this important subject.

Rating:
Summary: Beware of methods that use excessive force-
Review: I cannot endorse any book that reccomends hanging a dog by his neck as a punishment for innapropriate agression. This method is so dangerous to both the dog and handler, it's a shock to me that a reputable pet press would endorse anything so brutal.
There is a reason why locking jaw bulldogs are not as popular as other breeds more commomly used in protection and police work. Officer Harlowe goes on about his favorite breeds and fails to recognize others. A pit bull type dog is not for everyone. They are extremely strong and have a lowered body sensitivity, thus making them more difficult to handle while in drive. And in my humble opinion, there is such a thing as too much dog.
If you want a training manual of any type, buy one that has more training information than macho cop war stories. It's common sense, but in this case, it bears repeating.

Rating:
Summary: A Book For American Pit Bull Terrier Fans
Review: I was thumbing through this book at the bookstore. It seems to be okay. The only problem I have with it is that it focuses on the Pit Bull too much. Actually, the one part that I thought was most humorous, was where he listed his favorite protection dogs. He pretty much boiled it down to this: Greman Shepherd Dogs are a good start, Rottweilers are better, and the best are Pit Bulls. I had a good laugh at that one! I can't remember the last time I saw a Pit Bull as a police dog. The German Shepherd Dog, as a breed, is the benchmark for all other breeds when it comes to protection work. The Pit Bull and the Rottweiler are powerful dogs, more bruit strength then the shepherd, but the shepherd has them beat in all other categories. First, the shepherd may be the most intelligent of all breeds in addition to it's dedication to it's trainer/owner, which translates into it's ease of trainability and the ability to do more. Shepherds have a hell of a nose, probably outdone by no one except the Bloodhound, which makes them excellent SAR dogs. They are also one of the most all around athletic dogs. A good shepherd will smoke any Rottweiler or Pit Bull in the sprint or long distance run, they will also easily out jump and out climb them. A shepherds' character has been proven over and over again in WWI& WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Bravery on the battlefield, "Dogs Of War". They would fight along side their master in the face of machinegun and artillery fire. 90% of all the dogs on police and military forces throughout the world are shepherds. And lastly, the German Shepherd Dog is the reigning king of schutzhund. In light of all this, it's kind of hard to take the advice of someone who appears to believe that the shepherd is just a good start when it comes to protection dogs, when, in fact, they are the dog to which all others are judged against when it comes to this.