Heck, maybe we should move back to CA if you can charge that much <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Just like with anything supply and demand, is the reason prices differates region to region. Califorina is a huge place with plenty of protection dog trainers, especaily because no one can own a handgun there.

Here in the midwest there are not a lot of working dog decoys/helpers around, (there's plenty of guns though). There are some large dog training facilities but they don't offer any bit work. Most like the AKC here consider working dogs as anything but protection work (I'm glad that changing).

I have even had trainers/helpers tell me they use to offer bite work but the liability risk is too high.

You really have to search far and wide for help with your dog, north of Texas. Now Texas is like whole another country they have plenty of everything.

As we do very little of it, but thought it might help a little.

When we do civilian protection training, it must follow our program in this manner.
1. The dog MUST have CORRECT obedience training.
2. The dog must be evaluated for protection training and pass the eval. We do NOT charge for the evaluation.
3. If the dog passes both 1 & 2, we require a full criminal background check and a home inspection. The home MUST have a 6 foot fence.
4. The course is taught start to finish with an outline of what a civilian protection dog can and can not do. They are trained to this standard. The client must pay the full course price upfront to ensure they are invested in coming to all the training. Doing it by the session leaves WAY too many dogs half done or up to owner discretion for what "protection" is.
5. Once the course is taught (there is no time limit to how long this takes) included in the price is a 1 year monthly training class to ensure both dog and handler are doing well. After the one year, if they wish to continue, it is a per session charge.

Needles to say...we don't have many civilian clients that meet these requirements, or dogs pass the evaluations.

Sue: it's David Deleissegues at South County--he lives in Aromas and I often train with him at Royal Oaks Park near his house. But I'm not talking about just helper work but overall training, so maybe that's not a good data point.

Dave,

He would be one of the few people that I would train with.