And just to add to my dear friend Lou's posting...dogs who pass his test, at times have NO problem biting for real even when it's not a actual deployment...ROFLMAO.....Lou knows of which I speak..and NO it's not a accidental, poor individual being bit for no reason. Is just if your dog has it for real, and a trainer/decoy puts themselves in a place they should not be, don't be surprised if you get bit. If you stick a metal fork in a outlet, don't be surprised when you get a shock is all....if you only wear a sleeve, don't act surprised when you get bit in the leg....if you agitate a dog and then want to act as a back up officer 2 mins later on a scenario, don't be surprised when the dog doesn't like you......LOL...I do luv your "ugly" little dawg Lou...LOL

Just for the record, the department I work for has approx. 850 sworn and the Metro Police have around 1400. I couldn't agree more that discussion among groups improve training and the quality of dog on the street. It is one area that certainly needs improved. That is one reason I'd like to see the states establish basic certification criteria that would apply to all PSD, regardless of where they come from. I've been fortunate to get as many rescues as I have. I too have a pretty solid selection criteria that has served me well over the years. I'm not particularly concerned about where a dog comes from, but am most concerned about what the dog can do for me. I offer free training to any local law enforcement agency. If I'm conducting a class, they can attend the class free, and on occasion I can even quarter them at our Trooper academy barracks, if there is room available. Many have taken me up on that offer. My in-service training is free also, with very few strings attached. 1. no psuedo, 2. If they want the certification from the State, they have to document their training and maintain the required proficiency. Other than that, all they have to do is show up. Dog's have been pretty good to me, these past 34 years, so if I can rescue one, and turn it into a working animal, all the better. While I have certainly had to, on occasion, buy dogs, I still look for that diamond in the rough, and it sure makes me happy when I find it. One of the bomb dogs I currently have in Explosives detection training is a rescue Malanois. I'd take a 100 just like him. keep the leash lose folks. I've enjoyed this thread. I don't get too excited about sport dogs etc. Real life is quite exciting enough for me.

DFrost

Lou:

You might have missed this thread the same way I do some. If you rely on the most recent post located to the right of each category then you miss others that might have been posted since you last visited. Just a tip to the members...