Protection Training · Board & Train · Evaluated individually
Confidence.
Control. Responsibility.
Board & Train for suitable working dogs and committed handlers. Play-Based learning and real-life walks build on the individual dog’s motivation, with obedience, control, and responsible management at the foundation.
All local programs are Board & Train
Your dog stays and trains with our team. Every program includes three full owner lessons: around 2½ weeks, around 3–3½ weeks, and on Go-Home day.
Finding the fit
Suitability before specialized work.
The process starts with temperament, confidence, drives, obedience, and behavior history. We discuss the handler’s goals and responsibilities, then decide whether protection work is an appropriate direction for the dog. This is a Board & Train program: your dog stays and trains with our team.
Play-Based training.
Built for your dog.
We train The Dog In Front Of Us.
Your dog’s personality, history, confidence, and responses guide the work. We strive to understand your dog, uncover their strongest positive motivators, and use that understanding to teach effectively.
Find the joy in learning.
Play is central to how we train. Chase & Catch, Possession Games, Flirt Pole, Personal Play, and other games help us discover what your dog loves and bring that motivation into the lesson. The play, pace, and challenge are shaped around your dog.
Let the walk become the lesson.
A large part of the learning happens on walks. We train through real-life scenarios in a wide variety of parks, busy downtown areas, dog-friendly stores, and other everyday locations. We choose the setting and level of distraction around your dog’s needs and readiness.
What we build
Useful skills.
Real situations.
The program develops practical communication alongside the skills your dog needs:
- Sit, Down, Place, Stay, Recall, Heel, Let’s Go, and Out
- Verbal markers: Ok! & Ah-Ah!
- Strong obedience and handler engagement
- Environmental confidence and neutrality
- Clear control around distractions
- Progressive, supervised working foundations
- Owner handling and long-term management
Additional commands and skills are sometimes taught, depending on the needs of the case. We shape the practice, priorities, and pace around your individual dog.
Owner education
The handler is part of the program.
Owners learn the commands, equipment, management expectations, and continued practice their dog needs. The program emphasizes control and responsible handling throughout the dog’s daily life. You also learn how to use play, your dog’s positive motivators, the commands and verbal markers, and practical walks to keep teaching the dog in front of you.
Meet the team behind the programIncluded in every program
Three full owner lessons.
Learning starts during training.
Around 2½ weeks
Your first full owner lesson takes place while your dog is still in training.
Around 3–3½ weeks
The second full lesson continues your hands-on learning before Go-Home day.
Go-Home day
Your final full lesson connects the training to the routines and practice you’ll continue at home.
These are approximate milestones. We coordinate lesson dates with you during the program.
Before you begin
Good questions.
Clear answers.
Is protection training right for a reactive dog?
Reactivity, fear, or poor control can indicate that a different training path is needed first. We evaluate each dog and may recommend obedience, confidence work, or behavior modification instead.
What happens before specialized protection work?
The dog needs an appropriate foundation in obedience, confidence, focus, and control. The training progresses according to suitability and readiness.
Who oversees the training?
Christian Scharphorn leads the protection program. Specialized work is supervised by the approved training team.
What is expected of the owner?
A committed handler needs to maintain training, follow the agreed management plan, understand the equipment and commands, and take the responsibilities of the work seriously.
The plan, timeline, and expected progress are discussed individually. Continued practice and owner follow-through are essential.
Your next chapter starts here
Start with a conversation.
Tell us about your dog, your daily life, and what you want to change. We’ll help you understand the next step.