Most people's mental image of this kind of training comes from movies: a dog that snarls at strangers and has to be locked in a back room when guests arrive. That is a poorly trained or poorly bred dog, not a well-trained one. A correctly trained dog is, for 99% of its life, indistinguishable from a well-mannered family dog. The training is precisely what makes that possible.
## Is a dog trained this way safe around children and guests?
Yes, when the training is done correctly. A properly trained dog is taught to distinguish between an actual threat and normal daily life. Greeting guests, playing with children, and general household activity are unaffected. Uncontrolled aggression with no off-switch is a sign of poor training, not a stable, confident dog.
This is the question every serious buyer should ask a trainer directly, and the answer should come with a demonstration, not just reassurance. ## What is Schutzhund/IGP, and why does it matter for evaluating a trainer?Schutzhund (now formally titled IGP/IPO) is a three-phase competitive sport testing tracking, obedience, and controlled work under independent judging. A trainer or breeder with real competition titles, not just self-described experience, has had their methods tested in public, against other handlers, under rules they don't control.
Full explanation: [what Schutzhund/IGP training tests](/articles/what-is-schutzhund-training). ## How does obedience training relate to advanced work?Advanced work is built entirely on top of reliable obedience. A dog that won't hold a solid "out" or "down" command under normal conditions has no business doing bite work. Any trainer who skips or rushes the obedience foundation to get to the more advanced phase faster is cutting a corner that shows up later, usually at the worst possible moment.
## What should I ask before hiring a trainer? Ask for the trainer's own competition results, not just client testimonials. Ask to see a trained dog work in person, including the release/out command: the "off switch" is the single most important thing to verify before you hand over money. Ask how many hours of foundation obedience happen before any bite work starts. A trainer who can't answer these specifically, or who gets impatient with the questions, is not someone to trust with a working dog. ## Why do championship titles and World Team selection matter here? Kevin A. Lanouette holds New England Regional titles from 2005 and 2006 (a third result in 2010 is still being confirmed from the records), made the U.S. World Team four times, and competed at the World Championships in 2006, 2007, and 2010. That's not a one-time credential from years ago; it's a sustained track record validated under competition pressure, repeatedly, over decades. ## Related reading - [German Shepherd breeder guide](/guides/german-shepherd-breeder-east-coast) - [Cost of a fully trained dog](/articles/cost-of-a-fully-trained-protection-dog) - [Pricing](/pricing)