Has Butch Cappel gone CRAZY?

[Ron Ackerman]

Has Butch Cappel gone crazy? I just read a post on the K-9 PRO SPORTS Message Board that said bonus points are to be given at the K-9 PRO SPORTS Protection Dog World Championships for dogs that have been awarded their AKC Caine Good Citizen award. What kind of an idea could this be, and from supposedly one of the country’s best and most prestigious personal protection dog trainers, that would have our snarling, unapproachable protection dogs brushed and petted by strangers? Should my dogs, Rottweilers, dubbed by Hollywood in the movie “The Omen”, as “Devil Dogs from Hell”, be forced to undergo this humiliation just to be competitive sporting dogs? Well, after giving this idea some thought, maybe they should. If they were well behaved and didn’t try to bite everyone who came within close proximity to them, maybe I could have them with me more often. I suppose if they were with me, rather than in their crate in the back of my truck or chained in my backyard, they could be of more assistance to me in case a dangerous situation developed. I suppose if they were friendly to non-threatening strangers, people could become more educated and less fearful of big dogs. Heck, maybe old Butch is on to something here. He just might not be as crazy as I thought he was.

[eSPO]

Ron , I don`t think good ol Butch is crazy. when the general public hear"protection trained" their mind automatically conjures up images of a mean,snarling , unapproachable dog that can`t be trusted. The general publuc just does not understand that the ideal protection dog is calm,stable, and approachable in public. Heavy socialization and early imprinting are mandatory to achieve the ultimate family companion/protector. A Temperment test should be a piece of cake for
a dog deemed worthy of training in protection. Butch , have you considered awarding points for ATTS temperment tests or other Bonafide TT`s ? I thnk it is a great idea.

[ButchCappel]

Hey Dave,
Glad you like it! Seems to have stirred a lot of interest and several requests about other tests from other kennel clubs.

Our European members have their own equivalents of the AKC version so we will recognise those as well, The ATT is a widely used and respected test so it is included, the AB people do a lot of NKC stuff so we will include them. Yep, sort of looks like you had the right idea!

After all, when it is all said and done, the goal is to enourage people to do more with their dog and also improve the image of "trained" protection dogs. I can think of no better way than encourging people to participate in all the responsible dog organizations out there.