Meet Max: Our New Executive Protection Raise & Train From Holland
Meet Max, the newest addition to our Executive Protection Raise & Train program at Primal Canine.
Max is approximately 10 months old and recently arrived from Holland. He’ll be spending the next six months with us as we develop his obedience, confidence, environmental exposure, control, and protection work.
Since we’ll have plenty of time to build on his training, we wanted to get started right away with one of the most important pieces of his obedience foundation: head position.
Starting Max’s Training From Day One
When a new dog arrives for a long-term training program, we like to begin by learning how that dog works.
Every dog has a different level of engagement, motivation, environmental sensitivity, confidence, and previous training experience.
Rather than immediately asking for complicated behaviors, we start with simple exercises that help establish communication and give us a better understanding of the dog in front of us.
For Max, that meant starting with head-position work.
Why Head Position Matters in Dog Training
Head position is an important foundation for the type of focused obedience we want to develop throughout Max’s program.
By teaching Max where we want his head and eyes during training, we can begin shaping better engagement with the handler.
Over time, these repetitions can develop into cleaner focused heel work and more precise obedience.
The first sessions are not about perfection. They are about creating a clear picture for the dog and reinforcing the behaviors we want to see more of.
With Max, we are beginning that process immediately.
Building an Executive Protection Dog
Executive protection training is about much more than bite work.
A well-developed protection dog also needs reliable obedience, confidence, environmental stability, engagement with the handler, and the ability to remain under control in everyday situations.
Throughout Max’s six-month program, we’ll continue developing areas such as:
Focused obedience
Heel position
Recall
Sit, down, and stand positions
Environmental confidence
Social exposure
Handler engagement
Off-leash control
Impulse control
Protection foundations
Grip development
Clear targeting