£15000 for one of their protection dogs ..

I have no idea how much they charge Mahooli, as I am not actually looking for another dog just now anyway, but I am sure you are right and that they won't come cheap. In the news section it does talk about Nigel Mansell's PP trained dog costing £15,000!

I may well contact the company and find out how much it would cost for a dog like Cookie, who is trained in obedience, but is not protection trained. I will also ask them questions about what guarantees they offer with a pp trained dog, how they go about fitting the right dog to the right home, and how much training the new owner is given. I will let you know what they say, or may invite them to come in on this discussion.

I am not sure whether the dog's change of home will have an effect on their temperament, as I bought a part-trained 3 year old sheepdog and he fitted in with me no problem at all. The police also often have an instructor who trains the pups initially and brings them on, and they then go to a dedicated handler, with few problems. I would imagine, it would depend alot on the individual dog's temperament, and also the knowledge of the new owner.

I may well miss the puppy stage too if I did go down this route. When you have a puppy from 8 weeks I think you really get to mould its character into what you want. An older dog (trained or rescue) will come with his personality already formed.

I am absolutely sure that companies like A1K9 will definitely train the new owner in the handling and training of the dog.

That is a very interesting point Hali about inexperienced owners, but as you also point out an inexperienced owner can easily undo any training a dog may have been given.

Regarding the trained dogs though, I would think that if you are going to spend a few thousand pounds on a trained dog, then you would make sure you knew how to handle that dog and continue its training. I would hope so anyway!

I agree that dogs do react differently to different handlers, however I also think that if a dog has been thoroughly and expertly trained then it will work for a new handler as long as that handler learned how to work that dog. I have seen it many times in working sheepdogs and police dogs.

Firstly, I don't agree with your initial comment Krusewalker about there being no such thing as a pre-trained dog. I have had the pleasure of knowing a number of police dogs trained by an instructor and then worked by a handler. I have also worked a fully trained police dog, who worked every bit as well for me as she did for her owner/handler/trainer. I also have a sheepdog who came to me part-trained, and he took my commands and instruction just as soon as we had bonded, which took a few hours.

I do take your point that a dog can be sent away for training and come back with the same problems that it left with. To me, that would be a problem with the owner not being taught by the trainer how to instruct their dog properly and also how to continue his training, or else the dog not being expertly and professionally trained.

I would only ever consider buying a trained dog from an organisation that also trained me in how to handle the dog, and offered lifetime back up.

that's different though

a) you arent the average dog owner

b) police dogs are trained by professional trainers for professional handlers, who themselves are also schooled at the training centre. the police dogs also dont live as pet dogs, they either get collected from the centre each morning for duty, or live in a shed at the handler's home.

your last sentence sums it up and is why 'ready trained dogs' and residential training, sans owner, doesnt work for pet dogs and average pet dog owning members of the public.

I have to admit, I think it is straying into treating dogs like tools...I don't like that.

Totally agree Shona. I would think a highly trained dog should only be put into an experienced home (and most definitely if it is trained in PP) where the new owners have proven they can handle the dog, and are also trained in how the dog works. I also think there should be future ongoing training for the dog and owner should they need it, and a lifetime of advice and back up if needed.

I often have people asking me to train there dog in PP, I always say, when you have the knowlage to handle such a dog, you will have the knowlage to train the dog you wouldnt need to be asking me. lol

though your famous types.....well there another story.

I somtimes let people work my dogs at training, my lot will go through the motions with them, but I know for sure, if they took the dog away, things would slip quickly and the dog would just be taking the p*** within a week...

working a dog is not something you can buy, its learned over time,