Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know before bringing home an AlpinHaus Protection Dog.
General FAQ’s
What exactly is a Personal Protection Dog?
A Personal Protection Dog is a highly trained canine that protects you wherever you go—home, travel, or public spaces. These Dogs are trained extensively to detect, respond to and, if absolutely necessary, physically OVERCOME threats on command, while still being calm, socially compatible, and under control in everyday life.
How does a Protection Dog differ from a guard dog?
Guard dogs are often tasked with property defense and may act without direction. Personal Protection Dogs, by contrast, work closely with a handler. They respond to commands, are trained for obedience, and maintain composure and capability in stressful environments.
Are Personal Protection Dogs safe around children?
They should be. AlpinHaus Dogs are, but Dogs from other providers are questionable. Safety around children and in society at large is foundational. We specifically train for emotional stability, and each Dog undergoes extensive Socialization in homes and out in public, using our proprietary training methodology. This ensures they can distinguish between real threats and normal family activity, and will never pose a risk to anyone without clear cause.
How long does training take before the Dog is ready?
Typical timelines range depending on the training level and tasks required. Other companies may have their Dogs ready in weeks or a few months. This is because they do very little training with their Dogs. At AlpinHaus we raise each Dog from the time it is a puppy, focusing on Socialization, Obedience and Protection, all for real-world everyday situations. This takes 1 year minimum to usually no more than 2 years.
What kind of Protection commands and behaviors will the Dog know?
Our Dogs master advanced off‑leash obedience, bitework and release (Attack, Stop Attack, Return-to-Owner), Activated Defense Mode (being turned On into a Protective state and Off out of it and back into a normal, happy, social state), command‑based responses (like Transport or Call‑Off), and situational awareness. All AlpinHaus training is designed to decisively and successfully engage and counter real-world threats in for real world scenarios.
Can a Personal Protection Dog protect me when I travel or in public?
Yes. Travel readiness and public integration are core parts of the program. Dogs are trained in unfamiliar settings—cars, hotels, airports, outdoor venues—to behave confidently under pressure.
How do you match the right Dog to my lifestyle or threat level?
We begin with a detailed consultation that considers your daily routine, living situation, travel frequency, protection requirements, environment, and any families or pets in the household. That data helps us pair you with a Dog whose temperament, training level, and skills align best with your reality.
What kind of upkeep or maintenance is required as the Dog grows with me?
It depends on the levels of fluency and performance that the Client needs. Even after delivery, handler training, physical conditioning, mental stimulation, and consistent structure are necessary to maintain obedience and readiness. We provide guidance and support so you’re always equipped to manage the Dog confidently.
What happens if the Dog has a health issue or genetic issue later?
We offer a full 100% Health Guarantee covering genetic conditions (hips, elbows, etc.) for no less than 5 years. And a limited guarantee for the 2 years that follow. We know of no one else that offers a Guarantee this comprehensive.
Can you deliver internationally, and how does the transition work?
Yes, we offer global delivery with white‑glove service. This is all part of the Integration Journey—meaning handler orientation, behavior framing, environment familiarization, travel training, and post‑delivery support so your new family member acclimates well to your home and routines.
Can you summarize AlpinHaus Dogs in one sentence?
AlpinHaus Dogs are best-in-class, high-energy pets that have the world’s best Socialization, Obedience and ability to Protect you very effectively if needed.
What is the approach you take with the development of your Dogs?
At AlpinHaus we raise our Dogs from the time they are puppies. This is the best way of ensuring that we understand the Dog as well as the best way of embedding the performance and Socialization we create in the Dog,
What breeds does AlpinHaus work with?
AlpinHaus only works with Dutch Shepherds and Belgian Malinois.
Why do you only work with Shepherds?
Shepherds – particularly Belgian and Dutch – are by far and away the highest performance Dogs on earth. They are also the healthiest, which is very important. There are no Dogs better equipped to perform at virtually anything than these breeds. This is certainly true when it comes to Protection.
I’ve heard that the Dutch Shepherd is a dangerous breed and shouldn’t be around families… is this true?
AlpinHaus Dutch Shepherds are not dangerous. Other Dutch Shepherds from people working with other genetic lines may or will be. Which Genetics one is working with, as well as the Dog itself in particular, and lastly the training the Dog has received will determine how dangerous (or not) a Dog may be. At AlpinHaus we work with lines that are finely balanced between Family-Compatible and Highest-Performance. All of our Dogs are outstanding with families, depending on the nuances of the family. Some of our Dogs are more relaxed and some more energetic. So in each of the cases one may be more or less appropriate for an individual or family depending on the specific scenario.
Other trainers won’t work with Dutch Shepherds. Why is this?
Even good trainers very simply don’t know how to handle Dutch Shepherds in many cases. So they just shy away from them. At AlpinHaus we understand them and understand them well, which is why we specialize in them. They are incredible Dogs, but you must be both very highly skilled and very highly motivated to work with them to properly unlock their potential whilst avoiding problems and pitfalls along the way. Very few people are so qualified and / or inclined, and we understand.
Im worried that if I get a Protection Dog that it will just attack people I don’t want it to. How do I deal with this?
AlpinHaus Dogs don’t randomly attack people like that. Unless specifically trained at a Client’s request to perceive and act on threats the Dog believes exists, AlpinHaus Dogs will need to be triggered into Activated Defense Mode before he or she engages in Defense or Attacks. Our Dogs are simply not even thinking about things like that unless activated. See our videos for examples of this in detail.
Will AlpinHaus Dogs protect my home from a robber while I am gone?
This needs to be and can be trained specifically in the Client’s home after the AlpinHaus Dog has been introduced and assimilated into it.
I want my AlpinHaus Dog to defend my home and property if I am not there and attack anyone that tries to enter it.
We can train our Dogs for this at your home without problem. Be aware that the more people you may have coming and going when you are not there with the Dog the more potentially complex the training.
I have people that come and go from my house regularly…. I don’t want my Protection Dog thinking he or she needs to attack people authorized to be in my home.
This is not a problem. Our Dogs will not attack someone just because they walk into your home. They will bark to alert you when someone is outside your home, whether it be friend or foe, but if the person comes in your home they will bark to alert and then they will likely just want to be pet by the person.
Can AlpinHaus Dogs detect danger and let me know about it as some sort of early-warning system?
Yes. For example, if you are out in public and someone with strange energy is close or walking towards you directly AlpinHaus Dogs will detect this and likely bark at the person. It is important to note that they have been trained NOT to bark at strangers, so if they do this you should pay extra attention, because either they are doing something they should not be (possible but unlikely) or they are alerting you to something that seems out of sorts. In the house or the yard they will bark at passersby they detect outside and/or animals that they detect. If there is someone that is trying to break into your home the AlpinHaus Dog will certainly detect it and bark to notify you. (This is why Burglars never select homes with Dogs as targets).
I would like to order a puppy and have it developed for me and delivered when it is ready. Is this possible and how long will it take?
Yes this is possible and it will take 1-2 years for the AlpinHaus Dog to be developed and ultimately delivered to you as a rule, although in some cases less time.
How do I know that the Dog I buy from AlpinHaus will actually protect me?
We are ethically unwilling and unable to release a Dog for sale until we are 100% confident that it will truly defend a client. The way we test this is to conduct a ‘Surprise Attack’. A Surprise Attack is a test in a real-life scenario with a brand new person posing as a Threat wearing a hidden suit in a new, public place that our Dog has never defended / attacked anyone in before. Our Dogs must defend against this surprise attack and engage the threat appropriately. This is the Final test we conduct before we are ready to pronounce AlpinHaus Dogs Protection-Capable.
How do AlpinHaus Dogs compare to IGP and other Sport Dogs?
This is a very important question and could be the subject of hours of conversation. The short answer is that Sport Dogs, which we love, are not the same as Protection Dogs and cannot be counted on to Protect you. This is especially true of IGP Dogs, and despite appearances to the contrary, some French Ring and Mondioring Dogs. PSA and Belgian Ring Dogs are quite likely to work as actual Protection Dogs in real life but not necessarily guaranteed. Certified KNPV Dogs should work fine (although they are not intended to be in home environments or as personal protection). But unless a Dog is tested properly you cannot know for sure. Many Sport Dogs are sold as Protection Dogs. This is especially true of IGP Dogs. But – they are not Protection Dogs and cannot be counted on to protect you. If someone tells you differently test the dog in a hidden suit / jacket / sleeve with a Blind Attack and see for yourself.
What is the process of acquiring an AlpinHaus Protection Dog?
Every situation is customized based on the individual Client and their requirements. When we discuss your situation we can craft the solution that is optimally tailored to you.
How do I know that the Dog I buy from AlpinHaus is healthy?
Our Dogs are routinely health-checked throughout their lives and of course vaccinated appropriately and given all scheduled medications that one would expect. Before they are delivered they are formally inspected and will receive a Certificate of Good Health signed off on by a Veterinarian here in France. Upon delivery they will be taken to your Vet for inspection as well and signed off on by your Vet. Prior to delivery we also invite your Vet to speak to ours if there are any questions you would like to address in advance. We have complete confidence in our Dogs’ health and we are as transparent about it as possible.
What guarantees do you offer?
We offer the best Health Guarantee in the industry. We guarantee that your AlpinHaus Dog will be free of genetic maladies up until 5 years of age. If there are any problems we will provide a new Dog at no cost to you except transit costs and expenses. And you do not have to give up or return the original Dog that you will have grown to Love. From 5 years old until it is 7 years old we continue this guarantee and will provide a new Dog if necessary at a 20% price reduction. Again, you do not have to return the initial Dog.
What about Hips and Elbows of the AlpinHaus Dogs? And other Health matters?
Dutch and Belgian Shepherds are renowned for having great health as a rule. In fact, these are probably the healthiest dogs that exist as a breed. On top of that, the particular FCI Dogs that we deal with, these specific genetic lines, have had their Hips and Elbows and often Shoulders and Spines checked for generations to make sure that the breeding stock involved in carrying the lines forward were highly exceptional. So Hips and Elbows are not a problem. Additionally, we guarantee hips an elbows and related genetic matters through 5 years of age to be free of genetic problems with a full replacement guarantee and through 7 years of age with a limited guarantee. To our knowledge this is the best guarantee in the industry.
There are so many companies and people selling protection dogs. How do I determine which ones are good? What makes AlpinHaus different?
There are many things that make AlpinHaus unique. When conducting your assessment, we encourage you to simply watch videos of Dogs in real life, real world situations to determine how they will perform. Further, if you are seeing Protection Dogs for sale that have only trained on bite sleeves and not full jackets and hidden jackets then we would suggest that they are not real Protection Dogs. Lastly, most people and organizations that are bringing Protection Dogs to market will rely simply on photos and nice websites to make their Dogs look appealing to the public. This is because they cannot produce videos of their Dogs that are compelling to watch, because their Dogs simply cannot perform that well. Many Protection Dog sellers will say that their Dogs are the ‘best in the world’ and cite the fact that they’ve been in business for years or decades or talk about all the celebrities that have bought their Dogs…. but none of this is relevant in reality. NONE of it. All that matters is the character of the Dog in question, its capabilities and its Training. And no one is close to AlpinHaus in creating Dogs that are as good as ours, despite proclamations to the contrary. NO ONE. Just look at the videos for proof and call us to discuss if you have any questions or doubts.
How much do AlpinHaus Dogs cost?
Our Dogs start at $85,000 for a Level I: Threat Deterrence Dog and can cost as much as several million USD for X Line and Y and Z Lines (currently in development). The prices of our Dogs are always in flux because they are always being trained and developed more. For a Level II: Direct Action Dog, the price starts at $135,000.
How long are AlpinHaus dogs good to keep in service as Protection Dogs?
It will depend upon the Dog, the breed and its drives but 8-12 years. In reality, if the Dog has higher drive it will defend you with one tooth remaining in its head until it takes its last breath. But we cannot guarantee this. German Shepherds are usually good for 5-6 years by comparison. This is one of the many reasons we work with the Belgian and Dutch Shepherds.
Why should I buy a Protection Dog from AlpinHaus when I can get one from a Military or Law Enforcement Dog trainer?
Because AlpinHaus Dogs are much better. There are 2 things that Military and Police Dogs will almost always have: Drive and Nerve. They must want to do the work that they have been selected to perform (Drive) and the ability to do it under difficult and unpredictable situations in the face of threat (Nerve). What they will almost NEVER have is, Control. They will not be trained properly Off-Leash, may not know how to conduct themselves in Society as rule, not listen to and/or understand and respect your commands, and be almost completely out of control during protection exercises that are not choreographed and routinized. Of course there are exceptions to these generalizations but these considerations are what you should watch out for.
I want my AlpinHaus Dog to protect me immediately after I buy him/her. Is this possible?
Protection work can be done initially with your Dog, but it will take a week to a month, or so (maybe less, maybe more), for you as the new Owner/Handler and the Dog to bond properly such that he sees you as his pack and is able to fully fall into his role of fully Protecting you. At that point of bonding he will very naturally fall into his structured performance and you can begin to rely upon him. The Protection Dog must identify with you as “His” or “Hers” and understand its Role in context of household and it’s Routines before it’s natural and trained behavior can come into play.
Why don’t you develop Cane Corsos or Giant Schnauzers or other breeds into Protection Dogs?
These Dogs are not the highest-performance Dogs that exist. They are not quick thinking, quick moving or as athletic as the Dogs we work with. We only work with the 2 breeds that we do because they are the best. That said, many people work with these other breeds and if you really want a Dog of that breed then there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. At AlpinHaus we believe that ALL Dogs are great. We are very specific in our performance-focus of Sophistication, and the Dogs we work with are congruent with this.
What kind of training if any do I need to do after acquiring an AlpinHaus Protection Dog?
It is entirely up to you. AlpinHaus Dogs are finely tuned and we suggest daily training if you want to keep your Dog at the same level of competency it is at when you receive it. Our Dogs are no different from the finest examples of professionals you find in humans – Surgeons, Astronauts, F-16 pilots, Special Operations soldiers, professional athletes, etc. They are all either practicing their craft or training for it, and sometimes briefly engaging in rest and recovery. To maintain top performance we suggest the same approach in thinking.
I would like AlpinHaus to periodically conduct follow-on training of my Dog after I buy it. Is this possible?
Yes. The details of this can be worked out on an individual basis for each Client.
What is the process of acquiring an AlpinHaus Service Dog?
Service Dogs are developed by Special Reservation only. We are happy to discuss with you exactly what it is you are looking for and what we can create for you.
What is the process of acquiring an AlpinHaus Companion Dog?
Companion Dogs are developed by Special Reservation only. We are happy to discuss with you exactly what it is you are looking for and what we can create for you.
Still have a question?
If you have any other queries, feel free to reach out to us. Our knowledgeable team is here to help!
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“AlpinHaus Shepherds creates the world’s most sophisticated Personal and Family Protection Dogs.”
– Business Insider
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