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K9 Professional/Protection Sports, also known as K9 Pro Sports was founded in 1992. The first Personal Protection and Patrol dog certification trial was held in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Events of the very first trial were highlighted in Dog Sports Magazine. The popularity of these certification trials soon crossed over the border into Texas. This type of trial was often referred to as a K9 Rodeo. As the organization continued to grow, so did the publicity of its events. K9 Pro Sports was featured in the "Having it all" article of the December, 1999 issue of Dog and Kennel magazine, a national publication for dog owners and dog enthusiasts. The first K9 Pro Sports National Championship was held in 2000, in Fort Worth, Texas. The first International Championship trial was held the following year, securing K9 Pro Sports position as a recognized international organization. There are now sanctioned trials on three continents, North America, Europe, and Australia.
Contents
Description
There are 4 divisions that competitors can enter:
1) Puppy
2) Training
3) Personal Protection
4) Patrol
Puppy and Training division are used strictly to assess the training progress of both the dog and handler.
The protection exercises in the Personal Protection division are used to demonstrate the ability of a dog and handler team to “Intimidate, Dominate, and Control” a threat to the hander or family.
A dog and handler team in the Patrol Division are scored on their ability to “Detect, Defend, and Apprehend” a criminal act or threat.
Judging
A two judge system, is used in the evaluation of each performance. Written score sheets give all competitors a written evaluation of their performance as seen by the judges in real time on the field.
Historically, Judges are recruited from military, police and security dog trainers and must possess authoritative credentials in uses of dogs for personal protection.
Organization
There are not any formal education centers, videos, or books generated by the K9 PRO organization. Competitive training is done through a collaboration of experienced dog owners and dog trainers. Training clubs, consisting of experienced members, and novice members alike will often compete to compare their dog training techniques against the techniques of other competing clubs. Many clubs also combine Schutzhund or Ring training with their K9 Pro Sports training.