Stab Vests for dogs

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protect-yourself

Full Registered User
I recently came upon a news article all about stab vests/ballistic vests for dogs. In the U.S alot of police dogs are equipped with stab resisant and bullet resistant/proof vests.

It seems not all dogs have this type of equipment so there are fundraising events etc to raise money for dogs without stab vests.

I just thought it is a really good idea to protect dogs, K-9, but cant imagine too many people in UK getting excited anout sponsoring a stab vest for a dog but I may be wrong.

I think the police etc do have a duty of care to their animals, not just that but when you look at how much it costs to buy and train a police dog, which might be around £4000 or more.

I dont know if this type of armour would appeal to security guards or firms with dogs though. I suppose it makes sense to protect your dog but there is a cost element.

The link to the article about the stab vests for police dogs
 
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Interest subject mate... enjoyed the read. I am not a Dog owner, in fact I am a Cat man myself but I would think that anyone who has a humanist instinct towards the protection of animals especially those that are close to a working relationship with their owner would want to protect those closest to them.

I think that you should research this in a little more detail...

If you would like my further thoughts on this then please do PM me...

CD
 
Good post. The American security services have a lot of respect for their dogs. A police dog is protected in law in a similiar manner to a human officer, as far as I am aware. I have seen body armour on American police dogs and it is a great bit of gear. (Appears to be, I have seen it in a documentary). Americans are leading the way. Should be standard kit the world over. Lobby the police and politicians.
 
malhter-witty said:
Good post. The American security services have a lot of respect for their dogs. A police dog is protected in law in a similiar manner to a human officer, as far as I am aware. I have seen body armour on American police dogs and it is a great bit of gear. (Appears to be, I have seen it in a documentary). Americans are leading the way. Should be standard kit the world over. Lobby the police and politicians.
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SOC is American security company, right...I would love to here your opinion after being respected and treated as their dogs.

BS again.


para 88
 
Para88 said:
SOC is American security company, right...I would love to here your opinion after being respected and treated as their dogs.

BS again.


para 88
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I don't wish to seem crude but I don't understand you post or comment. I have read it several times but the point is lost on me. I also don't know what SOC is. If you could would you elaborate a wee bit further. Thank you.
 
Para88 said:
SOC is American security company, right...I would love to here your opinion after being respected and treated as their dogs.

BS again.


para 88
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SOC rather you than me thats all i will say on the matter. JOKE JOKE JOKE

malhter-witty said:
I don't wish to seem crude but I don't understand you post or comment. I have read it several times but the point is lost on me. I also don't know what SOC is. If you could would you elaborate a wee bit further. Thank you.
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Your glad you dont know what they are , terrible company, bad payers bad accom , treat UK guys appauling
 
professorP said:
SOC rather you than me thats all i will say on the matter. JOKE JOKE JOKE



Your glad you dont know what they are , terrible company, bad payers bad accom , treat UK guys appauling
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Thank you. I have never heard of that company but I think I now get the 'jist' of the other comment. I don't know how that company came into it though. I am not suggesting for one minute that dogs or any animal are on a par with human beings. It doesn't mean, though, that they should not be afforded respect and protection. As far as I know, in America, if you attack a police dog you could be charged under the same law that is applicaple to police officers. It is a deterrant.
 
I have not read the link - did annie remove it?

Yes I agree Fire arms support dogs and dogs that are trained to deal with domestic situations getting out of hand (although I would of though most GP Police dogs would be classified to do this etc).

Does your average 50 houred NASDU / NTIPDU handler really need a stab vest for their dog???

Yes I know we all train for the occasion ......'IF' with realsitic scenarios.

Security dog handlers would just take it that little bit too far:

Stab vest
Police vest
CS
handcuffs
Baton
stab vest for dog
Car / van battenberged to death:rolleyes:

this list is endless

Would we then have this a mandatory piece of equipment from the insurers!!!

Before you say it 'you never know whats round the corner'. I would rather not do a job than put any of my staff up against constant knife threats that warrant the dog wearing a stab vest.

I have a job that we have to apprenhend 'desperate' people on some occasions and Police support is limited at this location, buts it's a case knowing what to do and assessing the situation - and not employing muppets (I hope).

If any one has a stab vest for their dog dont be shy tell us why you have to warrant the use, nightclub, R&B nights etc and why you have put yourself in that situation - Money? Love of job? The thrill?

Has the incident unfolded where you intervened, if so why?

Be interesting to hear.
 
In my opinion, a stab vest or blunt trauma vest for a dog is a pretty good piece of kit.

Look at it this way,

bullet proof - no point, if they have a gun they can pick a dog off at range. Sending a dog in on a gun situation can cause panic fire.

crowd control - you never know who/what is in a crowd, its likely there is some form of sharp weapon, be it a knife or broken beer bottle. send in a dog they can get hurt

when sending a dog after a crim, the crim could kick the dog at the right moment, knock it to the floor and break a few ribs, 99/100 they wont have time to pull a weapon on a dog.


So yeah,
I believe blunt trauma protection could be quite useful with dogs, and with blunt trauma generally comes stab protection
 
I think that stab/ballistic vests are in principle a good idea, however practically my own experience has been that they are very heavy, cumbersome bits of kit which can have a negative effect on how the dog is deployed.

We used to have 2 sets, roughly 8 years ago for our force's level 3 (firearms) dogs. The dogs certainly looked the part in them, however it did hamper their movement, slowed them down and would have a tendency to catch on obstacles at inopportune moments. It also gave the offender something more to grab on to.

I will admit that I am out of touch with any advances in the technology used for these types of vest now, so cannot comment on their modern design.

I certainly wouldn't use one as a matter of course with my GP dogs, as I feel that the dog would soon become quite knackered when tracking (for example), lugging around a stab vest.

I would also question the ability of the dog to turn quickly and clear fences, ditch's etc whilst wearing one.

I'm not saying I'm against them, as I feel that they do have a place.

Can anyone comment on the weight/flexibility of modern day dog vests?

Xplo
 
I did wonder the same thing about size and weight of the kit. The dog has a good defence against blades and blunt weapons in it's ability to target weapon arms, avoid blows and re-target. It is a direct result of sporting training 'stick-sureness' and exercises like the 'bark and hold' that deny the dog this natural defence.
 
My friend you put the finger right on the wound :)) . This is what im tryng in my country to explain to all that think that a police dog/ guard dog has to be a good "sport dog" ,leaving his natural way ( of the dog) aside . Not good .
 
Dariusvic,
I have an entire conspiracy theory on the evolution of Schutzhund and how it may have been the intention of the founders to encourage the training and production of dogs that would be less than effective under the stress of reality. I'll admit I lack real proof but that could be down to German efficiency of the 1920's/ 30's/ 40's.
 
I do not think that weight should be a factor with regards to dog body armour, its nice to see such enthusiasm for K9's protection. There are a number of companies charities and organisations who supply and manufacture dog stab and bullet vests.

Some companies use steel plates to offer stab and blunt trauma protection and Kevlar and Dyneema etc for the bullet protection. Rifle resistant plates are often also used in the U.S, though maybe this is more suitable for a war situation. I think steel is too heavy to provide good stab protection vs weight and titanium would be too expensive.

A dog has a technical value of around $5,000 (hard to put a figure on it but $5k would cover training costs etc) to a dog owner their dog is a much loved and loyal friend and I can understand why people would armour their dogs as well as horses, a $500 investment for a $5000 dog is not unresonable to protect your investment.

I think U.S ballistic protection is a must, in the U.K maybe only for dogs who are trained to take down gunmen on a regular basis. Im pretty sure that some kind of stab and blunt trauma resistant polycarbonate armour system could be produced.

I believe that a number of security firms in the U.S do already equip their dogs with body armour, though the only worry I have is the potential for a mad dog to run wild and be very hard to stop whilst wearing armour.
 
Simple way to kill a mad dog, pull its front legs appart.

May save your life one day ;)


Protect-yourself, you know a fair bit about PPSS, what if they made a dog one, its light and its quite versatile.
 
Hi all,
I work a GP dog and don't want a "vest" for him. It would seriously hinder him in most situations. $5k for a trained police dog, my service will take all you can get mate.
 
maybe not that smart to post my first post in a 'discussion' but i try to place myself in the dogs position. if you know that there is an potentional danger of getting stabbed wouldn't you like to wear some kind of protection?
the weight will slow down the dog but its the constant battle between speed/free movement vs protection. i have heard about an explosives dog that was wearing protection when during his work getting stabbed the vest covered the dog's vital organs and so he didn't had life treatening injuries.
 
I don't think anyone is saying it's a bad idea, but to date, to my knowledge, all doggy armour seems rather cumbersome and impractical for daily, routine use.
 
Pyrene said:
Simple way to kill a mad dog, pull its front legs appart.

May save your life one day ;)


Protect-yourself, you know a fair bit about PPSS, what if they made a dog one, its light and its quite versatile.
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Ha ha Pyrene... spent some time at 'Dering Lines' have we? :) Carl
 
protect-yourself said:
I do not think that weight should be a factor with regards to dog body armour, its nice to see such enthusiasm for K9's protection. There are a number of companies charities and organisations who supply and manufacture dog stab and bullet vests.

Some companies use steel plates to offer stab and blunt trauma protection and Kevlar and Dyneema etc for the bullet protection. Rifle resistant plates are often also used in the U.S, though maybe this is more suitable for a war situation. I think steel is too heavy to provide good stab protection vs weight and titanium would be too expensive.

A dog has a technical value of around $5,000 (hard to put a figure on it but $5k would cover training costs etc) to a dog owner their dog is a much loved and loyal friend and I can understand why people would armour their dogs as well as horses, a $500 investment for a $5000 dog is not unresonable to protect your investment.

I think U.S ballistic protection is a must, in the U.K maybe only for dogs who are trained to take down gunmen on a regular basis. Im pretty sure that some kind of stab and blunt trauma resistant polycarbonate armour system could be produced.

I believe that a number of security firms in the U.S do already equip their dogs with body armour, though the only worry I have is the potential for a mad dog to run wild and be very hard to stop whilst wearing armour.
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$5,000 for a trained police K9? What planet are you on? The average cost of a GREEN K9 is around $8,000. PD's in the US are issuing vests for dogs and handlers are leaving them in the vehicle as they are more of a hindrance than a help. Steel? Be serious.
 
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