Matched with Love and Care – The Best Personal Protection German Shepherd

Selecting the best personal protection German Shepherd? Kempkes Executive K9s offers a 1-to-1 matching experience of the highest quality.

Michael Kempkes has taught German Shepherds to remain calm when surrounded by gunfire. He has flown with them on private jets and sailed with them on yachts.

Why?

He’s excelled at preparing dogs to live and thrive in unique environments like your home and places where you vacation.

What does this mean for you?

You have a unique lifestyle and want to welcome a loyal German Shepherd for personal protection and ongoing companionship. The dog must have special qualities to acclimate and offer you the enjoyment you’re looking for.

Michael and Jeannette Kempkes provide a personalized service with 1-to-1 matching your family to a pure, bloodline German Shepherd that’s the best fit for you. They’ll also import other top European bloodlines by special request.

The Kempkes’ personalized care began decades ago when Michael grew up in Germany.

A Lifetime of Personalized Training and Care

Michael learned to care for and train elite German Shepherds as a 9-year-old boy in Borken, Germany. His passion started with the sport of Schutzhund and showed him the value of 1-to-1 relationships with the pure bloodline German Shepherds.

He learned key truths early on:

• Every dog is different.
• Elite dogs respond best to individual training.
• Not all dogs can be elite dogs.

He’s carried those truths throughout his entire life, working with the world’s highest-performing dogs for personal protection and companionship.

Today, Michael leads Kempkes Executive K9s with his wife Jeannette, who owns Wustenberger-Land German Shepherds. They offer select clients the opportunity to welcome an elite German Shepherd dog for personal protection and loyal companionship.

“Many breeders offer a number of dogs,” says Jeannette, “but Michael and I provide the highest quality dog that’s individually matched with the unique needs of our clients.”

1-to-1 Matching With Your Family

Matching a German Shepherd to your family starts with understanding your unique lifestyle and needs, ensuring the perfect companion for protection and trust.

1. Your Family

Selecting a personal protection dog is a process based on a family’s needs and lifestyle, and the dog should be best suited for temperament and the ability to acclimate to the lifestyle.

“First, we assess the family’s home life,” says Michael. “It’s important to know how many people are typically at home and if there are young children or teenagers.

• Is the home relatively quiet, or are there a lot of people coming and going, like delivery people, gardeners, and friends?”
• Do you travel often either by car or by private plane?
• Will you take the dog to your office?
• Do you enjoy boating, and are you around other animals like horses?

Knowing your lifestyle will aid in selecting the best dog for your needs.

2. Choosing your German Shepherd: the bloodline

The process of choosing a dog separates Michael and Jeannette from those who overbreed.

The pure bloodline German Shepherds are selected from the top bloodlines in Germany under Michael and Jeannette’s guidance, and the dog’s lineage is fully disclosed to ensure the best possible health and bone structure.
The dogs are closely watched to see if they have any genetic defects, including X-rays of the spine, elbows, and hips. Their line is genetically tested to ensure that relatives in previous generations were also genetically tested.

The dogs also need to be show-rated, work-titled, and temperament tested.

Michael looks for dogs who were cared for properly during their first two years of life and exhibit the best temperament because “not all dogs can be elite dogs,” he says, “and temperament can’t be taught.”

He and Jeannette are careful to select a dog that’s reached the appropriate level of maturity so it continues developing in the healthiest way possible.

The German Shepherd who is chosen is flown to the Kempkes’ 5-acre ranch in Agua Dulce, in northeast Los Angeles County, and Michael begins training it.

Be assured that your dog is bred to the highest German FCI / SV standards as described on the German SV website: “It must be ensured that the puppies that are subsequently sold are of better quality than their parents.”

Breeding an elite dog begins with the parents, its ancestry, and a knowledge of:

“degree of kinship, type, line, coat type, quality of already existing offspring and finally also the breeding willingness of the considered dog.”

Schaeferhunde.de The German Shepherd Breeding and Upbringing

Breeding is the foundation for the dog’s life and its relationship with people.

Yet, the dog must still be trained and socialized for you. This is where Michael has developed a reputation of excellence.

Benefits of 1-to-1 Matching: Individual Training

Michael is world-renowned for training dogs in the sport of Schutzhund and winning international competitions. During his career, he’s titled hundreds of dogs to the highest levels and has earned a lifetime achievement award with the German SV.

He’s also trained dogs to work in life-and-death situations and stay calm.

Training the dogs individually is essential to prepare them for their different tasks.

Michael has a military background as a private citizen in the army, training dogs for tasks like full-body personal protection, search and rescue, and bomb detection.

He’s prepared them for vastly different types of assignments like guarding military jets and high-ranking government officials and for use with the police so they remain calm in chaotic situations like gunfire and when flash-bang grenades are set off to stun criminals.

Training them as a personal protection dog and companion is rewarding.

Military and police life is filled with tense and uncertain situations, and Michael has donated his time to train German Shepherds as service dogs for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Michael doesn’t just show the dogs what to do. He trains them by knowing who they are and leading them to be prepared for their end goal.

“I know what the dogs are thinking,” he says. He begins training them in a no-stress manner with an approach that’s based on the dog’s personality and how the dog responds.

Bite toys and obstacles are some of the training aids he uses, and he keeps them relaxed, dividing a training routine into parts that the dog can accomplish.

“I never stress them out. I make sure they have fun. If I’m going to have them jump a hurdle, then I show them the hurdle and let them sniff it and get used to it.”

The real work is done with the dog internally to meet a family’s expectations and knows at the time of transition that the client’s family is the new, preferred home.

“We’ve got a technique so that the dog knows we are the trainers and know we’re not the final destination,” he says.

After transitioning the dog out of his care, Michael says the new family is able to give the dog commands, and he’s seen it happen in as little as ten minutes.

It’s the type of training that can’t be imitated and relies on Michael’s experience, which he built during his lifetime.

2 Types of German Shepherds and Michael’s Goals

In Germany, dogs are either classified as Working Dogs or Show Dogs.

The classification isn’t as important as the dog’s innate abilities. Breeders and trainers often make a distinction between the two types. Michael believes both types of dogs have the ability to excel, and his work is to make sure that they reach their potential.

“I don’t limit a dog based on how it’s perceived,” he says. “I want it to be the best of its class and see what I can do to cultivate the dog’s fullest potential. I don’t say, ‘Oh, this is a show dog, so it can’t do what a working dog can do.’ Let’s see.”

Acclimating with your lifestyle

After a set number of weeks, Michael personally transitions the dog to the family’s home. This step ensures the dog is acclimated and the family knows how to communicate with the newest member of their home.

Michael will acclimate the dog so it adjusts to rides on private planes and can sit relaxed in cars like convertibles. He’s taught German Shepherds to jump off yachts and other large boats.

“We have a client with a large ranch in VA and the dog sits in front of the off-road vehicle. We can do any type of specialized training.”

The German Shepherds will know how to distinguish between family members and other household guests needing protection and how to respond if any aggressors come onto the property. After the dog has been with the family for about 48 hours, the final preparations for the transfer occur.

Ongoing 1-to-1 support

Michael and Jeannette know the dogs are special, and all clients have ongoing access to them for a consultation by phone or email.

The Kempkes will make nutritional recommendations, offer objective input regarding suppliers, and even get to the nitty-gritty, like sharing what they believe are the best natural moisturizers for paws.

Success for the Kempkes means the family is confident, and the dog acclimates thoroughly and in an enjoyable way.

Re-training German Shepherds

Not all trainers are successful with the dogs in their care. Over the years, Michael has been asked to step in when other trainers with service dogs and in competitions were having trouble getting desired responses.

Families who have dogs purchased from breeders can also turn to Michael for re-training and advice.

The dogs may be anxious, and the selection or transfer wasn’t handled well. Some dogs are shipped like freight, and the travel is unsettling, leaving them high-strung for months after.

Michael will work with them to re-introduce them to their environment and ensure that their behaviors are compatible with the needs of their family.

What is Schutzhund, and why is it important?

Just like we send our children to school, Schutzhund is a sport for developing German Shepherds and showcasing their capabilities. Trials are tests for tracking, obedience, and protection.

In Germany, German Shepherds aren’t allowed to be bred unless they’ve passed at least a level one trial and earned a title. Schutzhund includes temperament tests that must be passed before competing for a Level 1 title. This means the dog can’t be easily distracted, show fear, or be aggressive.

When Michael trained dogs for the police, he had to prepare them for various tough tasks like detecting specific odors and search and rescue. They had to know how to respond in emergencies yet remain loyal and responsive to the commands of their handlers.

Explore Our Schutzhund titled, German Shepherds for Sale

Level 1 titles

The dog must be at least 18 months of age and pass a temperament test. Level 1 includes basic tracking skills, following a scent trail, and being obedient off a leash.

Level 2 titles

Tracking trails are more complex and require greater distractions than Level 1.

Level 3 titles

The dog has to pass through testing with multiple aggressors, forcing it to assess more complex threats and work through more significant distractions.

A test includes following a track that is at least 50 minutes old and laid by someone the dog doesn’t know.

Trusting Kempkes Executive K9s & Wustenberger-Land German Shepherds

Just like financial institutions offer private banking for select clients, Michael and Jeannette provide an unparalleled experience with ongoing support. They’ve supplied personal protection dogs for Hollywood A-listers, executives leading international businesses, and successful entrepreneurs who value quality.

A lifetime of experience training and caring for dogs descended from the world’s top bloodlines offers you an opportunity to welcome the highest quality dog into your home and your lifestyle.

Contact Jeannette and Michael for a consultation.

Fun German Shepherd Facts

German Shepherds have been bred systematically since 1899 and were prized as working dogs.

Properly bred German Shepherds are even-tempered, loyal, and enjoy stimulation. They like challenges and enjoy working.

A German Shepherd can spring up to 30 miles per hour and has up to 225 million scent receptors.

Strongheart was one of the earliest German Shepherds to star in film and, along with the more famous Rin Tin Tin, has a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.

German Shepherds aren’t dangerous. They’re valued for intelligence and stamina.