Kris Taylor — Personal Protection Dog Specialist
Kris Taylor is a personal protection dog specialist, working dog trainer, and German Shepherd developer based in San Diego, California — and one of the most experienced protection dog professionals in the United States.
This is not standard dog training
We work with clients who need reliability, control, and real-world performance — not basic obedience.
Personal Protection Clients
Individuals and families seeking a trained, stable dog capable of controlled protection in real-world environments.
High-Drive Dogs
Working breeds that require structure, clarity, and consistent handling to reach their full potential.
Serious Owners
Clients who understand that long-term results require consistency, follow-through, and a structured approach.
What We Do
Our programs are built around real-world performance, clarity, and long-term reliability.
Board and Train
Structured, immersive training designed to build obedience, control, and environmental stability.
Protection Training
Controlled protection training focused on clear communication, safety, and real-world application.
Personal Protection Dogs
Fully trained dogs developed and placed for clients seeking high-level security and reliability.
About Kris Taylor
Through Taylor Made Working Dogs, Kris produces fully trained personal protection dogs for clients across the United States, develops working line German Shepherds through the Von Taylorhof breeding program, and trains high-drive dogs through advanced board and train programs focused on real-world reliability, control, and stability.
- 50+ Schutzhund / IPO / IGP Titles
- 20+ National & World Competitors Coached
- PhD in Biology (Wolf Physiology & Canine Behavior)
- 10 Years U.S. Army (Special Forces & Airborne Ranger)
“My dog has gone above and beyond, protecting me and helping me avoid situations that had potential to be harmful. His training is perfect for my needs. My son states he doesn’t worry about me as long as I have my dog.”
“I could immediately tell a difference. Kris is a top-notch trainer and is definitely the best person anyone could bring their dog to for training or anything else.”
What to Know Before Working With Us
• Kris Taylor specializes in personal protection dogs and working dog development
• Taylor Made Working Dogs is based in Ramona, California near San Diego
• Services include Board & Train, protection training, and trained dog placement
• Training focuses on real-world reliability, control, and stability
The Question Every Serious Buyer Should Ask
At this level, the question is not whether you can afford a personal protection dog — it is whether you can afford the wrong one.
The trainer whose credentials exist only on paper.
The breeder selecting for appearance instead of nerve strength and working drive.
The program sourcing dogs it did not raise or develop.
Kris Taylor’s record answers that question before it is asked.
More than 50 Schutzhund and IGP titles. A PhD in Biology focused on wolf physiology and canine behavior. A decade of U.S. Army Special Forces service. Real-world personal protection experience. Seminars presented for U.S. Navy SEAL dog handlers.
Every personal protection dog is bred, raised, and trained by the same person. Every advanced training client works directly with Kris. Every Von Taylorhof German Shepherd comes from a program built and run in-house.
That is not the industry standard. It is the exception.
A Lifetime in Working Dogs
Most trainers discover working dogs. Kris Taylor grew up inside their world — mentored directly by some of the most influential Schutzhund handlers and protection dog trainers in the world.
By the age of twelve, he earned an AKC Companion Dog Excellent (CDX) title — a level of precision obedience most adult handlers never reach. Schutzhund and IGP titles followed, building a competitive foundation that continues to define his work today.
He was not introduced to this world. He grew up inside it. That is a different level of education entirely.
The Athlete
Excellence has never been limited to one arena. After a year of college baseball, Kris signed with the Florida Marlins organization and played professionally in the minor leagues.
This is not incidental. It is a pattern — stepping into environments that demand elite performance and meeting that standard. That same discipline and competitive mindset carry directly into his work with dogs.
Real-World Protection Experience
Kris served ten years in the United States Army as an Airborne Ranger and later as a Special Forces operator. Following his service, he worked in private security, providing personal protection for individuals who required it at the highest level.
He has also presented working dog training seminars for United States Navy SEAL dog handlers, combining decades of experience across competition sport, military operations, and real-world protection work.
Protection is not theoretical. It is lived experience — and that understanding is present in every dog he produces.
A Trainer — Not Just a Handler
There is a difference in the working dog world that matters.
A handler works with a trained dog.
A trainer builds the dog.
Kris Taylor evaluates, develops, and transforms dogs at every stage — from foundation to advanced protection work — with a deep understanding of behavior, genetics, and training methodology.
When a dog comes to Taylor Made Working Dogs, it is trained — not managed.
The Science Behind the Training
Kris holds a PhD in Biology, with a focus on wolf physiology and canine behavior — the biological and behavioral foundation behind how working dogs think, respond, and perform under pressure.
This knowledge allows him to evaluate dogs at a deeper level — understanding drive, stress response, genetics, and behavioral structure beyond surface-level training.
His approach integrates both instinct and science, applying classical and operant conditioning with precision timing — the level required for personal protection dogs and advanced working dogs.
Career Achievements
- 50+ Schutzhund / IPO / IGP Titles
- 5 USCA Regional Championships across three different dogs
- 4 USCA National Championship appearances
- 2012 World Championship competitor
- 30+ High in Trial awards (tracking, obedience, protection)
- AKC CD and CDX titles across multiple dogs and breeds
- Coach to 20+ national and world team competitors
- USCA National Teaching Helper (2016)
- USCA National Teaching Tracking Coordinator (2018)
- International seminar presenter (competition, police, military K9, behavior)
Gordon — the dog Kris competed with at the 2012 World Championships — set the standard. That standard remains.
Taylor Made Working Dog Ranch | Ramona, California
Located in Ramona, just outside San Diego, Taylor Made Working Dog Ranch is a purpose-built facility where breeding, raising, and training exist together at one standard.
The ranch includes large training fields, specialized equipment, and the Von Taylorhof German Shepherd breeding program — producing dogs selected for working drive, nerve strength, genetic stability, and long-term capability. Clients travel from across the United States to work directly with Kris Taylor for personal protection dogs, advanced board and train programs, and working line German Shepherd development.
Most trainers specialize in one area. Most breeders breed. Most protection dog providers source dogs they did not raise.
Taylor Made Working Dogs is built differently — where breeding, development, and training happen together, in one place, under one standard.