What robbers want — and a four-legged way to reduce threats

What in your home is vulnerable if a break-in happens? What are thieves looking for?

According to the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer database, the top items stolen in California in 2020, the most recent reporting year are:

• $ 1.2 billion in stolen vehicles — with a value recovered of $ 800 million
• $ 229 million in jewelry and precious metals — with a value recovered of $ 3.8 million
• $ 193 million in currency and notes — with a value recovered of $ 7.8 million
• $ 101 million in clothing and furs — with a value recovered of $ 4 million

In greater Los Angeles, crime reports from the Los Angeles Police Department for Jan. to October 2021 show burglaries down 9.1% compared to 2020, but motor vehicle theft is up 9.7%.

Overall, violent crimes are up 5.8% while all property crimes are up 0.9%.

Keeping Home and Family Safe

What are the best ways to reduce the threat of robberies at home?

• Keep property well lit, especially around doors
• Use a video system
• And bring a pure bloodline German Shepherd as a protection dog to live with your family.

Of all the high-tech ways of protecting a home, an expertly trained German Shepherd may seem low tech in comparison. But their loyalty, responsiveness and physical abilities makes them proven in warding off intruders. Besides, a video system can get quietly disabled or may have areas on a property that aren’t picked up.

Protecting Leading Clientele in Business and Entertainment

Michael and Jeannette Kempkes are entrepreneurs in Los Angeles County who are known internationally for a lifetime of training and breeding the most elite German Shepherds.

They select pure bloodline German Shepherds from Germany for clientele who need extra precautions against threats to their property and person: executives of companies with global brands; A-list performers in Hollywood; international businesspeople.

They’ve created a unique business model. Michael’s focus is an intuitive training approach for Kempkes Executive K-9s while Jeannette’s work as owner of Wustenberger-Land is ensuring that a dog’s structure and overall health is sound.

Michael Kempkes began training German Shepherds in the sport of Schutzhund when he was only 9 years old in Borken, Germany. Professionally, he trained pure bloodline German Shepherds as protection dogs to guard high-ranking German officials and high-tech equipment like fighter jets.

Michael Kempkes has titled hundreds of elite German ShepherdsWustenberger-Land

One of the qualities that sets elite dogs apart from others of the same breed is the temperament. “When a dog has a good temperament, you can teach them anything.”

Disposition and Physical Ability

Why are German Shepherds prized as personal protection dogs?

Physically, the dogs have 225 million scent receptors. That’s fewer receptors than Bloodhounds who have about 300 million receptors, yet German Shepherds rank as one of the top few breeds with an outstanding sense of smell and are able to track scents in the wind.

Elite Shepherds are also keenly aware of what’s happening in their surroundings.

Jeannette says the dogs are “deeply loyal to people and property. They’re able to spring into action at a moment’s notice.”

That heightened alertness is another trait that sets the breed apart from other dogs. Instead of being stressed, the Deutsche Schaferhunde (SV), or German Shepherd Association, says that the dogs “want to be challenged and stimulated.”

Since 1899, German Shepherds were systematically bred under the direction of Max von Stephanitz, the founder of the German SV. describes the dogs as having “Good and secure social behaviour, gets along very well with humans and animals in the family environment after corresponding socialisation.”

The Kempkes’ operate from a 5-acre ranch in Agua Dulce, northeast of downtown Los Angeles off Highway 14, the Antelope Valley Freeway heading to Palmdale.

Their white glove service includes assimilating a dog in the client’s home and they’re available for on-going consultation.

“German Shepherds want to please,” says Jeannette, one of the first people in the United States to import pure bloodline German Shepherds.

One of her early Shepherds helped with the laundry, gingerly using his teeth to move clothes from the hamper to the washing machine.

Michael says pure bloodline German Shepherds, born in Germany, has titled hundreds of dogs in the sport of Schutzhund. He’s been given a lifetime achievement award from the German SV and has learned something important about the dogs.

“Elite German Shepherds have truly greater abilities than other dogs, including other Shepherds,” says Michael.

Whether it’s protecting a home, loving a family, or just helping out personal protection German Shepherds meet a variety of needs.

Just don’t expect them to do the dishes.

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