Yes we have to be the alpha dog. I've been challenged by two dogs and they got smashed for their trouble, it seems a bit harsh but it has to be done. Nobody but yourself handles your dog but the dogs should have a certain ammount of "kennel manners", to allow the other handlers in to clean the kennel. All dogs are different, to alot of dogs the attack work is just a big game and they get to bite someone, to some its fair dinkum, some dogs (I've known 2) are just pure evil and they want to kill the person.

My dog was owned by an old lady and he was very protective of her and hated men. Since I got him and he's bonded with me beautifully. He won't let anybody within 5 meters or so of me, unless I give him the stay command. When on the arm unlike other dogs, he's not interested in the arm, he wants the person. If you are doing on lead attack work and you let go of the arm, alot of dogs shake and kill the arm like it was a small animal. Cassius will spit the arm out and go for the intruder

He hasn't flown me and I don't think he will. But I'm always ready.

One handler I know had a dog that hated him but they had a working relationship. Gill had been challenged numerous times and one night he was sitting on a stair when the dog came up behind him and growled in his ear. Gill calmly reached into his top pocket for a smartie, he kept for just this occasion, and flip it over his shoulder. The dog went for the smartie and Gill got to his feet and "corrected him"