Years of Special Operations Experience

85+

Courses Taught

2,000+

Sheepdog Response Students

15,000+

Law Agencies Trained

500+

Live Training

We're obsessed with becoming masters of the basics.

At Sheepdog Response, the cornerstones of our curriculum are
shooting, hand-to-hand combat, and situational awareness.

Our courses are designed by Tim Kennedy, and taught by former military and special operations personnel that are training you to be the best you can be.

Find the right course for you below. If you don't see an event you like, you can also request a training event.

Protector I

The Protector 1 course is our flagship course that introduces trainees to the fundamentals of self defense. It is designed to train everyone from the first-time shooter all the way up to the experienced marksman on the skills required for self-defense shooting. The course also introduces trainees to the basics of hand-to-hand defense, unarmed combatives, and Situational awareness. There is no prerequisite and the course is open to every skill level. This is the introduction course to the sheepdog lifestyle.

Protector II

The Protector 2 is a three day course that continues to build on the skills from Protector 1 and allows trainees to expand into the realm of dynamic shooting while moving, advanced situational awareness, and dynamic unarmed combatives. This course is for the Protector 1 graduate that is ready to expand their skills. Protector 2 also introduces trainees to more dynamic fighting and the fundamentals of striking. Trainees will be exposed to advanced situational awareness exercises in a real-world environment.

Provider

The Sheepdog Response Provider Course teaches you how to take your kill from the field to the table. Learn the skills to safely and ethically hunt, recover, dress, and prepare a kill to provide for you and your family. Don't just be a protector, be a provider as well. Learn the skills to provide food from land with confidence. Hunting specialists and survival experts will teach you the techniques to prepare your game animal to eat and discuss all the benefits of dressing and preparing game yourself. You will learn all about the tools, tricks, and techniques required to be a real provider.

  • 3-day
  • Prerequisites: None
Trauma Response

The Trauma Response Course is a two-day training course that teaches trainees the fundamentals of trauma care using commercial and improvised tools to save lives. There is no prerequisite and the course is open to all skill levels. The course takes trainees through several real-world scenarios and provides the skills to deal with a host of injuries using modern equipment available to them. The course is for anyone who is interested in learning more about helping the injured.

Tactical Rifle

The Tactical Rifle course is the single-day Sheepdog Response rifle course that introduces trainees to the fundamentals of self-defense. It is designed to train everyone from the first-time shooter all the way up to the experienced marksman on the skills required for self-defense shooting. There is no prerequisite and the course is open to every skill level. This is the introductory course for the use of rifles with removable magazines for self-defense.

Pistol 1

For the Sheepdog trainee that wants to develop marksmanship and pistol handling skills we offer the single-day Pistol 1 course. Pistol 1 is a single day course designed to train everyone from the first-time shooter all the way up to the experienced marksman on the skills required for self-defense pistol shooting.There is no prerequisite and the course is open to every skill level.

Vehicle Defender

The Vehicle Defender Course is a single-day course designed to teach the skills necessary to defend yourself and your family from inside and around your vehicle. It is open to graduates of the Protector 1 and Pistol 1 courses. The course covers everything from how to shoot while in a vehicle, how to use vehicles for cover, and how to quickly escape from vehicles that are disabled while shooting defensively. This course is for trainees that are comfortable moving and shooting from behind cover.

Women's Only Protector 1

The Women’s Only Protector 1 course is the same flagship course that introduces trainees to the fundamentals of self-defense. It is designed to train everyone from the first-time shooter all the way up to the experienced marksman on the skills required for self-defense shooting. The course also introduces trainees to the basics of hand-to-hand defense, unarmed combatives, and situational awareness. There is no prerequisite and the course is open to women of every skill level. The course features some of the most dynamic female instructors in the country. To ensure a comfortable and safe training experience for everyone, the only men allowed at these events are Sheepdog Response Cadre. No other men will be allowed to attend or spectate. 

Home Defender

The Home Defender Course is a single-day course that prepares trainees to defend their home from intruders. The course provides the basics of clearing rooms and traveling safely from room-to-room while employing a firearm for safety. This course is for the Protector 1 or Pistol 1 graduate that is ready to expand their skills. The course combines a mixture of pistol fundamentals and movement through a shoot house. This course is for trainees that are comfortable moving and shooting from behind cover.

Weapons Transition

We’ve developed the Weapons Transition Course curriculum to address the growing demand to learn the techniques that Special Operators, SWAT, and law enforcement officers use to quickly transition from one weapon system to another. The course will not only cover how to transition but when you should transition to a secondary weapon and where to employ the techniques. You can learn the skills that have been made popular in movies and in shooting competitions and learn how to use them in a real world self defense situation.

Church Security

We face threats of violence every day, ranging from large-scale terrorism to one-on-one assaults. Most people are unprepared, unequipped, and untrained to respond effectively.Most security teams seek out martial arts or weapons training expecting to learn realistic self-defense, only to find a long list of virtual courses that don't teach either.That’s why we’ve developed the Church Security curriculum to address the skills you need to successfully respond to these threats.

The LEO Course

The Sheepdog Response Law Enforcement Officer Course is a three-day course that is designed for public servants and those who carry weapons on duty. The course covers the fundamentals of handling a carbine and pistol together. The course also covers the fundamentals of unarmed combatives with an emphasis on subduing individuals that are both armed and unarmed. The course is designed for those that have some understanding of weapons handling and a duty to carry. 

Shotgun Protector

You asked for it and we listened. The Sheepdog Response Shotgun Protector Course is a one day course for the shooter who wants to learn to effectively use shotgun weapon systems. Trainees will get to learn the skill that Special Operators and SWAT officers utilize to effectively employ a shotgun in a variety of challenging shooting scenarios. Learn how different types of shotguns operate, all about the different types of shotgun rounds, and how a shotgun can bring your Protector game to the next level. This is your opportunity to master the number one home defense weapon like a pro.

Precision Rifle

The Precision Rifle 1 course is a 1 day course that teaches the skills to shoot long-range weapons systems with incredible accuracy. Learn to master the long-range shooting skills utilized by the military, law enforcement, and the world’s top accuracy marksman. You will learn how to sight-in long range optics, improve accuracy, and stretch your shooting capabilities to distances of farther than 300 yards. This course will prepare you to put food on the table by using a rifle to its fullest capability. 

  • 1-day
  • Prerequisites: None
Unarmed Combatives

Most people sign up for martial arts training expecting to learn realistic self-defense, and few get it.That’s why we’ve developed the Unarmed Combatives curriculum to address the skills you need to successfully respond to these threats. Based on the hand-to-hand skills used by the military, Special Operations Forces, and mixed martial artists, Unarmed Combatives provides truly effective techniques that can be mastered by anyone.

  • 1-day
  • Pre-requisites: None
Low Light

You asked for it and we listened. The Sheepdog Response Low Light Course is a 1/2 day course for training in low light and no light situations. Trainees will get to learn the skills to employ handheld and weapon mounted lights in a variety of challenging shooting scenarios. Learn how effective use of a light can bring your low-light Protector game to the next level.

  • 1/2-day
  • Pre-requisites: Protector 1 or Pistol 1

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