DOGGIE DOG BLOG

Written and Posted by: David Harris

Video by: Karola Schaefer

To view the video associated with this article. Click Here

In this follow up article to Bite Development in Puppies you will see two dogs that are quite advanced in their protection training considering that they are only seven months old in these clips.  Both dogs, one male and one female, have excellent prey drive and balanced defense drive.  They actively engage the helper, grip the rag full and hard and only seek to re-grip if they think they can better their position on the tug.

You will notice that the helper (agitator) and the handler (dogs’ owner) work together as a team to make sure the animals have the optimal training experience.  It is very important at this stage of the training for both the handler and the helper to be on the same page and working from the same play book.  Watch the video and observe that neither the helper nor the handler allow the dog to take the rag to the ground during the entire session.  They never allow any slack between the tug and the helper unless it is a calculated move designed to encourage the dog to grip deeper and fuller on the tug.  Watch both the helper and the handler use their hands to encourage the dogs to stay steady and calm and then rewarding the correct behavior with more tugs and bites.

Additionally, you can see the start of incorporating obedience into this routine. At one point you will see Lex laying down calmly, all the while continuing to hold his reward waiting for a command to out (release) or an opportunity to engage the helper in battle again.  In the second half of the clip you will watch Lolita being encouraged to sit and make eye contact with her handler before being allowed to engage the helper.

Having built up this drive and intensity over several months, the handlers can now start to shape that drive into obedience and then reward that obedience with bites and tugs.  This is a very, very powerful concept and can be taught to puppies at a very young age, if done properly.  When done correctly the dog does not even know it is being corrected, it just knows that a certain behavior (sitting, laying down, holding the tug) can bring about very quickly the chance to attack its prey.  Since this is what puppies desire most, you will see them become very compliant to your will without losing any enthusiasm for the task ahead.

So enjoy the video, re-read the orignial article on bite development in puppies and add this information to your ever-growing base of knowledge.  As always, please feel free to ask questions or post comments.

To view the video associated with this article: Click Here

David Harris