This is the training video that follows 'Building Drive Focus and Grip' with Bernhard Flinks. The video is 4 hours and therefore will only be available in DVD (a VHS tape can only hold 2 hours of video).

In this video we show the handler how he or she can work by themselves to prepare a dog to start protection work on a helper.

Over the years trainers have been led to believe that they needed an experienced training helper to take a young dog through bite development. This was not accurate.

While we will always need good helpers, Bernhard Flinks is changing the way we look at bite development. He is teaching trainers that through proper play and drive building exercises we don’t need to introduce our young dogs to a helper until they are 10 or 12 months old.

Bernhard shows people (through a step by step training program) how to work with their own dogs at home or at their Schutzhund Club. By training for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes at a time, two or three times a day, trainers can establish the foundation and technique of gripping, biting, carrying, and outing.

The dogs will learn how to bite with a calm grip. They are introduced to the mechanics of the ESCAPE exercises, the ATTACK exercises and the COURAGE TEST. When young dogs are introduced to the OUT at the right time in training (15 to 16 weeks) and in the right way they are on the road to having a solid OUT for the rest of their lives. We will show you how to do this. I will be doing a full video just on training the OUT with Bernhard (it is filmed and just needs editing).

The foundation of all Schutzhund bite work is a full calm grip. No one gets all the points in a Schutzhund Protection Routine unless their dog demonstrates a full grip. Bernhard is known in Germany as a master of GRIP TRAINING. He has been in the Bundessieger Prufung 6 times with three different dogs. He had the highest protection score three times, the second highest one time and SG twice (but perfect grips with his current dog Itor). No one is better at grip development than Bernhard.

The goal of this training video is to expand your knowledge of grip work. We approach this by:

• Teaching the dog to STRIKE the prey item
• Teaching the dog to carry and hold the prey item without mouthing
• Teaching the dog to run in a circle without mouthing
• Teaching the dog to come into our arms and stand calmly without mouthing
• Teaching the dog to have a firm hold on the prey item
• Teaching the dog to OUT the prey item in a manner that does not promote chewing.
• Teach the dogs to learn the technique of the escape, attack and courage test without mouthing

There are a number of major segments in this DVD. They are:

1- An opening which includes an explanation of the terminology used in the video. I go into a great deal of detail on the different kinds of temperaments we see in dogs and how these differences effect the dogs working ability.

2- There is a section explaining what we are preparing our dogs for. I show finished dogs working so that new trainers have a better understanding of exactly why we are doing the things we are doing in this foundation work.

3- There is a section titled "What Else You Can be Doing with Your Dog as You Train for the Work in this Video."

4- There is a section titled "Where The Dog Should be in Training Before You Start This Work."

5- There is a segment titled "Equipment You will Need for this Training."

6- The Section on Training is broken down into many, many training sections:

7- Rules of Learning

8- Levels of Praise

9- Fighting games with the dog

1. When to fight
2. Where to fight
3. How to fight (play)
4. How hard to fight
5. How long to fight
6. When to release the tug
7. When do you quit
8. How do you know he is learning?

10- Training the strike

11- Training the dog to hold his grip

12- A large section on "Taking the Dog Into Your Arms," which includes sections on:

1. Why take the dog into your arm in bite work
2. How to take the dog into your arms
3. How to praise while the dog is in your arms
4. Training the dog not to chew the prey while in the arms
5. How long to keep the dog in your arms
6. Problems while the dog in in the arms:
   • Not standing calmly
   • Dropping when the dog comes into the arms
   • Chewing in the arms

13- A large segment on line handling

1. Why we run in protection work
2. How large of a circle to run
3. How long to run
4. How to stop chewing while running
5. Working the dog on a back-tie (when and how to do it by yourself)
6. Working the dog with a second handler on the line

14 Introducing the dog to new prey items

1. The bite pillow
2. Double handled bite bar
3. Introducing a second handler to work these new prey item

15 Training the foundation of the Schutzhund Protection exercises

1. The Escape exercise
2. The Attack exercise
3. The Courage Test
4. The OUT

By the time you have studied this video you will have a clear understanding of the foundation of grip training. This is a subject that has been misunderstood for years. The video and Bernhard Flinks will help educate you on the fine points of "The Foundation of Grip Work."

While the training in this video is directed towards the sport of Schutzhund, it is more than applicable for young police service dogs or young personal protection dogs.

The information in this training video is outstanding. It is the second in a series of videos that will take people through the process of protection training their dog.

The next training video after this will be 'Introducing Your Dog to Helper Work' - with Bernhard Flinks. It is due out, later this fall. I am also working on a video titled Training Competition Heeling with Bernhard Flinks, Training the Bark and Hold with Bernhard Flinks, and Training the OUT with Bernhard Flinks. All of these videos have been filmed and just need editing.

If you are interested in any of them keep an eye on my table of contents. When I release a new training video I announce it on the table of contents and leave it there for several months. Sorry we cannot notify people when a video is done. Not enough hours in the day for all the editing as it is.

The video for these tapes is taken from over 250 hours of raw footage from the many seminars that I have filmed with Bernhard in the last 5 years

1. How to develop a safe, consistent willing dog


2. How to gain control over your dog and make him responsive to your commands


3. The DVD will improve your confidence in working with your dog by giving you the tools to overcome your concerns.


4. It teaches you how to train your own dog in your own home.


5. The DVD will teach you what to expect from your dog and what to do when the dog does the unexpected.


6. The DVD will teach you how to develop your timing to reward your dog at the exact moment it needs a reward for trying a new exercise - good timing is critical to successful dog training.


7. It will teach you how to approach and organize a training session so you and the dog get the most out of your efforts to train him.