The Role of The Decoy in Puppy Bite Work with Michael Ellis

This video was taken directly from The Foundation of Puppy Bite Work with Michael Ellis.

At some point we’re going to want to add stressors (environment, stick, etc) while the dog is biting. The role of the decoy in this part is critical because they need to make sure to put energy into the part of their body that the dog is biting. If you stop moving the part of your body that’s in the dog’s mouth as you build stressors, then the dog tends to focus more on the stressor and they could end up biting you somewhere else.

The decoy needs to be an actor:

When the decoy is working with the dog they need to over exaggerate their movements and act as though the dog’s behavior is actually making an effect on the decoy. We can also remove the stressor as the dog fights back teaching the dog to counter the stress. Something we also want to do is teach our puppies to confront us not only with their biting (their mouth) but with their voice (bark) as well. If we can get the dog to bark, make sure you’re responding as the decoy.

The dog will learn through these strategies that they have multiple ways to make an impression on you. One of the fastest ways to kill a behavior is by being non-responsive so make sure you are reacting.