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February 08, 2013

What sleeve would you recommend for a 6 month old Malinois?

Full Question:

Hi,

I have a question about which sleeve to order from the Leerburg site. My dog is a 6 month old female Malinois. She is done teething, all adult teeth in. She loves to tug, but I don't think she has a particularly hard bite for a Mal. Which sleeve would you recomend to use for her?

Thanks

Cindy's Answer:

With young dogs, we recommend a progression as they learn proper mechanics. Going to a sleeve too soon can discourage a dog from wanting to play the game.

We go from tugs to bite pillows to soft sleeves. I would make sure she had really good technique and you have proper presentations with a tug before moving on. I would highly recommend the video The Foundation of Puppy Bite Work and Teaching Protection Skills without a Decoy.

We don't move on to larger items and sleeves until the dog is really doing well with a tug. View our bite training equipment.

I would recommend an intermediate tug set and then a bite pillow before moving on to a sleeve.

I hope this helps,
Cindy Rhodes

User Response:

Thanks. Talked to my trainer today, he also recommended against using a sleeve yet. Actually the tug I have been using is too large and hard, so go back two steps and get it right! Thanks for the info.

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