Define counter. And how do you start a dog to do it? What are some ways to increase or inhance the counter?

A counter is usually described when a dog regrips with a fuller grip. Rewarding a dog by winning the prey or submissive actions reinforces it.

depends on who you ask...

according to Helmut Raiser, a counter is any action that displays assertivness.. (includes shaking, growling, and rebiting)

his theory is that any time that a dog feels stress, it will display one of these actions in order to relieve the stress...

Define counter

An action designed to put an end to the fight. IE: The lion has the prey on the ground and is choking it out. The prey flinches or tries to get away and the lion counters this by re-adjusting to a fuller bite.

And how do you start a dog to do it?

A good dog will instinctively counter when you don't let him win the prey right away <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

What are some ways to increase or inhance the counter?

By making the dog counter more and more each time before he wins his prey. And by always letting the dog know that his counters are highly effective, either by submissive actions each time he counters or by letting him win the prey all together (release)

“By making the dog counter more and more each time before he wins his prey.”

You must use the same principles of positive reinforcement. Intermittent reinforcement will increase the action to a point. But the action will start to diminish if the reinforcement is held for too long. In other words making the dog wait for the prey after 2 or 3 counters will increase the frequency of counters but waiting for 10 will decrease the frequency.

Good post Jason.

Good point Vince if he has to counter too many times then he won't feel that it's such an effective move anymore. That would be a bummer. I would also add that split second timing on the release is the key here or the dog won't make the association.

Teaching a dog to counter is a very important aspect of the basic rag and tug work in the beginning part of the dogs training.

Very common in Ringsport to teach this and just about every other bite based sport I know of.

For myself it is more to simply teach the dog that when it does get a bite that it can take the bite deeper to gain the control over the prey object.

Control is what really a counter is to achieve. Better control and grip on the bite.

Teach the dog that if and I stress if the original bite was faulty there is only one counter. I have seen some new guys counter and counter over and over again and what they really are teaching then is for the dog to rebite and rebite and on and on.

Counter means to obtain the max depth of bite. For the dog to swallow the bite. To enter as deep as it can get. For as much tug sleve or suit to slam dunk into the rear of the dogs mouth.

A dog that has good counter skills is also a dog that can benefit from adding faster entry to the bite once he or she is old enough to be doing short distance attacks on a bungy cord of large diameter.

Most bungy that can be had at the local hardware shop simply does not cut it as a single strand.

300 feet cut into one, 200 hundred foot section folded in half and the last 100 feet with the now three lengths braided to form a single approx 100 foot bungy should do the job.

Begin the dog where your decoy in prey mode is beyond the 100 foot mark just enough to make the dog have to work the resistance in the last 30 feet or so of extention of the bungy to teach the dog that as it gets closer to the prey that the dog must put the after burners on to get in and bite.

If you spend the vast majority of the time once the dog is skilled to work away from you and bite with confidence with the bungy as a mainstay of the training then that day when he finally has to do the attack for real in trial or on the street the dog will instinctivly click the turbo switch several yards out and maximize the entry hit and then not need to counter as it will get max depth that is unless you have got a fast decoy or whatever and then the original counter will be valuable to assist the dog to regain the control it needs to continue the fight and win.

Oh and do not forget, attach the bungy to a very solid fixed object and never ever out or force the dog off the the bite while the bungy is maxed as the dog will be propelled back towards the handler and perhaps be hurt falling over itself.

The decoy must after the desired bite has been achieved from the tension must be released from this reverse tension by the decoy bringing the dog back so that the dog is not sling shoted off but in a normal position to perform the next task be it a recall or a guard.

Jerry

Jerry, where is the bungee attached I would think a harness. At what age would you begin training a dog on the bungee?
What about tying a fixed line to some weights. When the dog reaches a few feet from the decoy the line would be stretched and the dog would have to drag the weight. Same principle just a different technique.

Milt

Milt,

We do this as a stage in late training. The dog needs to understand the game so that it will drive to the target.

Weights can be used but for a different purpose. They can be used in the beginings of training a send out/run away. It will slow the dog down and give the agitator a chance to adjust for a less than perfect approach by the dog. It can also be used to provide tension for a dog that needs a little support. The dog has no idea that the handler isn't there because of the tension on the leash.

In both cases, it can be done on either a flat collar or harness.

Milt like Richard said. It can be on a good wide flat collar or a harness.

Can someone go into more detail about the weights.

I get and understand the point but want to hear more about the how and how much part.

Thanks

Jerry