I'm starting to get into Mondio Ring with another trainer and was wondering why leg bites?? I have read the rule book a few times and notice that the dog can bite upper body in MR1, but what about MR2 and MR3?? I have a dutchie that is upper body oriented. Is there a reason for the legs??? Thanks for the help.

Because legs move slower than arms.

Dogs that go high, miss. Especially on a decoy that knows what he's doing.

Thanks Aaron. Are the legs a requirement in MR2 and MR3?? Its going to be a lot of work to break my Dutchie of upper body bites. He likes armpit areas!!!!

As far as I know Brandon, I think any bite is fair in Mondio.
Here is the FCI rules:
http://www.usmondioring.org/usmramondioringrules.html#biting exercises

Have fun!

I think an esquive is forbidden on the entry and is only allowed after a missed or slipped bite.

Not arguing, just trying to get it straight in my mind.

Are we talking about any bite at all? Or a frontal, an escape, an OG?

That does appear to be a fundamental difference between FR and Mondio.

One that I wasn't aware of until just this moment. I need a little time to digest this bit of into and determine how this impacts my opinion of the sport.


Knowing that a mondio decoy can't esquive on the initial attack... I'd almost say screw it, let the dog go high.

I really appreciate all the comments. Thanks. Maybe it would help to describe my dog a bit. I am the trainer and this is my personal dog. I have access to numerous decoys. The main decoy that helped me with his bite work is really good. I got the dog green as can be when he was 16 months. He is now just about 3. We have trained him as dual purpose with some of the k9 units I train with (I'm not police, but I train with alot of them). I like a dog to hit hard, fast, and have a deep grip. I like the dog to go upper body armpit area. The dog is not equipment oriented as we found out the hard way!!! The dog takes whats available to him for the bite, but will always switch to upper body when given the chance. He has tremendous drives. It has only been the past month I have really thought about competing Mondio Ring with him. Another trainer and I just started training some of the exercises in the last couple of weeks.

Randy--I'm talking about any bite that the dog would have to do in Mondio.

Would I have to let the decoy know before hand that the dog is upper body or let the decoy figure it out???

Again thanks for all the help. I'm sure to have many more questions as this is my first sport experience!!!

Brandon,
I think a dog that'll bite what is there for him will do just fine in Mondio. I don't believe any place is nessecarily a prefered targeted area unless you train to it. A bite is a bite is a bite in Mondio.
If you watch a couple of vids of trials I think you'll see more than once a decoy get fooled on where the dog is going to hit them. It's a tough racket playing with them dogs. Those guys deserve whatever kudos we can give them.

In Mondio the decoy cannot esquive the dog on entry now if the dog misses his entry then the decoy may esquive, a missed entry can be interpretted in many ways by alot of decoys to me if the dog slows and lifts head then he has missed his entry and I will begin esquiving. Thiss doesn't usually happen though until the level 2 and 3. During the escort in level 2 the decoy is basically esquiving the dog and if the dog targets up the decoy can steal many meters on your dog. Also in level 2 you have the face attack with accessories which many time the dog may try to go around which is again interpretted as a missed entry, same for attack of obstacle if the dog decides to go around the obstacle then he has missed his entry and decoy may esquive. The decoy will also esquive your dog during the guard of object. So as you can see if you have a very fast very reactive dog then you can go upper body if you are just looking to title your dog at the club level, but once you get to nationals or worlds then the decoy work will be much more difficult. That is why leg dogs are prefered in Mondio Ring.
Hope this helped