It's not about switching training completely. The balance comes in each grip of each session. You want the dog to be intense in the guarding, showing as much fight as they have in them and you can bring out of them. When you give the grip you want it full and calm and ideally want the dog to pull against you, then remain calm on the grip as you slip the sleeve and let them take it or sit with it, whatever. The way you get that is to switch to more prey-based behaviors once the dog is on the grip.

When the dog bites, if you continue to push the defense and stress the dog will fight and pull against you. But if you're not careful, it won't be long before they start mouthing, thrashing, or other unwanted behaviors. You counter this by backing off – lean back, move the sleeve slowly side to side (prey movement, etc. and calm the dog on the grip.

You want them to be able to switch in and out of the drives, and be clear enough to think while working at a high level. Bad grips come from the nerve being too high and the dog not being comfortable. High drive with calm grips comes from balance confidence (and of course what the dog has to offer genetically to begin with).

Again, it's baby steps and balance. And reading the dog. You push them to a point - but not beyond - and then help them calm back down and work through it. With success comes the ability to push further and further, getting the most out of the dog without pushing them over the edge.

And of course, this is all based on the ideal of a good dog with solid nerves and drives. Some dogs will not reach this state no matter how much training you put into them.

The same helper can – and should – be able to do all of the above. If not, look for one that can or accept that your training will never progress beyond a certain level.

Hi Chris, thanks again for the input. Your second paragraph is pretty well exactly what I was hoping for from this thread.

As far as a helper working the dog in all of the drives; I am more curious as to whether or not the helper should as opposed to if he/she can. Should a dog be worked by the same helper in prey and defense or should a different helper be utilized for defensive purposes? I realize that a dog should be introduced to many helpers, but usually the availability of such resources do not exist in most of the clubs around here.

Exposing your dog to different decoys and different fields is good - just like you move around to different locations with obedience. The dog starts to generalize.

But should they be different? Not necessarily. Ideally you work with the same training decoy through at least the SchH1.

But what you have to determine is if your primary decoy is capable of working the dog the way it needs to be worked – in ALL drives. If not, you may have to have one work the prey and find someone else to help push the defense/aggression training. Or at least help show decoy #1 what to do and look for and do the best with what you have available.

And remember, a lot of this is dependent on what the dog has to offer to begin with.