My read is, they don't knock you down, they just eat ya! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
Crabtree
Where ya been? How's job interview going? PM me.
Gotta go to work now.

Lets try and get back to the topic of reaction to gunfire. This is not directed at the good-natured small talk. It's more directed towards the Fila talk. If anyone wants to start a thread about that breed that's ok, but it's taking this thread off subject. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

The correct resonse for a PSD, during gunfire, is no response. I would think you would want the same thing in protection training. The last thing I would want is a dog lunging, trying to attack or becoming aggressive, just because there was gunfire.

DFrost

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> Greetings from sunny South Florida and the Fila owner! Thanks for all of your posts! Now, to answer touch on some of the topics discussed earlier: yes, the Fila has a very low threshhold for defense, it's natural to the breed, as is very little prey drive. The defense gets stronger as the dog matures. My bitch is 1.6 years old has been defensive ever since she was a pup. I think the main reason I decided to put her in defense training is to help her build her confidence and for me to have better control of her on command. For Nila, if you don't live with us, you're the enemy, period. She will tolerate no one else. And for me, that's where the defense training became necessary. I've had to start her in defense, as opposed to working her prey drive first, in order to bring out her prey and eventually get better control of her in defense mode. She bit (as I mentioned in another post) the sleeve of the trainer on her first day of defense training, freaked out thinking she'd tore the guy's arm off when he let go of the sleeve, and as of her third defense lesson, she's holding on to the sleeve until the trainer drops it, knowing she and I will run off with it (as I learned through Ed's videos), bringing out her prey. Between you and me, she could care less about that sleeve. She bit so hard that her bite went through the sleeve and bruised the trainer. He's since brought over a thicker sleeve. It's taking time and a lot of patience to train her, as she's young and at first showed signs of having no clue of what she was supposed to do. Now she knows better. Most of the work is being done at home, in the yard, inside the house, and we're letting her defense come out completely (something she seems to enjoy) and working on her bite before we start putting any commands into play. She knows where the end of the lead is and won't pull beyond it, but if the trainer takes one more step, she'll go for the bite. He uses whips, pretends he's going to hit her, and she won't back down. But you know, she has to be put up every single time when company arrives, and this is what I am trying to solve through defense training, although I've had to start from the back end. Eventually she'll see the "bad guy" and chill until commanded otherwise. When it comes to other people around the house, she's like a bomb waiting to explode. It's going to take a lot of training to get her to realize she needs to chill. Outside the home, however, she's great. The only thing she won't tolerate is petting from strangers.

I have a question for you all, though. The only experience I have is what I've learned through Ed's tapes. What commands do you use when you want her to "watch" for the "bad guy," and what command do you use when you want her to strike (attack)? I have no clue. Right now, when the training starts, I start telling her to "watch," repeating the word as he aggitates her, then once he's ready to take a bite from her, I'll tell her to "get him." But for some reason, this doesn't seem right. Can anyone help here? I'd really like to use the correct commands and not just "street" talk. This "get him" lingo just isn't going well with me. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Here is a listing of commands on Eds problem solving discussion line.

http://www.leerburg.com/qapropup.htm#obed

Question 18
Has Germany, English, French, Dutch commands.
Before you check that out here is a short take of
these protection commands.

Germany commands English

Pass/Auf - Is Guard most popular "Wacthem"
Packen - Is Bite
Aus/Ows - Is Out meaning let go.

One of the purpose of the forgien language commands is that a aggressor can't confuse your dog by using a command to shut him down.

I use japanese commands. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

This thread is all over the map. Bang Zoom!

Ok...lame I know. We all can't be as cool as VanCamp.LOL