Jäger's broken the code on "Guard" and "Bite". I'd like to use growl, growl w/teeth, watch, and bite as my force continuum (realizing I need the ability to go straight to bite if my situational awareness isn't what it should be).

Jäger simply doesn't growl, didn't as a puppy even when playing with a tug. Does anyone have any good tricks to get a dog to growl and or show their teeth?

Isn't showing a lot of teeth when barking a sign of avoidance?

Ed lists that on the behaviours of avoidance on his "First steps of defense" DVD.

As for a more serious bark, as far as I could gather from the DVD, it's a result of experience and genetics.

A dog with good genetics that's taken through prey work, then defensive work, then gains confidence and eventually realizes that the decoy/helper is someone who can actually hurt him will exhibit a much more powerful and defensive bark.

That's what I learned from the DVD and from Ed's articles - no experience

Their is a trick you can do to teach a dog how to show teeth, but you have to know what you are asking for.But yes you can teach your dog to show teeth, the growl will either come with or with out.It's not that hard and it involves no other person to teach it just you and your dog.let me know I can go into the explanation on the board or PM.

Hi Red. I probably should have picked this up from other posts, but what type sport or work are you training for? I would have a question to add to yours on growling, but for me that would only apply to SchH sport protection work. I've got my hands totally full trying to learn about that - so no need to complicate your thread or my own brain if that's not what you're doing!

Thanks,
Beth

Yuko, Angelique, & Beth:
Jäger is my 2½ year old male (unaltered) GSD. We are pursuing PPD and owner-trained-service-dog concurrently. I didn't intend on Jäger (a.k.a. Goober) becoming my service dog, but he started doing things that mitigated my disability. After researching state and federal law we went for it.

I have a professional trainer working with us on PPD. He's doing very well. Last week the helper was a tall slender young woman who doesn't have a commanding presence, at thirty feet Goober simply wouldn't take her seriously as a threat and even when he bit the sleeve it was half hearted. A man stepped in and it was night and day. When he's given the guard command he's very authoritative.

I'll PM you, Angelique, thank you for offering your advice.

Beth, Goober is my service dog and protector. I have no interest in competitive dog sports. I think they're splendid, I encourage it, but there's not enough of me to go to competitions and spend a whole day doing anything, it's the same reason I gave up competative shooting.