I had a question asked of me and did not know how to respond so i thought I would bring it before the forum to see what the answer would be.
When a dog is defensive from early on, I think I am understanding the dog sees the threat( bitework, protection). and shows itself defensive where some dogs see only the prey item and stay in prey. The dogs courage needs to be built up and also the dog needs to learn how to switch into prey so it does not "burn out" or go into flight mode. How does one go about building the courage of this type of dog while they are playing /training at home away from the helper? Can this be done? Thanks for any input on this discussion.
In my opinion, a dog should never be worked in defense until it has a solid foundation in prey work.
Defense work is stressful for dogs, and the only real way to help alleviate all the stress we create for our dogs by working them in defense, is to let them work in prey immediately after working in defense.
This is why you almost always see training helpers give a prey bite and slipped sleeve, after doing B&H in the blind.
If I'm understanding your question, and grasping the scenario correctly, it sounds like the helper may be putting more pressure on the dog than it is ready to handle.
Obviously I am not there, and I don't have the full picture, but it sounds like it may be time to back up a tad. If the dog is perceiving prey work with a sleeve as threatening, it may need to move back to prey work on a tug.
If the tug is threatening, put it on a long line (moving the helper "threat" further away from the "prey" tug), or a biterag.
John Haudenshield Webboard User Reg: 07-12-2001
Posts: 447
Loc: Virginia
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I agree with pretty much everthing Alyssa said. If your dog is young and had no bad experiences with strangers or helpers, and the helper is not pressuring the dog...then your dog is just overly defensive. Some dogs are wired that way and there are varying degrees of it. It is important for these dogs to be socialized extensively, and if you do any tug/bitework with them use prey actions to elicit prey drive and reward that with the bite. Structured, repetitive sessions with the helper are important so the dog learns what to expect, which lowers the anxiety & raises the threshold on the defensive response. Baby steps are often needed for a while b/c the dog often views new aspects of the work as potentially threatening so take it slow.
Also, be careful not to reward defensiveness in normal situations by 'reassuring' the dog that everything is OK, when he/se is hackled, growling. etc...
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building courage
#212370 - 10/14/2008 10:08 PM 
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