As part of the building process of a protection dog, regardless of whether the dog is "trained" or not quite trained, shouldn't a helper try to simulate as accurately as possible a real altercation? And I'm not referring to beating on the dog. What I'm getting at is this. I've seen helpers taking hard bites from dogs and to me they seem to be under-reacting. So I'm not sure that their training is very realistic. I mean, if they weren't wearing a sleeve and they just had their arm crushed and it was being ripped and mangled by one bad-ass dog, maybe I'm going out on a limb here, but I think they'd probably be groaning just a tad, maybe they'd even scream. But since they're wearing a sleeve they do not scream or cry out. In fact they continue to fight with and try to indimidate the dog. Again, I'm just asking because I don't understand what I have seen. But if I was being provoked by some big mean dude and I slugged him a few times and he just smiled at me, I'd have the impression that I don't stand much of a chance against such a tough guy. Shouldn't the helpers reward a good, hard bite with a scream and/or some other show of defeat or submission? Or are they working on something that I'm quite obviously not aware of? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> Thanks.

You ever see somebody in a street fight on heavy drugs? I seen a guy on pcp beat the snot out of a K-9 unit in San Jose Ca. on a ride along a few years back, he took several good bites to the chest and both legs, didn't even phase him.

Granted police and Sch training are diffrent, but the intent is the same, to really test the dogs nerves, skills, training and "heart" while engaged in attack or defend, eventually the helper will give submission in some way or another.

Initially the helper should be very reactive. It does help build confidence in starting work for the dog to dominate the helper easily. The more you build the dog though the more he should work at dominating the helper. It's a weaning process. As the dog gets stronger and builds confidence the helper will need to put more of a challenge to rise strength and confidence to another level. Only rewarding (letting the dog dominate) at the dogs strongest moment.

The trial helper gives no real reaction in the trial. In the blind for the guarding he stays nuetral, in the drives he's constantly moving forward, reattacks, stick hits, courage test, the helper does not give any reaction. You've got to build the dog to that level.

JMO

That's right on the money in my book, Valdes43.

In the final stages of your training sessions, the tougher your decoy is, the tougher your dog will be.

So, the more realistic training is the tougher training, because who knows what will happen in a confrontation. But, its a progression like they said. . .

Ok, thanks for explaining that for me.