I have two dogs, one is very confident and the other just seems confident. Today the trainer brought someone else to see how the dogs would react to someone else doing the decoy. The male dog did what he was supposed to: barked and bit the sleeve without any sign of fright. The problem is with the female. She did bite, she didn't flee, but i could see that she didn't do it because i was there and she felt she had to protect me, there were clear signs of avoidance. Since se bit the sleeve, i believe she is lacking confidence. so, what is the appropriate way to build confidence in her(11mo. old)?
One way to build confidence is this: When your dog is on the sleeve, reassure her with praise. Come up behind her with the decoy working her on the sleeve, gently stroke her back while giving verbal praise. Let the decoy slip the sleeve.
Also if it is possible allow different decoys to work her. But each decoy needs to know what you and the decoy are working on. She may be unsure of herself that she is now seeing/biting a different decoy than what she is use to.
Reassuring her will train her to know that hey this is a different person but Dad is telling me to "get em", it's ok, Yeah! fun time.
I am new to handling and training but this is one of the ways we build confidence. Hope I can help and maybe someone else has further guidance.
If a dog barks his head off in the forest and no human hears him, is he still a bad dog?
David Morris Webboard User Reg: 11-28-2002
Posts: 570
Loc: North Carolina
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At 11 months old your female shep was not protecting you.If your decoy was workong your dog with alot of pressure and thats why you think she was protecting you then you need another decoy.At 11 months old you should be teaching your dog to work out of prey drive. It should be fun for your dog.I would say you should be a post and hold the leash and let her take bites closer to you to help her buld confidence and let her carry the sleeve after the bite.You can stroke and calm her while she has the sleeve in her mouth.Dont be sending your dog out for bites at long distance away from you if she is having confidence problems.Build the confidence with closer bites and make sure she is having fun and feeling confident. There will be plenty of time to put pressure on her when she is correct and older.
Stop making excuses for your dog and start training it!
thanks derek and david for your replies.
btw, i was being a post and I only let her taking bites close to me. but still i could see the that she was walking on the thin line between flee or fight. she chose to fight, but this could be different and it could trigger flights. she only had confidence problems with this other decoy that came for the first time.
my objective with these dogs is that they become personal protection dogs.
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