A decoy was agitating a dog and the dog was at the end of the leash barking confidently and was eager to bite the decoy. When the decoy raised his stick in a threatening manner against the dog, the dog stepped back just slightly.

The decoy interpreted this as avoidance. Is it possible the dog was simply and instinctively making a tactical move by bracing for a possible attack with the stick?

If the dog had been permitted, stick or no stick, the dog would have attacked. But since the dog was being restrained, isn't it logical that the dog would position itself in a more favorable position?

Something similiar crossed my mind yesterday (only i was thinking of situation where dog and decoy are allone and dog is not restrained; in that situation i would say that is good move by dog). But in situation where dog is restrained, e.g. nowhere to run, it is bad in my opinion.

Would very much like to hear others opinion on this.

It was written somewhere on this board of dogs (not sport dogs) letting go of decoy and regriping and i like that idea, but don't know if dogs with pronaunced fight drive can have that kind of behaviour naturally (my lack of experiance).

"This is the first reason why a service dog should be given training in a different type of defense. An absolutely necessary condition of his work is that when he is attacked with a stick in the absence of his handler he should not retaliate with his teeth but evade the blows and run round the assailant in a circle, or remain near him, barking. "

Konrad Most on training service dog vs training personal protection dog

"The former is concerned with unconditional defense against the assault of a criminal who is perhaps threatening his life. Only in such a case could a very impetuous animal be of use."

Patric

“The dog stepped back just slightly”.- The decoy interpreted this as avoidance

Is it possible the dog was simply and instinctively making a tactical move by bracing for a possible attack with the stick?

Well let all things be equal, decoys are human, and we all know what that equates to, and yes without seeing the dog it sounds like natural behavior, I would caution when using the word tactical to explain it, tactical means to plan and execute a planned move, so I wont go that far, but rather say that the dog is exercising “choice” the choice to feel pain or refrain from feeling it, this really differs from dog to dog and from breed to breed.

I have seen some street smart cop dogs in my time that would very seldom go head on with an assailant, especially if they have ended up in surgery for doing so before, with a bottle across the head or a stick, they would circle and grab the back, or try to get the man down etc. so yes. I do not think it was avoidance of the threat – decoy.

I'm thinking this dog has been subjected to a heavy handed decoy in the past when he was not mentally ready. It sounds like he is apprehensive or unsure that he will win in this situation. With the handler present the dog should feel invincible and engage the decoy without hesitation knowing he has backup as well as protecting his owner. His defense and fight traits may be lacking as well. Hard to say exactly without seeing it first hand.

The dog in question was indeed treated with a heavy hand and has taken blows from sticks, etc. before. The dog appears very confident to me, but simply wary of taking a blow and I believe it wanted to bite the decoy while avoiding getting hit himself, not a bad concept IMHO.

The problem is the dog was being restrained. Had it been completely free there is no doubt the dog would have went straight in and attacked. I think the decoy's "reading" of the dog's behavior was off the mark.

Thanks for your perspectives.