# What do you do for "grip development"?



## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

What are some exercises you do for frip development? I know full bites and things of that sort are mostly genetic, but even then it needs to be shaped a little. I have not done any grip development on my 9 month old and I am starting to notice inconsistant grips. Some are hard and full, and some are not. I am going to start working some grip devopment and am just currious what you do to get those powerfull bites everytime.


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

Aiden was worked a lot either back tied to a pole or tree or with me posting him. Every time he was given a grip there was pressure in both directions, from the helper pulling away and from me or the tree/pole posting him in the other direction. He doesn't genetically have fantastic grips but it really helped him a whole lot.


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

GatorDog said:


> Aiden was worked a lot either back tied to a pole or tree or with me posting him. Every time he was given a grip there was pressure in both directions, from the helper pulling away and from me or the tree/pole posting him in the other direction. He doesn't genetically have fantastic grips but it really helped him a whole lot.


I have not done too much back tie work and when I'm the post I always release her for the bite. Hmm, maybe some bungee work as well. 

Did your helpers do anything special once he was on the sleeve? Pick him up, carry him around, or anything like that?


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Nothing directly for the grip. I think how the dog bites and how he behaves on a bite (well just like everything regarding protection work) reflects the frame of mind of the dog, so if the grip is shallow, or weak, or shifting around, we change up how the dog is being worked overall (what balance of drives, how the helper is working the dog) rather than just focusing on grip and feeding bites. I like to develop the dog not just the biting.


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

Liesje said:


> Nothing directly for the grip. I think how the dog bites and how he behaves on a bite (well just like everything regarding protection work) reflects the frame of mind of the dog, so if the grip is shallow, or weak, or shifting around, we change up how the dog is being worked overall (what balance of drives, how the helper is working the dog) rather than just focusing on grip and feeding bites. I like to develop the dog not just the biting.


Frame of mind makes sense. I am noticing the problem since she went into heat. Her obedience was horrible and her bites were all half a$$ed. I even tried going back to a softer sleeve but nothing changed. One bite would be full and hard (although not as hard as she could) and the next was half hearted like she was just going through the motions.


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## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

Try the bungee. That really helped fix some typewriter bites. 

Using the bite builder at home helped cement my dogs' bites. I know we're never supposed to work our own dogs, but I've always done rags, tugs and the bite wedge at home with my dogs because I don't have the luxury of a helper daily!


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Nikon tends to fall into too much defense in protection and because of this his biting suffers. He doesn't slide down or chew but when he's in defense his bite is not full and he does not strike with the speed and power that I know he is capable of when he's working with more confidence. Instead of just working on bites and feeding him easy bites, we're working in more balance and bringing more prey out of him for better bites. He still has to work hard but the bite has improved quite a bit without changing any equipment or making the work too easy for him. The nice thing is that I can always tell what he's thinking or where his mind is during the work based on his biting (and other things like his guarding behavior, but the biting is a clear indication). It's not that genetically he does not bite full and hard but that genetically he tends to fall more into defense so we have to work on that balance. The biting is a symptom but not the problem. I don't see the equipment as the problem, just how it is being used. Sometimes I see dogs worked with rags or tugs but that is not because they cannot bite a trial sleeve, just because that equipment is better suited for the type of work the dog is doing in that moment.


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## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

Back tie and then use a leather rag. It gets slippery and they have to bite hard and mean it the first time or they lose it.


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

the leather rag is a good idea -ror was worked on that as a pup


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## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

I stitched a piece of suede leather to a bite pillow. This forces the dog to bite hard to hold on. It worked very well for my boy. His grip went from crap to hard in a pretty short period of time.


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## abakerrr (Aug 8, 2008)

robk said:


> I stitched a piece of suede leather to a bite pillow. This forces the dog to bite hard to hold on. It worked very well for my boy. His grip went from crap to hard in a pretty short period of time.


Now this is one of the better ideas ive seen on this board! :thumbup:


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

What Lies says has the most to do with how a dog bites (second only to genetics) followed by maturity. The dog has to have the right genetics, then he/she must be mature enough for the helper to do the correct work needed for the dog. The dog also must be in drive, meaning he must be at the right drive level for that dog. Too high they can not think. Too low and the grips/bite will suffer as will the barking and the guarding. How a dog bites has more to do with the work done before the bite is given than what is done once the dog is on the bite though obviously that is important too.


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

robk said:


> I stitched a piece of suede leather to a bite pillow. This forces the dog to bite hard to hold on. It worked very well for my boy. His grip went from crap to hard in a pretty short period of time.


This is a great idea. I think I will do this. 

Thanks everyone! I am getting lots of great advice and knowledge on this.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

GatorDog said:


> Aiden was worked a lot either back tied to a pole or tree or with me posting him. Every time he was given a grip there was pressure in both directions, from the helper pulling away and from me or the tree/pole posting him in the other direction. He doesn't genetically have fantastic grips but it really helped him a whole lot.


My old helper did that with Yukon. Yukon was not only tied on a fence but I had to hold him on top of that to build up resistance. At the same time my helper worked him with the tug. He used to say resistance builds counter-resistance and that is exactly what we needed with him to get him to bite again and bite he did. 

So not only was he backtied to the fence but I was holding him on top of that.


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