# Difference between silent guard and bark-and-hold?



## sablecoat (Jun 11, 2015)

I'm terribly sorry if I'm getting the terms wrong, I'm Swedish and I don't know how to translate them while maintaining IPO jargon. 

The terms (in swedish) are: tyst bevakning (silent guard/watch) and bevakning (bark and hold), rondering (fly/revere) and flykt (escape).

My trainer mentioned he thinks my dog will have the silent guard/watch after each aus in the 'escape'. I understand this has something to do with the dog not 'shifting' from prey to defense etc. and is not desirable. He has a very authorative bark and hold with a lot of defense drive after the fly/revere however. We've not come further than that as he is a young dog still (19 mo).

Blah, I'll stop trying to translate it - this is frustrating me 

What I mean to ask is what you guys consider the difference in a silent watch and the bark and hold after each 'aus' in IPO/SchH. What makes a dog prefer one or the other? 

Open discussion appreciated!

Thanks.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I had a harder time with my more prey driven dogs transitioning into active guarding (barking) after the outs. I should have done silent guarding with them, but I personally have never liked the silent guarding. My dogs with aggression with the really good barking in the blind barked far more naturally after the outs.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

never really like to see a silent guard...I would rather see a dog that shows power and a bit of dominance in the guard/but not dirty.


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## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

My aggressively dominate male can/will silent guard naturally. It shows tremendous power and dominance while silent. I think its far harder to get a good silent guard than a good b&h. My ultra-mali-level prey female has always been a natural barker since 9 weeks. She will bark consistently for probably an hour lol. Her silent guard looks more prey driven not surprisingly.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

I've always been told that a hold-and-bark guard is prefered over a silent guard, but I'd rather see an intense silent guard like Hunter's male than a barking guard where the barking is not convincing. 

According to the rule book, either type of guarding is acceptable. A person shouldn't loose points because their dog is doing a silent guard.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Castlemaid said:


> I've always been told that a hold-and-bark guard is prefered over a silent guard, but I'd rather see an intense silent guard like Hunter's male than a barking guard where the barking is not convincing.
> 
> According to the rule book, either type of guarding is acceptable. A person shouldn't loose points because their dog is doing a silent guard.


I agree, and that's why some choose to teach the silent guard, because the dog has a weak bark or just won't bark with sincerity.


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## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

onyx'girl said:


> I agree, and that's why some choose to teach the silent guard, because the dog has a weak bark or just won't bark with sincerity.


At one point I started working on teaching a silent guard with my male, not because his bark was weak or lacking sincerity, but to keep him from getting overly hot and/or winded (in Charleston, and he's a barrel shaped thick haired gsd), both to buy more time in training during the summer, and for trials. I eventually decided not to fight optional battles I didn't need to lol.


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## Blitzkrieg1 (Jul 31, 2012)

The reason most people have a silent guard out of the blind is because the dog is more prepared for the re attack and like hunter said the barking can sap the dogs energy. Not to mention a barking dog can get their grip fudged if the decoy has good timing and some malicious intentions. 
An active guard out of the blind means nothing in relation to dominance imo.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I have tried to teach a silent guard to dogs that want to bark and gave up. It wasn't worth it to me.


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

I don't prefer one over the other as log as its focused and convincing and consistent. When my female was younger she would silent guard naturally. As she's matured she prefers to bark. I agree with Lisa that it's not really worth trying to convince a dog to gaurd a different way than they prefer. Uphill battle :wink:


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## schh3fh2 (Oct 12, 2011)

The problem is not that judges prefer active guarding over silent guarding. It's that "Most" silent guarding dogs are NOT actually guarding, they are sitting and starring. Taught as an obedience exercise, not a guarding exercise.


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