# Do you work your own dogs in protection?



## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

If so, to what extent? Targeting? Calmness on the sleeve? Obedience with bite as reward? Long bites? Bark and hold? Only in prey? In defense?


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I have done a bit with outs on a back tie.


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## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

So do you just work on getting clean and reliable outs? Do you ever work on targeting? Do you ever catch your own dog?


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Haven't and wouldn't. Just how I like to train and view the work. My one dog is more defense and has a pretty high threshold. Trying to work him myself would either be worthless or approach conflict that serves no purpose in our training. There is nothing I/we could gain by attempting to do protection work with my own dogs. My other dog is probably a dog that could be worked in prey by the handler but I'm not doing it, I don't need to, don't want to, and don't like to encourage that style of work (only prey/fun/tugging/sleeve bitework).

I play tug, do some flirtpole work, but it is all in fun and for exercise and maybe targeting, not in the mindset of "bitework". I do not consider it bitework, I consider it playing tug or flirtpole with my dog.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Stark could not be worked by me - he works in mostly defense and I don't see the reason to work him myself. I don't even think he would work for me (seriously anyways) in protection. He would probably change gears and think we were playing tug or something. Not how I view protection work.

Zefra, too young to tell but right now we are doing a lot of tug and flirt pole stuff. I wouldn't work her in protection myself because I view protection as just that, the dog protecting the handler - wouldn't want my own dogs going through that conflict or ruining our relationship. Just my opinion. I also do the flirt pole with Stark to increase drive for his reward/tug. That is just a good old game of chase and tug - maybe with some targeting in there.


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## mareg (Mar 10, 2011)

You should only work grips and some tartgeting....it shouldnt be "protection work". Dont do like some and try to teach your dog a hold and bark........

Work the dog like you do for a tug in obedience to work the foundation work.


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## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

I'm just asking what others do. Not asking what I should be doing really.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

hunterisgreat said:


> So do you just work on getting clean and reliable outs? Do you ever work on targeting? Do you ever catch your own dog?


Yes. 

Have never needed to. 

No. I know my limitations.


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## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

lhczth said:


> Yes.
> 
> Have never needed to.
> 
> No. I know my limitations.


Never needed to work on targeting? Come on, there is *always* room for improvement

No to catching? Catching isn't so bad. It's nerve racking though. Always scared of hurting a dog. My male is really odd. He Has got a weird gather and is a hard one to figure were he is going.


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## cindy_s (Jun 14, 2009)

I've never given my own girl a bite, but I did work her on my BF for the B&H. We worked for months on it at training with the helper, but she just couldn't get it. She was completely dirty. She was way over the top to learn anything. I gave her Dad a wedge at home and had him hold it while being completely still. That took all of the crazy drive out, and she could understand easier the bark and not bite, got a reward. She adores him, so she didn't have the "I'm going to rip your face off bark" that she usually does. But once she understood the exercise at a lower drive at home, she was able to bring it all AND be clean with a helper. So, I think there are times that working protection in a lower drive can help. And I would hope that working your own dog would create a lower drive.


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## TitonsDad (Nov 9, 2009)

I don't and I won't. My personal belief is that I want my dog confident that I am behind him and what he is doing is right. I have my own opinions about doing protection yourself. I build up his drive for protection by asking him if he wants to get him. I can't really do that if I'm the one he's going to be biting. Hard to explain but I just see it as a roadblock for our training. 

I do play tug with him though to develop full bites and train outs but that's about the extent I'll go with protection work alone.


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## Ace952 (Aug 5, 2010)

Yes I do. If you do it in prey there is no issue. I'll back tie mine and have hit hit the sleeve. If I am by myself (during the week it is always like that) I wil put him in a sit and move 20 ft away and give him the bite command and let him get a bite. If my girlfriend is with me then I'll elt her handle him while I work the sleeve.

It is all done in prey and never defense. 

My 2 1/2 yr old is all defense and is handler sensitive so I can't work him in prey and wouldn't work him in defense (so handler sensitive if I have on a sleeve he just likes to jump on me and lick me.............now if your someone else he'll turn on)


Again prey is all fine and nothing wrong with catching your own dog in prey. It is all playing and having fun and good way to work on the out. To focus on targeting I use the flirt pole with a few white socks on the end of a horse whip.


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