# Does my dog have weak nerves?



## jaybizy1800 (Jun 4, 2011)

Hello,
I've been doing protection training with my dog once a week for about 2 months with a professional trainer. My dog usually does very well, but today I noticed her bite got weaker than usual and she let go once the helper put his hand on her head which is unusual. I don't want her confidence regressing and I eventually want to compete in shutzhund with her in the future, but after today I'm worried that she might not have the nerves to compete. For those out there experienced in protection, can you checkout my videos below and let me know how I can fix this problem? Does my dog have weak nerves and is there a way to correct this behavior? I also had her in a harness for the first time in the second video. I'm wondering if that can be the problem?

Thank you in advance!

Last week training





Today's training


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## jaybizy1800 (Jun 4, 2011)

Sorry, I added the first video twice.

Here is the video from this afternoon.


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

how old? if she's a pup she might just be teething. her bite doesnt seem full and confident. the helper should be able to fling her around without her letting go. if she's releasing every time the helper touches her or puts any pressure on her then yeah thats a problem. what does she do if he just yells or cracks his whip during a bite?


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## jaybizy1800 (Jun 4, 2011)

I don't think she's teething because she's 2 years old. Although, she will play tug with me for a few minutes and won't seem interested after a while. Maybe some teeth issues. When the helper cracks the whip she instantly goes into prey drive and barks while pulling me towards the helper. When the helper yells it's usually not an issues, it's only when the helper puts his hand over her head. It wasn't a problem before, it's just recent that she's been showing week nerves and I would like to correct it before it gets worse. Thanks for your thoughts Boomer11.


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## DaniFani (Jan 24, 2013)

What does your trainer say about your concerns?


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

lot of play and prey --- dog is having fun -- decoy not putting up much challenge - giving dog the sleeve quickly.

how is her obedience ? does stress show there ? 
you could continue at this level as long as you see the dog , and yourself having fun -- but I wouldn't want to see this dog pitted against a stronger decoy which may reverse things and create a problem.
At this level she isn't in fear or avoidance , but is at the level which is still okay for her --

you can't correct nerves -- you have discovered her level , training does expose this


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## jaybizy1800 (Jun 4, 2011)

Her obedience is pretty good. She is fully trained off leash and shows no signs of stress during obedience training. She's definitely having fun and showing lots of prey drive during her bite work, but I notice she's not holding her bite like she used to.

Our trainier said she's doing good, but Im new to the sport and all I know is what I read on here and videos on YouTube.


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## DaniFani (Jan 24, 2013)

Carm, what about this dogs behavior, once it gets to the blind in both videos, tells you it's having fun? To me, it didn't look like it was going to go for a grip in any of the misses (which admittedly can be caused be poor training and the dog "believing" it can get a grip), and I didn't see much confidence. Do you see confidence in the play? What did you think about the dropped grip from the helper applying pressure, and the lack of initial recovery and avoidance when helper came back after she slipped the grip?


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## DaniFani (Jan 24, 2013)

jaybizy1800 said:


> I don't think she's teething because she's 2 years old. Although, she will play tug with me for a few minutes and won't seem interested after a while. Maybe some teeth issues. When the helper cracks the whip she instantly goes into prey drive and barks while pulling me towards the helper. When the helper yells it's usually not an issues, it's only when the helper puts his hand over her head. It wasn't a problem before, it's just recent that she's been showing week nerves and I would like to correct it before it gets worse. Thanks for your thoughts Boomer11.


I think boomer meant how does she react to other pressure when she's on the sleeve. What does she do if the helper has her gripping the sleeve and he yells at her or cracks the whip while she is still gripping? 

You can't "correct" a dog with bad nerves. You can manage it and do obedience to cover it (creating safety through obedience), but it will always come out in bite work. Not that it means it can't be a wonderful pet and family member, just can't handle bite wor.


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## DaniFani (Jan 24, 2013)

What did your trainer say about what happened in the second video? To me she was clearly uncomfortable with the pressure and then showed avoidance initially before getting a grip and leaving. Did he actually hit her, or just place his hand on her? Was she done for the day after that? I would be curious to see how she engaged the next time. And I wouldn't have wanted to leave on that note.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

She was rewarded both times when she was shallow biting, she never countered the grip, yet the helper slipped the sleeve rewarding her with it. Is she doing hold and barks yet?


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

the dog has met her threshold -- 
DaniFani "Do you see confidence in the play?" Play by its very description is just that - play . There is no pressure in play.
Video one , the decoy plays cat and mouse , which is good and considerate as the decoy is not trying to prove a point , he plays with the dog . The dog looks forward to the play running out of the blind . There is no hackling, no flipping into a fear aggressive posture and bark. So far comfortable for the dog . There is no stress in the bark which would be rapid fire , high pitch , scream . But the bark is weak - an excited puppy type bark . Had there been stress at this point there would have been hesitation , freezing , hackling, backing up , running a circle in front or behind the owner , displacement to blow off energy in defense . Instead the dog keeps his/her eye on the decoy and looks forward to playing with the decoy.
Grip is genetic . I believe we have had threads on this. 

In the second video you can see the dog jumping out of excitement to go play -- and then pulls the handler to the action . The dog does okay playing tug with the decoy . When the decoy challenges , she gives up , submits . She has met her/his threshold . When the decoy sets up again and has prey-play this time he gives the sleeve to the dog . The dog , she, has the sleeve , stays in place and gives the decoy a look . A dog over and pushed too far in trying to get fight and defence , beyond its capacity would have run , reduced in body posture . 
This is the dog's limit.
You are lucky to have this decoy, who accidently or with purpose , met the dog at her level . So far there have not been displays of aggression or opposition from the DECOY , not the dog , the decoy. No yelling . No attempts at intimidation . No power in the decoys work . No decoy running down the field to run the dog off . 
Play .
If that were my dog I would stop right here . Do other activities . Accept the dog as a good pet . Respect the dog for what they are capable of .


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

we don't have a strong dog with a poor grip here . We have a dog who lacks strength with a poor grip. The former you can educate - although grip is genetic and often a dog will take the sleeve to the back or the tug to the back and clamp the first time presented . The second comes from a lack of commitment to the fight . The battle with the decoy is supposed to reveal the dogs fight drive , not prey . This dog has not had opposition yet.
the owner must know more , how the dog developed , a lot unsaid , but known "I don't want her confidence regressing and I eventually want to compete in shutzhund with her in the future, but after today I'm worried that she might not have the nerves to compete" Confidence regressing .


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

you said she likes obedience? Maybe go that route with her


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## jaybizy1800 (Jun 4, 2011)

DaniFani said:


> What did your trainer say about what happened in the second video? To me she was clearly uncomfortable with the pressure and then showed avoidance initially before getting a grip and leaving. Did he actually hit her, or just place his hand on her? Was she done for the day after that? I would be curious to see how she engaged the next time. And I wouldn't have wanted to leave on that note.


Thanks for your input.
My dog gets 3-4 bites per session and in the second video that was her second bite of the day. She was given one more bite after that with very little pressure and the session was over leaving on a good note. The helper did not hit my dog, he put his hand really close to her face and she let go her grip.


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## jaybizy1800 (Jun 4, 2011)

onyx'girl said:


> She was rewarded both times when she was shallow biting, she never countered the grip, yet the helper slipped the sleeve rewarding her with it. Is she doing hold and barks yet?


No she is not doing bark and hold yet. This was only 3rd time with me holding her leash and having her go after the decoy. The first few sessions she was tied to a wall while the decoy teased her and had her bite several objects.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

hi, have you looked at a video or have personally seen a strong dog being agitated.
If schutzhund is that important maybe you want to participate with a more suitable dog . You can only mask things so long -- sooner or later this dog will blow and then you have a lot of recovery work ahead . I actually like starting a dog when it is older because more of the true nature of the dog is revealed , not covered by conditioning . 
I think you have a good dog , but probably not for the sport .


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## jaybizy1800 (Jun 4, 2011)

DaniFani said:


> I think boomer meant how does she react to other pressure when she's on the sleeve. What does she do if the helper has her gripping the sleeve and he yells at her or cracks the whip while she is still gripping?


My dog does fine when the helper cracks the whip and yells while my dog is biting on the sleeve. My helper would also swing his stick over my dog and she will still maintain her grip, but when the helper's hand is coming down on her face like she is about to be hit, she'll let go her grip.


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## jaybizy1800 (Jun 4, 2011)

carmspack said:


> hi, have you looked at a video or have personally seen a strong dog being agitated.
> If schutzhund is that important maybe you want to participate with a more suitable dog . You can only mask things so long -- sooner or later this dog will blow and then you have a lot of recovery work ahead . I actually like starting a dog when it is older because more of the true nature of the dog is revealed , not covered by conditioning .
> I think you have a good dog , but probably not for the sport .


Thanks for your feedback.

Do you think she had a future in personal protection?


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## jaybizy1800 (Jun 4, 2011)

carmspack said:


> hi, have you looked at a video or have personally seen a strong dog being agitated.
> If schutzhund is that important maybe you want to participate with a more suitable dog . You can only mask things so long -- sooner or later this dog will blow and then you have a lot of recovery work ahead . I actually like starting a dog when it is older because more of the true nature of the dog is revealed , not covered by conditioning .
> I think you have a good dog , but probably not for the sport .


I thought my dog would suitable for the sport because of her pedigree. I don't regret getting her because she's a great dog, especially for a first time dog owner. I was scared to get a working line because I'm a first time dog owner and wasn't sure if I would be able to handle it. But now with the experience I've gained with my current dog I'm up for the challenge.

Here is my dogs parents. I guess having a dog with good genes isn't always a guarantee you will have a dog that can handle the sport.

Father
Yasso v. Fichtenschlag

Mother
Yasso v. Fichtenschlag


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## jaybizy1800 (Jun 4, 2011)

jaybizy1800 said:


> I thought my dog would suitable for the sport because of her pedigree. I don't regret getting her because she's a great dog, especially for a first time dog owner. I was scared to get a working line because I'm a first time dog owner and wasn't sure if I would be able to handle it. But now with the experience I've gained with my current dog I'm up for the challenge.
> 
> Here is my dogs parents. I guess having a dog with good genes isn't always a guarantee you will have a dog that can handle the sport.
> 
> ...


Mother
Ronda Von Del Val


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

thank you so much for posting the pedigree .
If the dog isn't suitable for sch h , personal protection is totally out of the picture. 

as I have said many times before I bet this female would be a very good pet , no issues to cause you any grief -- could do well in obedience , competitive obedience -- try her in agility -- rally, tracking -- my concern is that pushing her for the protection will not be in her best interest . 
I think a dog can lack confidence and yet not be nervy . Nervy seems to be ever-present , pro-active . Lack of confidence can hide under a threshold until the capacity for more pressure has been reached. That is what you have to determine. How far can your dog go . At what point will you move a simple slip of the sleeve , a hesitation , to be driven into avoidance.
Go there and that will have an aversive , negative impact. At the moment the dog still enjoys the play aspect at the level that you are at.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Novice opinion, but....I saw a lot going on in those clips. Helper continuously whipping the whip (why?), dancing around, making "psssssssh" noise with his mouth, lots of bite misses. I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that the dog's nerves are bad because what it sort of looks like to me is that the dog is being worked in a sort of frantic prey drive and then being fed really shallow bites. I'd like to see the dog worked differently before writing her off in protection.


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## DaniFani (Jan 24, 2013)

Yeah, I wasn't super impressed with the decoy work, lots and lots going on, he cracked the whip like 20 times ;-). However, it's hard judging someone on two 35 second clips, just like it's hard to make a "does my dog have weak nerves" call on two short clips. I agree, Lies, I think it was more frantic than it had to be. Do you think that could have had to do with why the dog was biting shallow and not really going for the grips?

We see this at the club, one of us will give our dog way too many misses in play at home or the handler is just too frantic/hectic in play, and then the dog will start to not believe the misses are real, and they'll hold out for what they believe in. Or if the handler is really hectic, they're kind of like, "what the heck are you doing dude?" Then the TD yells at the handler, and fixes it lol. I would like to see him fight a little more with her on the sleeve. It seems you can see a lot about a dog when the decoy keeps them on the sleeve and fights a little, even if it's just back and forth countering.


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## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

I am seeing frantic prey, but it almost looks like there is a disconnect between dog and helper - like the dog is just going through the motions.. being rewarded for shallow bites, the helper smacks her with the whip, she loses confidence... that's what I saw. So many missed bites... for what?

Edit: I think the helper need to learn how to set up a bite much better, I think that his sleeve presentation is negatively impacting the dog.


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

i also agree its hard to judge a dog from two short clips. full bites are genetic but bad training can also cause shallow bites. the dog should be having lots of fun and from those two videos i dont see a dog thats having fun. once she was on the bite she didnt really want to fight. if you want to really see what you have in your dog, i'd go find a schutzhund club. the helper in the video seems a tad bit inexperienced.

and no if your dog cant handle schutzhund protection work there is absolutely no way she could handle personal protection work. schutzhund is like karate. its fighting but you know you're not in danger. person protection is like going to war. the dog definitely thinks its in danger and is fighting for its life. 

she looks like a nice pet but i would be careful with this protection stuff. too much stress can ruin your dog.


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## G-burg (Nov 10, 2002)

It's funny how everyone sees something different.. Because I don't see frantic or even hecticness from the helper!

I see movement (prey) and missing (for frustration) and I would suspect the whip is used for more stimulation right now..

I also seen it more of the stick coming that close to him or her then the hand and how he presented it..

Whether the dog lacks the nerve strength to do the sport is your call.. If you feel he or she is enjoying the work then keep it up.. If this was a first then maybe it was just that day, first time with the stick coming that close.

But what do I know!!


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

indeed - too much stress can ruin the dog. the bite can be improved - one way is to pause when the dog has the bite , decoy stand still , be calm, handler move to dog , while dog-sleeve-decoy are still all attached to each other handler soothes dog , calmly stroking side --- both pulling back together while still close to the dog - support from handler , working as a team ------ BUT it is not the bite so much as the instant giving up when the the decoy puts the hand close . That is the pressure --- the insecurity , fight drive , desire to possess , which can be present in a shallow bite !! , not there. 
The cracking whip is just a noise. You see the dog running towards the decoy , for the "game" , the cracking whip is a cue as much as a sleeve is a cue -- .
A dog with active aggression would push the decoy to react .


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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

Here's my 2 cent.



> Although, she will play tug with me for a few minutes and won't seem interested after a while.


I think this would be a problem as well. But it would depend on how you are playing the tug. Tug is fun for a lot of dogs. 

I built my dog up to playing tug for 20-30 minutes at a time. He will hang off the tug and put up with a lot of pressure when on there. Maybe you need to get your dog more confident on the tug and develop up her fight drive a bit and make her tougher yourself to see if she actually wants to go onto a sleeve.

A lot of people say make sure to let the dog win in tug. I'm more into making the dog fight for the tug. Letting the dog win can get boring for the dog. 

Also when the dog is into it, adding pressure in the right way will increase the fight drive. When you see more intensity with a tug or bite wedge then you can go to a sleeve. 

Barking for tug is a way to develop more intensity. Also would be working a spring pole. Also check out Bart Bellons bungee method. Basically if you want to go on this course with this dog then you need to do some work to make sure she wants it and is capable. 

You need a decoy which understands the dog more and will develop more confidence on the bite before progressing. I'm thinking a decoy should adapt their methods to suit each dog especially in the early stages.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

It just seemed like a lot of stuff going on to get a dog barking, but perhaps this a difference in training style preference. With a dog starting at that age, I'd rather do more subtle suspicion to get the dog barking. I like that the helper is sort of working the dog onto the field, I just don't really care for the style. All that agitation from the get-go, I wouldn't want a dog to come to expect that or need that to get agitated and barking. Again, not gonna comment on the dog's nerve since it's just a few short clips. I wouldn't write a dog off just for one or two bad sessions. No comment on the pedigree.


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## G-burg (Nov 10, 2002)

Liesje said:


> It just seemed like a lot of stuff going on to get a dog barking, but perhaps this a difference in training style preference. With a dog starting at that age, I'd rather do more subtle suspicion to get the dog barking.


 Not necessarily a training preference, but what a particular dog needs? And maybe that's what this dog needs right now..

We have a showline bitch in our club, not the strongest dog, but a dog that needed to be worked different in the beginning.. She needed the whip to bring up drive and intensity and the helper making more prey movements.. They have since backed a way from all the movement, misses and whip action and have taught her to come on the field ready to work.. yes the whip will still get used, just not as much.. It took time and patients, but she really does enjoy the bitework. 

Sometimes you have to take a different route to get to the end result..

I'm thankful I have a good helper who can read dogs and work them appropriately!


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## cliffson1 (Sep 2, 2006)

One of the negatives of having "lines", ( show/working), is it makes reading of pedigrees by a novice all but impossible; especially if you equate the titles in the pedigree as indicative of what you can expect dog to do. You said you thought a working dog line was too much, ( wonder where you got that notion), so you got Showline dog, but since the pedigree was good( presumably dogs in pedigrees have titles), you felt comfortable that you dog would also be capable of schutzhund. Your dog appears typical of many Showlines I have seen.....now I have seen some that are stronger, but that appears to be exception and thus IF I wanted to do schutzhund, I would not use the exception as basis for my acquisition. (Being a novice). 
As for your dog, I like what Gburg said to you, sometimes these dogs have to be worked differently, take a longer time, and often require more motivation or gentler handling. I don't know the extent of your dog's nerves from short video, but I think your dog's nerves appear to be consistent with her lines.


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## jaybizy1800 (Jun 4, 2011)

cliffson1 said:


> One of the negatives of having "lines", ( show/working), is it makes reading of pedigrees by a novice all but impossible; especially if you equate the titles in the pedigree as indicative of what you can expect dog to do. You said you thought a working dog line was too much, ( wonder where you got that notion), so you got Showline dog, but since the pedigree was good( presumably dogs in pedigrees have titles), you felt comfortable that you dog would also be capable of schutzhund. Your dog appears typical of many Showlines I have seen.....now I have seen some that are stronger, but that appears to be exception and thus IF I wanted to do schutzhund, I would not use the exception as basis for my acquisition. (Being a novice).
> As for your dog, I like what Gburg said to you, sometimes these dogs have to be worked differently, take a longer time, and often require more motivation or gentler handling. I don't know the extent of your dog's nerves from short video, but I think your dog's nerves appear to be consistent with her lines.


Being first time dog owners with no dog training experience my fiancé and I wanted a GSD primarily for companionship and to take with us everywhere we go. We weren’t sure if our personalities would be good fit for a high drive dog in our lives or lifestyle, (we thought a high drive dog would be destructive in our house). Now that I have been around many types of GSDs (WL / SL), I now know it’s all about the time and training you put into your dog. The day we brought our puppy home my fiancé and I promised each other that we would be 100% committed to our new furry friend. Having no kids our dog became our child. I became obsessed with my dog and I want her to become the best she could be. My fiancé thinks I’m crazy because all I do is read training articles and watch YouTube schuthund videos online. Training time with my dog has become a hobby and It’s all I want to do. Sometimes I look forward to spending time with my dog more than my fiancé…lol. I’m hoping one day I will be able to achieve a shutzhund title even though its may not be with my current dog….I guess I’m hooked. I wonder if there’s anyone else like this?!?!


I want to thank everyone for taking the time to analyze my videos and providing me with constructive feedback. I will probably stay with her training for now until I think its getting worse or our trainer tells us to stop, which he’s done to some dogs in our group. Im hoping things get better (keeping my fingers crossed). I will keep you guys updated with her progress and I will also look into other helpers in my area.​


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

If she is different this week than last week, could she be coming into season?


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

yeah , I thought the decoy was pretty good for your dog . He wasn't trying to break her , worked her in prey with a lot of excitement. I also agree with Cliff that she is pretty representative of her breeding .

This I have to respond to though "Now that I have been around many types of GSDs (WL / SL), I now know it’s all about the time and training you put into your dog" Training makes the dog a pleasure to live with, sets the expectations , but it does not alter the temperament . That is genetic , born not made . 
I think your dog can make a good companion because she gave a good try at things and didn't go to a different zone (defensive - fear , avoidance) . Do watch and be considerate of her thresholds and don't push her too far. Then you will have a problem.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

jaybizy1800 said:


> Being first time dog owners with no dog training experience my fiancé and I wanted a GSD primarily for companionship and to take with us everywhere we go. We weren’t sure if our personalities would be good fit for a high drive dog in our lives or lifestyle, (we thought a high drive dog would be destructive in our house). Now that I have been around many types of GSDs (WL / SL), I now know it’s all about the time and training you put into your dog. The day we brought our puppy home my fiancé and I promised each other that we would be 100% committed to our new furry friend. Having no kids our dog became our child. *I became obsessed with my dog and I want her to become the best she could be. My fiancé thinks I’m crazy because all I do is read training articles and watch YouTube schuthund videos online. Training time with my dog has become a hobby and It’s all I want to do. Sometimes I look forward to spending time with my dog more than my fiancé…lol. I’m hoping one day I will be able to achieve a shutzhund title even though its may not be with my current dog….I guess I’m hooked. I wonder if there’s anyone else like this?!?*!
> 
> 
> I want to thank everyone for taking the time to analyze my videos and providing me with constructive feedback. I will probably stay with her training for now until I think its getting worse or our trainer tells us to stop, which he’s done to some dogs in our group. Im hoping things get better (keeping my fingers crossed). I will keep you guys updated with her progress and I will also look into other helpers in my area.​


You are not alone....
it does become an addiction!


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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

I just wonder how many decoys or trainers would hit a dog on the head with the stick so soon into the training?

This is after a few weeks with one day a week and 3-4 bites on the sleeve.

Wouldn't the aim of this training be to increase the dogs confidence.

Do people really think this is good decoy work?

Would it be wiser to introduce slowly and let the dog grip the sleeve for much longer without the lifting. That should be saved for when the dog is locked on properly.


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## jaybizy1800 (Jun 4, 2011)

Thanks again for everyone's feedback. Like always, everyone has been very helpful whenever I had a question regarding my GDS. I just wanted to give you guys a quick update on today's training. Our trainer said we need to work on stick presentation and we'll slowly add more pressure as we go along. Here's videos of all 3 bites my dog did this morning. I'm hoping for more positive progress next week.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=c4-feed-u&v=2QQ-_KuNn0k






http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=c4-feed-u&v=tF7CYJTM70A








Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

I think that the helper could possibly have better sleeve presentation, but I also know that grip is also genetic and presentation wouldn't really make a difference in that case. The missed bites in one of the ealier videos are to build frustration..and lots of helper use that technique. 

To answer your question OP, no, I do not think she has the stongest nerve. But that doesn't mean you can't still do it. Having a weaker nerve showline cross myself, I know that these dogs need to be worked a little differently, but I'd say she looks like she is enjoying herself if she is pulling you out onto the field like that!


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## szariksdad (Jun 25, 2010)

While I have only been a helper for a little over a year now to me it looks like the helper in the video is almost feeding your dog the sleeve instead of encouraging her to lunge up and grab the sleeve. He also does not seem to let the dog reset and then once reset keep biting and tugging to the point where he should slip the sleeve. It looks like one of the biggest things I am working on which is timing with the dog.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Does the helper know you are publicly posting the training? Many times they don't enjoy getting anonymously critiqued.


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## jaybizy1800 (Jun 4, 2011)

onyx'girl said:


> Does the helper know you are publicly posting the training? Many times they don't enjoy getting anonymously critiqued.


I only intended to have my dogs nerves critiqued by experienced members on this forum, but I got more feedback than I expected. So to answer your question? No, my helper does not know I'm posting videos of our training. It was never about him, it was about my dog having the abilities to do the sport.

Thank you for your concern Onyx'girl.

If everyone can please only leave feedback on my dog and her nerves would be greatly appreciated. If you have anything else to comment on please pm me.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

The thing is, the helperwork is going to be critiqued along with your dog. Because the timing and the helpers methods show the dogs ability(or lack of)....If I were you, I'd delete the youtubes(or set them to private) and just work your dog to the best of her ability. 
I know most helpers/decoys I've ever trained with are very serious about the training not being shared with people that have no clue what is going on in a session...interpretation is usually taken the wrong way, and it isn't fair to anyone involved.


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## jaybizy1800 (Jun 4, 2011)

onyx'girl said:


> If I were you, I'd delete the youtubes(or set them to private) and just work your dog to the best of her ability.


Done!


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## Pine Colt Rivek (Nov 24, 2013)

It is normal for dogs to stumble in training if you take a step forward, even if they are prepared properly for it. The key factor in deciding if the stumble becomes a fall is how the trainer, handler and decoy handle it. Knowing when to push, and when to slow down is a key component in any kind of training. But especially any kind of bite work. 

Make sure you find a decoy and/or trainer that you trust and you feel knows what they are doing and is doing best by your dog. And don't be afraid to ask, question and drag your feet. It is better to go slow and build an emotionally confident dog than it is to push too fast and hard and ruin your dog, making them unstable and nervy. 

Bite work takes time. It's a labor/training intensive endeavor and should never be rushed.


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