...:: Training ::...

DEFENCE TRAINING [1]

Rittmeister Stephanitz 1901:
Schäferhundzucht ist Gebrauchshundzucht,muß immer Gebrauchshundzucht bleiben, sonst ist sie keine Schäferhundzucht mehr!
Den Hund von rechter Schärfe muß uns die Zucht liefern, zweckmäßige Haltung, sorgfältige Erziehung, zielsichere Schulung vollenden das Werk, die Anlagen müssen aber da sein. ...

Mack van het Groot Wezenland www.grootwezenland.com

BITEWORK could also have been the title of this article, but the term DEFENCE TRAINING gives a better overview of my opinion of this particular branch of dog sports. In German the word SCHUTZDIENST is used, which has the same meaning.

This article should not be seen as just a manual for the training of dogs in DEFENCING, with tips and solutions on how to solve problems in training, but more as an overall picture for the total matter of defence training, given from my point of view.

Just as with other parts of the training for SERVICEDOG / SPORTSDOG first I want to define the term DEFENCE TRAINING. DEFENCE TRAINING is the discipline in training based on the protecting and defending by the dog of property and goods and the use of the dog as a tool for tracing and arresting delinquents. The training of the dog for Police dog, in the Netherlands done by the KNPV, meets these criteria. KNPV stands for: Royal Dutch Police dogs Society. Police dog training in other countries is based upon these criteria, however each country has differences in training.

The training for SCHUTZHUND (Germany) and the IPO are more based on recreation, for this I would use the term BITEWORK. With this a set of completely different conditions are used than with the first mentioned practice-based training.

After reading this article, you will clearly understand that I am a great lover of the police dog program, however I do want to involve the IPO program as well because not everyone is given the possibility to train with the KNPV program, for various reasons. I do want to mention that in the IPO program there are also dogs that would be very suitable for the police dog program.

My point of view is that, although a dog is doing recreational bitework, the motives of the dog should be the same as of those dogs that do the practice-based training. Therefore, the dog should not have the drive to get the sleeve, no, he should be working from a natural, social aggression, the inborn natural sharpness for defending itself and its pack.

In fact, DEFENCING or BITEWORK are really simple: the dog has to bite, or not bite; he has to be taught when he MUST bite and when he MUST NOT bite. All other is training.

Since the dog has to bite out of defence-drive, you can not start training this with a young dog. The dog has to be mature, both mentally and physically, to handle this training.

This training should also not be started if there are doubts about the dog being a good biter. This can be tested with a young dog of approx. 9 months of age by firing him up and making him bite a young dogs sleeve. At firing up, first use the bite roll and after that the young dogs sleeve (soft sleeve). CONDITION: The first bite in the sleeve must be hard and full without weakening! The dog shows his natural bite, which is genetically anchored. If the dog does not bite in this particular way, my advise is to stop training this dog, simply because it will not work! Many of you will disagree with me and say that you can teach a dog how to bite. That is rubbish; a dog bites, or not. A dog that has been taught how to bite with great difficulty (on a pole or such), will always walk out on you at a crucial point in time. For the IPO training and training without top sports as a goal, I want to nuance my opinion; since the training is purely recreational, the criteria are not as high as with top sports and therefore it is possible to try and get the dog trained as well as possible.

Part 1| Part 2| Part 3 | Part 4|
Part 5| Part 6| Part 7| Part 8|
Part 9| Part 10|