# Xena - Bitework Control [video]



## Gary Garner (Jun 30, 2007)

Now a year old, Xena's personal protection training is coming along nicely..

With the knowledge that actual 'biting' doesn't seem to be a problem for
Xena...far from it... Control is the issue which is important.

With the help of a several very good people, Xena and I seem to be moving in the right direction.

This video clip, from this morning's session at the Working Dog club I attend, shows Xena and I being put through our paces by a great decoy/criminal..

Her ability to control herself is getting better all the time. The pieces are slowing dropping into place and it's becoming all the more 'fitted together'.. I think.

Here's the clip;


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## Gary Garner (Jun 30, 2007)

To explain what we were doing;

First off, it was aggression on command, or more in this incident aggression upon seeing some 'action' from the decoy. She allowed us to shake hands, happy for him to remain quite close and in conversation..and even happy for him to move about... but when he took up a fighting stance....it was 'game on'......so a nice show of teeth and noise, but without the lunging and lunatic dog look. You'll see whenever she stood or forged forward, she was checked. So the sitting and barking meant no check, any other action meant a check.

Secondly, it's in preparation for the chase and hold in a trial..where she will be required to remain by my side (off lead), despite the presence of either an aggressive or running decoy being present.

It's all about 'control, control and control' with Xena... it's going to be the "making or losing" of our future together otherwise.


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## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

Looking good Gary.

Few questions/observations.

The decoy when he is staring her down isn't submitting to her at all. She is a 12 month old pup, I would expect a decoy to show some type of submission to the dogs aggression, looking away, jumping back or something. Was there a specific purpose to this for the video, or does the training always go like this? If its always like that, the dog can begin to doubt themselves if they see their show of aggression is having no effect on the decoy. If it was just to show her nerve for the video, then no problem I guess 

Are you going for a focused heel from her? If so, are you training the motivational "wait for her to do it correctly then reward for good behavior" method, or the more compulsion method of "correct when the dog looks away, and reward for correct behavior"? If the latter, there were many missed opportunities to correct her for looking away.

When heeling with the decoy on the field, I prefer to heel away from the decoy, then when I have focus from the dog nicely, I spin around and send the dog to the decoy instantly.

Shes looking nice though, alot more mature than my knucklehead 12 month olds :roll:


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## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

It just shows up as a picture for me.


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## Gary Garner (Jun 30, 2007)

Mike Schoonbrood said:


> Looking good Gary.
> 
> Few questions/observations.
> 
> The decoy when he is staring her down isn't submitting to her at all. She is a 12 month old pup, I would expect a decoy to show some type of submission to the dogs aggression, looking away, jumping back or something. Was there a specific purpose to this for the video, or does the training always go like this? If its always like that, the dog can begin to doubt themselves if they see their show of aggression is having no effect on the decoy. If it was just to show her nerve for the video, then no problem I guess


It was a bit of both... The video was the first bitework/aggression training she's had in 4 weeks.. (Her first season has meant she has been non-combatant at the training club).

The type of decoy behaviour you talk about, was undertaken previously..until we realised that she is very strong nerved. You'll see that despite the fact he doesn't back off, her aggression (or show if it)..doesn't slack.

This has been built up over several months.... where at one time, even looking at the decoy meant he looked away or moved back..then when she barked..it happened...so we're now at the stage where she's continue to show aggression whilst he is 'threatening'...

You'll have noticed too, that he didn't have any equipment, no sleeves etc... so no target/equipment fixation..

She's quite a serious little dog, and some of the normal rules of engagement with a 12 month old pup, can be stretched a bit.



Mike Schoonbrood said:


> Are you going for a focused heel from her? If so, are you training the motivational "wait for her to do it correctly then reward for good behavior" method, or the more compulsion method of "correct when the dog looks away, and reward for correct behavior"? If the latter, there were many missed opportunities to correct her for looking away.


More the latter... are we talking about when we were actually walking about? To be honest, I was more interested/worried about her breaking from me to nail the decoy. It wasn't actually a heelwork session for us, more another test/training of control where a bite/decoy is very nearby.. It wouldn't have been possible a couple of months ago, as the control just wasn't there...




Mike Schoonbrood said:


> Shes looking nice though, alot more mature than my knucklehead 12 month olds :roll:


Thanks Mike.. She's a cracking dog (in my biased opinion)..and I'm more than lucky to have her. She's the 3rd GSD i've owned, the other two being large males.. and she's by far the best 'all round' dog of the lot.


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## Daniel Cox (Apr 17, 2006)

Very nice dog. I think you have a very promising dog in the bitework. I do like the aggression she shows.


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## Gary Garner (Jun 30, 2007)

Gerry Grimwood said:


> It just shows up as a picture for me.


you have to click on the picture....


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## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

I tried that but it didn't work for some reason, I went to your youtube and saw it there. Do you yank her collar to make her bark or to keep her close to you ??


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## Al Curbow (Mar 27, 2006)

Nice pup! very promising.


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## Gary Garner (Jun 30, 2007)

Gerry Grimwood said:


> I tried that but it didn't work for some reason, I went to your youtube and saw it there. Do you yank her collar to make her bark or to keep her close to you ??


The "collar yank" is when she forges/lunges, or when she lies down, moves or whatever...

What I want from her is a close position, ideally sitting..whilst showing aggression.

The bark is self generated...and started when the decoy takes up an aggressive stance....


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## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

Thanks for the explanation, I wasn't quite sure why you were doing that.

She looks like a real nice young dog.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

She's really comming along nicely.
One suggestion on your left turns. Like most people, yout turning your whole body into her on the left turn. She's getting no warning that your going to do it so you have to push against her to move her around.
Try turning just your head to the left as your left foot hits the ground, then your right foot comes around for the turn. Once you get this timing down you can do it quite smoothly and the little head turn JUST before the actual left turn will clue the dog that it's comming. She'll learn to move out of your way based on the head turn, not the body contact. ;-)


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

nice tip Bob!!

Gary--i thought she was working just FINE on the sit/bark. i liked that your decoy was staring at her and just flipping his fingers and she stayed with the "guard". 

does his flipping his fingers/hand at her have anything at all to do with her work? or was he scared she'd get to him and was trying to "shake it off"???

seriously though, would you ask him? i know he was doing it on purpose, i just thought it was kinda cool how he did that AND stared at her and she never backed up a BIT (the opposite in fact). i just love your girl


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## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

ann freier said:


> nice tip Bob!!
> 
> Gary--i thought she was working just FINE on the sit/bark. i liked that your decoy was staring at her and just flipping his fingers and she stayed with the "guard".
> 
> ...





> You'll have noticed too, that he didn't have any equipment, no sleeves etc... so no target/equipment fixation..


I noticed Gary was counting with his fingers before the send, maybe it's a club thing.


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## Gary Garner (Jun 30, 2007)

ann freier said:


> Gary--i thought she was working just FINE on the sit/bark. i liked that your decoy was staring at her and just flipping his fingers and she stayed with the "guard".


Yeah, thanks...she's coming on great.



ann freier said:


> does his flipping his fingers/hand at her have anything at all to do with her work? or was he scared she'd get to him and was trying to "shake it off"???


The decoy is a guy called Damian O'Donnell. A brute of a guy, but a gentleman. Very patient and very knowledgeable. He's not afraid to cry, wimper, scream, etc... to get or keep a dog's confidence up. He does a lot of work with police and military dogs, situational stuff. I'm really lucky to know him as a friend, as his skills and abilities are well sought after.

He has moved Xena on from the jumping about decoy, to the dropping shoulder and turning to her... to what we've got at the moment, where he simple takes up a fighting stance and just moves slightly..ie: with fingers. Eventually, there'll be no finger movement at all..just his stance or my command to Xena for the aggression/guard.

He was looking directly at her all the time, and she looks directly back at him. She's a tough little cookie. The fact that he didn't have any protection on, and she still goes wild at him, makes me even more pleased with her.



ann freier said:


> i just thought it was kinda cool how he did that AND stared at her and she never backed up a BIT (the opposite in fact). i just love your girl


Thanks Ann... I'll be sure to tell the little girl she's got some fans. You could come to her first birthday party on March 18th, if you lived over here..:lol:


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## Gary Garner (Jun 30, 2007)

Gerry Grimwood said:


> I noticed Gary was counting with his fingers before the send, maybe it's a club thing.


No, that was just something I did on the moment, to let the decoy know when I was going to send her. In reality, I didn't need to do it, as Damian is very capable of catching the dog etc.


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## Ian Forbes (Oct 13, 2006)

Using his fingers helps Gary count......I think his lips move as well! :lol: :lol: 

Oh, nice work, by the way.


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

Gary Garner said:


> Thanks Ann... I'll be sure to tell the little girl she's got some fans. You could come to her first birthday party on March 18th, if you lived over here..:lol:


i can't book a flight on that short notice, but have Damian let her get a bite (or 3) from me to her, ok? 

oh--i think i have a friend coming over to visit from the UK in April--send your girl to me; she's FAT you know O   just as well get rid of her now....


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