# preferred target area



## wesley stephens (Aug 13, 2012)

what is your preferred target area for your dogs to bite and why?


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## Rachael Lincoln (Jun 18, 2012)

Depends what the goal is? Ring sport I train for leg, IPO arm, PP whole body.


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## Ben Thompson (May 2, 2009)

We use a full body bite suit for personal protection. I like a bicep bite from the front and a behind the knee bite from behind. Shoulder bites are fine also from behind. Anywhere so long as he is biting hard and putting the hurt on the bad guy.


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## Dave Colborn (Mar 25, 2009)

I like bicep armpit in the front as i am most comfortable catching there (hate inside of the thigh on the part that never sees sunlight) and back of the leg. The thought process behind this is the dog has an upper body target and a lower body target. if one is covered, IE the upper body from the front, it is natural for the dog to go to the legs as he's used to turning his head to bite legs in the back. To get a better picture of this, take a picture of someones legs in pants from the front and back. Cut them off above the shoes and below the butt. looks pretty much the same from the front or back. Same thing for an armpit or bicep. looks similar and 4 out of 5 dogs surveyed agree with this idea. (2 mals, 2 boxers, and 1 airedale)

Biting a man, and biting hard is a big deal. I will put police dogs & PP dogs into the midsection, butt, thighs, etc (cover the rest of the targets) to give them the idea that they can bite there, without hesitation. IE put a decoy under a desk, behind a chair, wall tarp, leaving only the target I want the dog to bite. Work the dog on lead and have the decoy put the dog where you want them. If the dog has to bite there then he has exposure to it and isn't so focused on a target that he WONT bite anywhere else. Teaching a dog to bite too many places isn't bad, but it makes it hard for an inexperienced decoy (if your dog doesn't get to train, he may be really inneffective) and give the dog a great deal of leeway when he's running at someone. Gives him a lot to think about. I can bite here, here, here, here, here. Vs. I am going to bite HERE. 


This is personal preference and dog dependant for me.

Honestly though I just expect a PP dog to bark and then get behind me. Then when my PP dog doesn't protect me, I am still in the fight, mentally prepared for that. Also, if I don't use my dog, then no one will come to my house from the government to take him away for a bite quarantine. I like my dogs too much, and I'm not sure what I'd do if that happened. PP dogs are a deterrent more than anything to me.


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## Jerry Lyda (Apr 4, 2006)

I agree with all so far about where the dog is to bite. The table is the perfect place to teach the dog bite placement.


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## Chris Keister (Jun 28, 2008)

In my experience leg bites hurt way worse than upper body bites. Pressure on nerves and contact to bone inflict the most pain. In the upper arm you have the radial nerve that runs down the back of the arm and crosses over to the front of the arm at the elbow. 

I teach impact weapons. The preferred target is the lower leg for two reasons. 

1.) the shin bones have very little tissue protecting them which causes a great deal of pain on impact.
2.) if you take their legs out, you gain a significant position of advantage.

I have taken a lot of inner thigh bites from ring dogs and let me tell you, unless someone was really high on something a bite to the inner thigh would drop someone like a stone.


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## Ben Thompson (May 2, 2009)

Dave Colborn said:


> This is personal preference and dog dependant for me.
> 
> Honestly though I just expect a PP dog to bark and then get behind me. Then when my PP dog doesn't protect me, I am still in the fight, mentally prepared for that. Also, if I don't use my dog, then no one will come to my house from the government to take him away for a bite quarantine. I like my dogs too much, and I'm not sure what I'd do if that happened. PP dogs are a deterrent more than anything to me.


Bark and get behind you? Whats the point of spending thousands of dollars in training to have a dog get behind you? I got mine to guard the home I am living in. I have to work to pay the bills so I need a dog to give the bad guys a hard time when I am not there.


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## Ben Thompson (May 2, 2009)

I agree about the detterant part, they are just one piece of the puzzle in a layer of home defence. Surveilance cameras, heavy duty locks, chained and pad locked gates are all essential.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Ben Thompson said:


> Bark and get behind you? Whats the point of spending thousands of dollars in training to have a dog get behind you? I got mine to guard the home I am living in. I have to work to pay the bills so I need a dog to give the bad guys a hard time when I am not there.


well if he was not there, and was at work like you....his dogs couldnt get behind him, problem solved 

also I dont think Dave probably has to spend a dime to get his dogs trained the way he wants to..just saying..


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## Dave Colborn (Mar 25, 2009)

Ben Thompson said:


> Bark and get behind you? Whats the point of spending thousands of dollars in training to have a dog get behind you? I got mine to guard the home I am living in. I have to work to pay the bills so I need a dog to give the bad guys a hard time when I am not there.


 
My point, Ben is that if you are not expecting it, it will happen. Murphy, poor training, dog with indigestion, whatever. The unexpected always happens. When there is one bad guy always assume two. 1+1 rule. So, my statement although slightly in jest is a mindset. If you are in the fight, you are in the fight. When you are there and your dog goes to work on someone, you should be grabbing your phone/gun, getting in a hard room, or whatever your SOP is, not standing by and praising yelling "woo hoo" "good boy". If you train like you fight, it makes the fight easier to survive, that's all.

In your situation being at work you have to hope for the best and train for it. How many bites have your dog(s) had in the house after a window was broken or a door was jimmied even in training? Because as most of the folks on here who are honest will tell you. People buy dogs every day, spend thousands of dollars, and the dog is useless. I will PM you how I will break into your house and steal what I want, if you like. That way, you can prevent, preventable things, if they are in fact preventable.

Oh, and my dog was free, and the training is ongoing...


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## Ben Thompson (May 2, 2009)

Dave Colborn said:


> My point, Ben is that if you are not expecting it, it will happen. Murphy, poor training, dog with indigestion, whatever. The unexpected always happens. When there is one bad guy always assume two. 1+1 rule. So, my statement although slightly in jest is a mindset. If you are in the fight, you are in the fight. When you are there and your dog goes to work on someone, you should be grabbing your phone/gun, getting in a hard room, or whatever your SOP is, not standing by and praising yelling "woo hoo" "good boy". If you train like you fight, it makes the fight easier to survive, that's all.
> 
> In your situation being at work you have to hope for the best and train for it. How many bites have your dog(s) had in the house after a window was broken or a door was jimmied even in training? Because as most of the folks on here who are honest will tell you. People buy dogs every day, spend thousands of dollars, and the dog is useless. I will PM you how I will break into your house and steal what I want, if you like. That way, you can prevent, preventable things, if they are in fact preventable.
> 
> Oh, and my dog was free, and the training is ongoing...


 I have had real life break ins. Once when the dog was in a crate in the house. The dude left without (apparently) taking anything. Another time when did not have a dog in the house. They stole some stuff out of a safe. It sucks to come home to a robbed house I know from experience. Its even worse for women.


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## Dave Colborn (Mar 25, 2009)

Ben Thompson said:


> I have had real life break ins. Once when the dog was in a crate in the house. The dude left without (apparently) taking anything. Another time when did not have a dog in the house. They stole some stuff out of a safe. It sucks to come home to a robbed house I know from experience. Its even worse for women.


I get it, I have had a break in with no dogs. You don't understand it until you live it, I agree. Have you trained in the house with your dog loose with a break in??


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Ben Thompson said:


> I have had real life break ins. Once when the dog was in a crate in the house. The dude left without (apparently) taking anything. Another time when did not have a dog in the house. They stole some stuff out of a safe. It sucks to come home to a robbed house I know from experience. Its even worse for women.


SAFE-CRACKERS came to your house? Damn, what you got in there that would draw out some pros? 

or did they just use a wedge and a sledge?


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