# Wrapping legs of decoy during bite work



## ko yang (Mar 22, 2012)

My 3 year old Mali recently started wrapping his fronts legs around the upper thigh of the decoy while biting . His bite target is the upper bicep. This only happens when the decoy keeps my dogs front legs of the ground. When the decoy gets on his knees my dog keeps his front leg on the ground. His bite is still full. The decoy has noticed that while leg wrapping my dog has a much harder, calmer bite and less pulling.My dog tends to pull and growl when biting. Should I try and fixed this or should I just let it work itself out. By the way my dog is used as my personal protection dog and does not compete in any sport. Any advice would be great.


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## Dave Colborn (Mar 25, 2009)

Sounds like it fixed itself. If the dog is wrapping the guy up and more comfortable, as the british would say "job done". Or Fannie's your aunt and bob's your uncle.

I would leave it alone. 



ko yang said:


> My 3 year old Mali recently started wrapping his fronts legs around the upper thigh of the decoy while biting . His bite target is the upper bicep. This only happens when the decoy keeps my dogs front legs of the ground. When the decoy gets on his knees my dog keeps his front leg on the ground. His bite is still full. The decoy has noticed that while leg wrapping my dog has a much harder, calmer bite and less pulling.My dog tends to pull and growl when biting. Should I try and fixed this or should I just let it work itself out. By the way my dog is used as my personal protection dog and does not compete in any sport. Any advice would be great.


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## Howard Knauf (May 10, 2008)

I personally like when a dog traps the leg. IMO is shows confidence, commitment, and possessiveness. Not a bad thing.


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

Ya Howard, not a bad thing at all. With it comes scratches, bruising, and welts too. :lol:


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## kerry engels (Nov 7, 2010)

Howard Knauf said:


> I personally like when a dog traps the leg. IMO is shows confidence, commitment, and possessiveness. Not a bad thing.


^^^ This.


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## Ken Seminatore (Apr 20, 2011)

This is a good thing. The dog is not pulling away, rather the dog likes to wrap the leg and enjoy the full bite.


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## georgia estes (Nov 3, 2009)

My dog does this but I like it. He's kind of like, you're mine, I'm not afraid of you, and you ain't going nowhere  










Seven muzzle work


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## ko yang (Mar 22, 2012)

Georgia, that's exactly what my dog does when on a bite. Had a decoy (wont mention any name) tell me that when a dog wraps his front legs on a decoy that shows that the dog is not confident in their bite. I found out that when my dog wraps his front legs he has a full grip and he continues to push forward. Much more painfull for the decoy. Before he would have a half grip and be pulling constantly. Don't know what made my dog change all of a sudden but am glad for it.


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## mike suttle (Feb 19, 2008)

I have had some handlers come to us for training and tell me that they heard that if a dog puts his feet on the decoy it is because the dog feels uncomfortable being there.
This depends on the way the dog is using his feet when they are on the decoy. Usually if a dog puts the pads of his feet on the decoy it is so that the dog can push with his legs and pull with his head, and often times this is done because the dog feels stress being there and is trying to pull away from the man. 
I never allow a dog to put his feet on me if he is using them to try to pull away from me in this manner. 
Now, having said that, if the dog uses his legs to wrap me up, and he drives into me with his head and body with a nice full pushing grip, then that is fine and I like to see that. Many of our stronger dogs usually do wrap their legs around the decoy while they are pushing deeper into the bite.


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

If a dog pushes with his feet and the grip doesn't change I figure it's just another fighting technique the dog is using?


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## Timothy Stacy (Jan 29, 2009)

A good dog can be "taught" either way, and it isn't hard to teach it. It also tells me the decoy isn't moving very much if the dog is wrapping his legs. I don't believe it's related to the dogs confidence at all! No different than two tired boxers wrapping up the others arms to take a break while the other boxer allows it to happen. Not related to possession at all IMO. I have a dog here who is not the slightest bit possessive that will do this if the decoy stands still.


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## Timothy Stacy (Jan 29, 2009)

And he is a SCH dog that pulls 90 % of the time but when on legs and a static decoy he wraps and pushes. He will also push on suit if decoy rotates his arm so the dog is on top of arm with nose pointed toward ground. Many times on high thigh bites the dogs nose gets pointed downward and whèn the decoy stands erect the option of pulling is out of the question due to head position.


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