# OB in PPD



## Ted White (May 2, 2006)

I've been working "the ball" with OB like heeling, and I wonder if it's necessary / useful with PPD to be doing this at all. 

For sport field work, obviously having a dog heel and stare into your face is good for points, but I will not be doing this sport work.

I very much prefer the ball to compulsion training for other useful OB like down, sit and stay.


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## Chris Wild (Jan 30, 2008)

You can use the ball for reward for heeling, without using it to teach focus. Focus, and heeling (the position of heel) are two different things to the dog. If you don't teach and require focus in heeling, you can have a dog who heels but without the focus.

For sport, you need the focus. For real life PPD, you don't need it or want it. One of the reasons we teach our dogs with 2 different commands. There is the formal Fuß, with focus, for the SchH field, and a less formal Walk for going out in public, where the dog doesn't need to maintain perfect position, and is free to take in their surroundings and not just stare at us.


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## Ted White (May 2, 2006)

See for PPD you'd really want the animal to be looking away for trouble, not purely focused on the eyeballs.


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## Chris Wild (Jan 30, 2008)

Ted White said:


> See for PPD you'd really want the animal to be looking away for trouble, not purely focused on the eyeballs.


Exactly.

That being one of the reasons I train for both, with 2 different commands. One to get me points on the SchH field, and one for the rest of the time.  If I weren't doing SchH as well with my dogs, I'd skip the whole focus thing altogether and just teach the dog to walk along next to me without tripping me up.


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## Ted White (May 2, 2006)

That's where I have to go.


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## Jerry Lyda (Apr 4, 2006)

In APPDA they have to stay in proper postion but without the eyeballs.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

The dog can be completely aware of you when in the heel position. The "Schutzhund stare" was crreated for flash ans show. although I enjoy teaching it, it has no real function.
Now, with PPD, Schutzhund, PSD, or even ABC. The dog should STILL be under perfect control with obedinece. It doesn't have to be flashy!


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## jay lyda (Apr 10, 2006)

What Bob said.


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