# Training Ideas?



## Jeremy Bond (Feb 1, 2008)

Again I am new to most of this. But I have been reading and watching alot about police k-9's. I am not knocking where we got our dog, but I have been able to network some since I became NNDDA certified with my dog. So now I don't totally agree with the way "we" (me and Tess) were trained. Again I have the only dual purpose dog in our county, and we only have 3 dogs total in the county. I originally wanted to train narcotics with the other 2 teams, but haven't heard any good things about the other 2 dogs since I have been back. Mostly that the other dogs do not get worked very often and the handlers are "weak". (not a personal attack, just that they are not very strong handlers). I do enjoy the confidence that the other agencies have in me and my dog, hope they never figure out that if she had thumbs and could drive herself she would not need me.:smile: 

Unlike the other handlers since I have been back me and Tess do some kind of work or training everyday. I even have her doing hand commands as well as voice commands, unlike anyone that went through training with us. I know it's not anything special because she does hand commands, but my point is I believe that she will only be as good, as I will be as a handler. I have tried to be as creative as possible during training sessions, but it's a task in itself to even find a person to put a sleeve on let alone be a "decoy" for her. So I believe she is becoming board, because she is like any other mal she loves to bite! I would love to hear any suggestions anyone has with training ideas.

One last thing, I have seen some PSD on video I believe in Europe where the dogs are trained to walk backwards alongside the handler while walking away from a suspect. How would I begin to train my dog to do this, and what would the propper command be? I use German commands.


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

For the heeling backwards in French Ring we use 'Bye' as the command. Being a PSD I'm not sure if you'd want to use that command or something else. Training it without a experienced helper to go for a bite may be difficult. You can train the action with food but it's probably not a good idea. 

If she is bored with the run of the mill everyday obedience. (Sounds typical working Malinois btw) Maybe try games with tugs, I was lent Ivan Balabanov's _Obedience Without Conflict_ videos from Joe Malek and there is one called _'The Game'_ .. http://www.caninetrainingsystems.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?preadd=action&key=BAL-VB-2 I have only been playing with his techniques for 
less than a week, but I am sold on what he is teaching and how he teaches it. I'm already seeing improvements with my bitch's and my working relationship.


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## Chris Wild (Jan 30, 2008)

I have always considered heeling backwards to just be part of heeling. The dog is to stay in position next to me no matter what I do. If I'm walking backwards, dog walks backwards. Since it's still heeling, I use the heel command. Getting them to walk backwards at first can be tricky, since their natural inclination is to sit. But using some food as a lure and heeling next to a wall so the dog can't turn around or try to come in front (another commonly offered behavior when the handler starts walking backward) they pick it up pretty quickly. It's just further clarification of heel position to the dog.

Then once the dog will heel backwards in obedience, heeling backwards with a helper/decoy is no different than general heeling around the helper/decoy. It's all just "heel" to the dog.


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## Chris Wild (Jan 30, 2008)

Wait, I just realized I may have misunderstood.....

Jeremy, do you mean BOTH handler and dog walking backwards (which is what I was talking about) or handler walking forwards with his back to the decoy, and dog walking backwards facing the decoy (like in FR)?


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## Jeremy Bond (Feb 1, 2008)

It's not the obedience she is bored with, because I keep the obedience to about 15 minutes 3 times a day. On and off lead, with a lot of "ball time" in between. She is bored with bite work she gets. which is little. She actually gets more biting in with me and a tug or me and the sleeve just to get her fired up, but to me that's not "training". I believe that the only good training is realistic training. Me in a sleeve is not too realistic.
As far as the healing backwards, I was curious because I have already been in a few situations where it would have been useful.

Chris I meant both walking backwards, I very seldom turn my back on anyone while I am at work. But it seem when I walk backwards, Tess may take a few steps backwards, then she will turn to walk the direction we are going. I don't know if this is common or if I have allowed her to do something I shouldn't have. But I think the FR method would be cool too.


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Jeremy Bond said:


> Chris I meant both walking backwards, I very seldom turn my back on anyone while I am at work. But it seem when I walk backwards, Tess may take a few steps backwards, then she will turn to walk the direction we are going. I don't know if this is common or if I have allowed her to do something I shouldn't have. But I think the FR method would be cool too.


Well then as Chris said, it is just heeling then. On that video I recommended there is a great section on the dog finding and staying with the leg no matter where you are, how you are walking or your bodies orientation. That IMHO is worth the price of admission right there.


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## Kyle Sprag (Jan 10, 2008)

the dog needs to learn to control his/her back legs, It can help to use a place board with a series of left 45 degree turns in Heel position. The board adds a physical indicator for the dog to feel and because he/she is on a board they Must move their backwards to make the turn without leaving the placeboard.


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