# Training Goals for PPD?



## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

I had someone try to break into my house last week! I think I need to do some PPD training with my dog. She's not going to be a man-stopper, looking for more of a deterrent type training I guess?

We're going out to training tomorrow and I need to figure out my goals.

I'm encouraging defensive barking when she hears someone at the door. At this point, she is happy tail wagging when the door opens. 

I want a bark & hold at the front door. (Would like a bark & hold on cue, regardless of circumstances.)

I NEED to work on a call-off recall when she is a little in defense. She blew me off once! 

I don't know how to read a few things about her. She's "flinchy" with the clatter stick. And then I realized that she's flinchy with a lot of things over her head. I beaned her on the head once when she was a pup and she hasn't forgetten it! The TD's/decoys she has worked with before were reading it as stress because I had forgetten that she had been smacked on the head as a pup. (dang, my bad!) Because it was read as stress, she hasn't been pushed further. If her grip is good (calm) and no other signs of stress, should we ignore the flinchyness? 

So I'm thinking training should be to load up on the recall with high reward (we'll start with OB anyway), give a couple bites in prey, see where she is at this year. Try to get some barking or explore defense? Not sure on this part but I can trust my TD/decoy. And then recall while she is in the bitework state of mind, reward the recall with a send/prey bite, slip sleeve and carry. Call it good.

Do you think my goals are reasonable and safe? Does that training plan sound like a way to go?


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## Chad Byerly (Jun 24, 2008)

You could shape a strong barking response to sounds at the door or window, with positive reinforcement. Or just cue your dog to light up. My roomate messed around shaping my Rottie's prey bark for his ball into a hell of a bark and hold (deep powerful bark, trained with no defense/fear). I'd go that route, and play with bitework seperately, if you want. But I'm no PPD expert.

My concern would more be about the scratched door, and protecting the windows from the dog who you've trained... And a solid behavior you can cue the dog to do after the barking/lunging (to shut the dog up, and switch her off). Again, your reinforcement history for this behavior will dictate how strong her "switch off" is. 

I'm sure feedback and tips are coming from others... (And Jeff O., should be weighing in with your thread's title...)
I hate hearing about break-ins. Stay safe.


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## Jerry Lyda (Apr 4, 2006)

Do no control work while teaching her to bite and to get over her fear of the hand. That's too much stress for her at this time. 

I like to tell folks that to eat an elephant you have to do it one piece at a time. Don't rush her. Keep it FUN.( I'm not yelling ;o)) You can work on the OB part, call off later.

Hope this helps.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Eat an elephant!? Oh shine, ya'll don't have deer in Evans?
And the reasons we do it one step at a time...thanks Jerry!


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

all you really need a fluff dog like my POS female rott. Off all my dogs she sounds the most fierce but doesn't have the nerve to bite. She will throw herself at the door if I let her.

The 2nd thing you need is a shotgun. 12g or 20g for YOU I would recommend a 20g because you can shoot it around corners with one arm. Make your first round birdshot. If a man comes in, just aim for his privates. You won't kill him and he won't come after you once he feels his nut sack trying to jump out of his pants for reasons he didn't intend. After the birdshot you can use 00 or 000 and then some slugs to finish the job if it gets that far.


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## Al Lewis (Feb 3, 2009)

Ann - it seems like you have a situation. The dog you currently have is not suited for PPD, so to put it in that context is misleading. The idea of a strong barking imprint is correct in that this will give you a level of deterrence, however, this is better though of as an early warning detector than true deterrence. Since your dog is not capable of the work you have some considerations to examine. Using a dog for personal protection alone is not the most effective method of protection. Strictly speaking a dog can protect you, however, it takes time a long time to find the right dog and train him. This is a costly endeavor and not 100% reliable. Personal protection should be holistic in nature as your home is not the only place you are vulnerable. Therefore, my recommendation to you would be to consider training your dog as an early warning device, but surround that with a true home defense plan that will increase your chances of survival. An example might be:

-Lock all doors and windows
-Have an alarm system
-Dog trained to bark
-Room in house with no windows and a lock you can go to if intrudeer enters house
-Cell phone to call 911
-A weapon to physically defend yourself should the intruder get into the room

Anyway, I wish you luck.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

I forgot to update this. I took her out to training. Got chewed out for having too much obedience on her, not letting her be a dog... :blush:

Did a little bitework, we'll see where it goes. TD wants to push her some to see what we have. I might train for FR, just because I do better when I'm training for a specific set of goals.

Right now... my "homework" is to let her hang out and be a dog.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Anne said;
"Right now... my "homework" is to let her hang out and be a dog."


:-k Seems I've herd that somewhere before! :grin: :wink:


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Bob Scott said:


> Anne said;
> "Right now... my "homework" is to let her hang out and be a dog."
> 
> 
> :-k Seems I've herd that somewhere before! :grin: :wink:


OMG Bob. You have no idea how hard that is for me! :lol: I've done that with her exactly once. The whole concept is so entirely foreign to me! 

Never too late to learn something new... :twisted:


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

It will solve sooooooo many problems when you and the dog learn to have fun instead of working so hard to "train". :wink:


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

I think you should get a flock of 800 sheep and just wander about your property trying to control them all the time.


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## Dee Harrison (Apr 16, 2009)

Bob Scott said:


> Anne said;
> "Right now... my "homework" is to let her hang out and be a dog."
> 
> 
> :-k Seems I've herd that somewhere before! :grin: :wink:


What do you mean by "...let her hang out and be a dog"? Does that mean less obedience work?


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

To many people work so hard to train a dog that they forget to just enjoy the dog. It shouldn't be to the point that your training stresses you both out.


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## Dee Harrison (Apr 16, 2009)

Bob Scott said:


> To many people work so hard to train a dog that they forget to just enjoy the dog. It shouldn't be to the point that your training stresses you both out.


Thanks for the explantation.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Dee Harrison said:


> What do you mean by "...let her hang out and be a dog"? Does that mean less obedience work?


It means that my dog gets no human interaction, food, water, or play that is not in a training session. My dog doesn't know how to loose-lead walk. She drops into attention heeling.

We both love training, but she doesn't know anything else.


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