# Working your own dog?



## Jackie Lockard (Oct 20, 2009)

Would you do it? I've heard some opinions on it's ok and some that you'll ruin your dog and I'm just curious on your thoughts here.


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

I think it would silly to work your own dog in defense. I do prey bites with my dog all the time and it's no different than playing "the game"


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

Jackie Lockard said:


> Would you do it? I've heard some opinions on it's ok and some that you'll ruin your dog and I'm just curious on your thoughts here.


hi Jackie,

If you're talking about tug work. It is a great way to prepare your dog for a lot of the work a decoy will do AND build a bond with your dog. If you're talking about actually doing sleeve or suit work with your own dog? You can probably get away with it if you do prey work only. I think you're asking for trouble if you work the dog in defense or fight/aggression.


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## mike suttle (Feb 19, 2008)

Jackie Lockard said:


> Would you do it? I've heard some opinions on it's ok and some that you'll ruin your dog and I'm just curious on your thoughts here.


depends on the dog and the way you are working him.......perhaps most importantly it depends on your skill as a decoy, if you have to ask if it is OK, then you probably not ready to do it yet.


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## Jackie Lockard (Oct 20, 2009)

mike suttle said:


> depends on the dog and the way you are working him.......perhaps most importantly it depends on your skill as a decoy, if you have to ask if it is OK, then you probably not ready to do it yet.



I know I'm not experienced enough to put a sleeve on and expect to make any progress with my dog. I'm more wondering what seasoned trainers would do as in preparation for trial day. If you didn't have anyone to play decoy would you try to do a session by yourself?

I've heard it go both ways so many times, but I can't imagine working my own dog in anything but prey mode. We play tug (of course!) and do 'fun' bites (on pillows and tugs), but nothing more serious than that without another helper.


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## mike suttle (Feb 19, 2008)

I work all of my young dogs alot myself, and some of my adults I can work also, it really depends on the dog. More than likely with a SchH dog you can work him yourself with no problems. If it is all just one big game, then there is no problem at all with it.


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## Cesar A. Flores Dueñas (Oct 1, 2009)

The Big QUestion Here is:

Sport Dog? Yes, not the ideal thing but yea you can, most of the work if not all the work with sport dog is on prey drive <a dog that dont needs to put defensive to bite, if someone still using that technique> (you could have a problem on the future with a very high temperament dog that try to scale levels on the pack all the time but that is another story)

Obviously we are talking about sleeve mainly, but on a prey oriented dog i dont see a problem with a suit either, the suit is just a huge tug doesnt matter who is inside.


Real DOg? Nop, never, not even think about it


But just my opinion


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## Butch Cappel (Aug 12, 2007)

Ditto, ditto and ditto! 
I'm just posting to tell my favorite "owner training own dog story" 

Before the internet Mike McCowan's "Dog Sports Magazine" was pretty much how working dog trainers kept up with the latest happenings and got training info if you were new in the game.

One new owner had been writing in asking training questions for his new Pit (they were still America's breed at this time) He had bought his own sleeve, been working his dogs "alert" command, had him civil and had him biting the sleeve, that the owner always wore, full and hard, with a lot of fight and violent shaking when he gave the command to attack. He felt the dog was ready for the big test, with a stranger, instead of the owner wearing the sleeve.

He asked a friend to come ring his doorbell, wait for him to open the front door, have the dog seated beside him, then friend was to strike the storm door and step back screaming. In the PP style of the day the sleeve would be kept behind the friends back until the owner opened the door and sent his non-equipment happy dog to attack.

Test day; door bell rang, owner sat dog beside him,opened the front door, friend banged on the outer storm door and stepped back several steps. 

Owner reached for the storm door handle gave the dog his "alert" command. Dog instantly barked, looked up at owner. 

Owner threw open the door and stepped back and stood straight, gave the "attack" command and watched as his dog launched straight.......... for his own left arm, with a full mouth bite and violent shaking designed to bring anyone to their knees!

I just love that story.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Jackie Lockard said:


> Would you do it? I've heard some opinions on it's ok and some that you'll ruin your dog and I'm just curious on your thoughts here.


 OMG! This would be the same mindset as asking a kid to have imput on the family budget or challenge a head of household directive...

To do defensive bite work with your own dog, seems to me is the same thing as telling the dog it's okay to challenge and bite in a real manner. Dogs play bite in the wild, but none that want to live long will bite at the alpha dog and throw some weight around! This would be the same issue! :-\"


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## Adi Ibrahimbegovic (Nov 21, 2008)

no. play tug of war with your dog. no suit, whip or sleeve. asking for trouble by doing that.

if your question is - well, is it POSSIBLE?

yes, it's possible, of course, stranger things have been done in this world and gotten away with it, but i'd say don't open that can of worms, in the long run it may turn around and bite you in the ass (literally and figuratively).


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## Jerry Lyda (Apr 4, 2006)

As long as it's in prey drive, no problems. A lot if not most dogs are taught to out this way. It's a game.


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## Amy Swaby (Jul 16, 2008)

I can say that I know my friend Dwight Higgins back home worked his own dog with full suit and sleeve, only prey. But he never had an issue with the dog being confused about who he should be biting when it came to work.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I agree 120% that is should be prey. The problem is, if a person has to ask the question then that person probably doesn't know enough about prey and defense to do any of it him/herself. 
Some dogs can have a VERY fine line between the two. Simple eye contact or body posture from the "helper" can trigger defence. Some dogs look at it all as a game. Some look at it all as a threat. 
If you can't read that and adjust, don't do it!


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## Timothy Saunders (Mar 12, 2009)

I work my dog when I need to do something specific and don't have a decoy to do it. If you have a decoy use him if not do what you have to do to get your dog trained


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