Post by thistlesdale on Jan 23, 2010 16:39:00 GMT -5
Unfortunately I don't have access to any local schutzhund/DVG orgs. The closest clubs are a couple hrs away, & I'm very much a homebody thesedays. So at my house, a bitearm is basically just a tug toy.
because naturally protective instincts are so deeply ingrained in the breed, when an untrained airedale perceives someone to be a potential threat against his family, it's only natural for him to assume that he is the sheriff, & that you are just his deputy
this is why so many "problem" airedales get neutered for "aggression"
Airedales love to bite. If you get a bitearm & convince him it's his new toy, he will enjoy biting it.
www.uwsp.edu/psych/dog/languag1.htm
The first time out, give him the "bite" command in the language of your choice. As soon as he starts to pull a little bit, reward him by letting go of the handle inside, and allow him to pull it off your arm. Then praise him profusely for doing so.
Make him pull a little harder for it next time. The name of this game is, let him win everytime. Before long, he'll be absolutely HAMMERING that arm
as soon as this game is firmly established as "big, BIG fun" in your dog's mind, it's time to start introducing some rules
1. in order to win the bite game, you must obey your handler's sit command.
2. in order to win the bite game, you must not bite until your handler issues the bite command.
3. in order to win the bite game, you must obey your handler's out/let go command.
etc etc etc
a bitearm teaches the dog that YOU (the handler) are the sheriff, and that he (the dog) is just your deputy
I am andy, my dog is barney
the bitearm taught my airedale that he -is- -not- allowed to show aggression toward anybody unless/until I say so
the bite game should be fun for everyone involved
if it isn't fun, you're doing it wrong (remember: let him win every time)
but I figure I may as well use the fun to practice real world home security skills, so we usually play little "arrest scenarios." like hide my helper behind the barn or wherever. "drop your weapon! suelta tu arma! show me your hands! muestrame las manos! mi perro morderĂ¡! no resista!" It's as much practice for the handler as it is for the dog.
"protection dogs" are a multi-billion dollar world-wide industry, wherein it really pay$ to pretend "the dogs think it's real"
many people get so caught up in this fantasy that they start to believe it themselves
In the real world, handler & decoy readily trade roles & dogs back & forth. You can wear the sleeve today, while your wife holds the leash & gives the commands. Tomorrow you can trade places, if you want.
in the real world, a dog is smart enough to know that a bitearm is not the real thing, but he's also smart enough to understand that, heaven forbid, he is practicing for the real thing
Every real patrol dog is backed up by a handler with a firearm, and he knows it. A real patrol dog's primary function is to use his sharper than human senses to alert his handler about possible danger. His secondary function is to serve as a psychological deterrent against what otherwise might have been a threat. The bite comes last on the list, if at all.
Will I wait until my dog is down, before I drop a hammer?
Not likely
9 out of 10 violent criminals will pass by any dog in search of an easier victim, & no dog is capable of stopping that really violent exception
a trained airedale separates the wheat from the chaff
It's fun, it's good exercise, it's a good outlet for working drives when no other activity is available, and combined with common sense basic obedience, bite training can transform a good home companion into a GREAT home companion.
www.elitek9.com/Sleeves/index.htm
I have 3 models:
# B20-R (police model w/ barrel, right arm), # B14J-L, and # B14J-R
I'm under the impression that, if there's any possibility you might get involved in actual SchH training, a left arm is the way to go (because that's the standard)
as for myself, after thinking long and hard about it, I decided to train my airedale on a right arm; because the right hand is the strong hand/weapon hand in most cases, so that's the arm I'd want him to target in a real world arrest situation
as for the # B14J-R (soft) vs the # B20-R (barrel) question, the latter is certainly more comfortable for the helper, but the former is far more realistic for the dog