techniques to improve my dogs grip? - Page 8

One way to improve the OP's dogs grips would be table training with a good trainer / decoy.  The benefits would be measurable, calm the dog down, reduce that hectic behavior, develop a better and stronger grip.  It would be far better than working the dog on a long line.

Peter, yr comment finally hit like a bullet, i think my error (amongst other things) has been to trying  emulate a micheal ellis style of training where "possesion is poison" and drive building with the tug; sit-yes-out, down-yes-out, stand-yes-out..........over and over, faster and faster.  grip was never really a grip per se ie full, calm but a bite and release, bite and release....seemed cool at the time having such snappy obed and a snappy bite/release.

kind of makes sense, the style i was trying to emulate was built for mals by a mal guy in a venue where bite quality  i don't believe is judged and applied it to a gsd critiqued by people who are almost obsessed with quality of grip.

oh my, made lots of other errors but i think this is the big one, should have followed Bernhard F, all about building possession, minimal outs, pull backwards on the bite, built for the breed and breed venue!!

A dog can bite hard, full and crushing and still release quickly and have "snappy" obedience and re grip full when commanded.  Reading a dog in bite work and judging the grip is like having a "crystal ball" and being able to read the dog's mind.  The reason that people put so much emphasis on grip is because it tells you a lot about a dog.  With that said, you need to be able to understand why the dog is or isn't biting full and what is going through the dog's mind.  Is it the equipment, presentation, the helper, is the dog in prey or defense, too much or too little pressure or a myriad of other reasons?
 
Bernhard is a great guy, great trainer, phenomenal handler and lots of fun to hang out with.  He'll come to Australia to do a seminar for you.  He will also want to go scuba diving, more than likely with Great Whites.  Your Prison / Police handlers would really benefit from a seminar with Bernhard as well, not too mention you as well.

since my revelation whether it be right or wrong i tossed the soft squishy tug on to the roof and had a few sessions on a hard two handle bite wedge, and fought the dog until there was a re-bite that was full then released with a big reward. he seemed to like the physical structure the wedge has and it's resistance more then the tug??

may be deluded here but i think the dog was thinking about it, will even put a leash/collar on him next time and start the running carrying thing to see what that does, gotta be better than taking it to ground and smashing/slashing it into the dirt like he has been allowed to do.

not trying to make a schuts dog here, just trying to get it figured for myself.

would love to host BF but i feel more inclined to support a suit guy who teaches more about scenarios and searching and fighting skills, BF is great but pretty specialized for maximising points is he not, i have never seen a single image of him in a suit.

hiliard or equivalent?

that guy from Tarheel supposed to be poppin right now???

vk4gsd,
You mention Bernhard, but know absolutely nothing about him.  Yes, he is a world level SchH competitor and trainer, he has also been a German K-9 handler for over 30 years.  Yes, he can wear a suit and do scenarios.  LMAO!  He has been here and done SchH seminars and Police K-9 seminars for me.  He also done some training for some very high end military guys.  Being a SchH guy for a while and also a working dog guy, I have found Bernhard's Police seminars and training even better than his fantastic SchH seminars.  

So, you are back to working your own dog with a bite wedge now?  Are you giving your dog bites, meaning you are the decoy? 

that guy from Tarheel supposed to be poppin right now???
 are you talking about tarheelk9  in NC. Gerrard (gerry) Bradshaw owner?


A lot of the best trainers in working dog sports simply love working dogs and have there fingers in multiple pies. They are the best because they love what they do and are not close minded on training or venues. They find use in anything. So be careful dismissing people without knowing a full bio and or meeting them. Personally I know a big name trainer in field retrievers that most associate him with retrievers but the man gets awarded multiple special tasking military contracts, could teach a lot of trainers about scent work, and trains everything thing from basic ob - gun dogs- to upland game birds- to SAR- to grand national field retriever champions, sports, etc............ also does falconry etc..... The man can train dogs to a high level of success in ANY venue out there. so be careful judging a book by its cover!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! especially just off advertisement/websites. really have to meet a lot of these people as the best guys are better at working dog than writing bios on a website.

And if you act like you know everything you will not get a shred of info out of him. but if you go with open mind ready to learn he can open your eyes to more knowledge than a person can hold. So keep that in mind!

slam said - "So, you are back to working your own dog with a bite wedge now?  Are you giving your dog bites, meaning you are the decoy?"

made this quick vid, it was getting dark.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4sYpS-6GyU&feature=youtu.be

thats what you call agitation???

i call it playing.

and you use a table, i see why, you need to get a dog with NATURAL aggresion thats wants to do the work, yr need for a table will dissapear....jk.

thats what you call agitation???

i call it playing.

Yr correct, I wouldn't call that agitation.  I don't play with my dog like that.