EARLY SIGN OF HANDLER AGGRESSION OR IS IT SOMETHING ELSE? - Page 1

At our club there is a 5 month old Czech male ( from a well know US kennel ) that repeatedly bites the owner/handler as the owner pats/praise him moments before the dog is sent off for the sleeve. Is this a sign of early handler agression or is it handler induced? When my own female is stimulated in drive and she is corrected with the prong she turns and show her teeth but has never actually made an attempt to bite . Is this also potential handler agression or could be something else?

It would seem to be a result of redirection/misdirection -- that is, the pup is redirecting the drive and frustration onto the handler. This is partly the dog and partly the handler. A skilled handler/trainer will teach the pup to cap that drive and focus it on the decoy and to respect the handler as a "partner" not turn to him as an adversary. A less-skilled handler will create a huge problem. The question that comes to mind as I read your description is why is the handler patting/praising/distracting the dog in the moments before he is sent for a bite?

If your dog is being stimulated in drive, what are you correcting the dog for? Usually, that sort of response comes when the correction is "unfair" -- that is, the dog doesn't know what the correction is for or how to avoid it, so telling the handler to "stop that" (by turning and showing teeth) is the only behavior she has found to be successful to turn off the (unfair) corrections.

So, yes, these could both be or turn into handler aggression, although for different reasons.

Christine

The handler is patting the dog to support its confidence..the dog is only 5 months old.

I agree with Christine.

Some sort of conflict involved. Have they started training the out or does he choke dog off bite?

That male is pulled off the bite with the harness handle. The trainer ( a former owner of Querry von Haus Antverpa's dam ) said many of the dogs in that bloodline ( the 5 mont old dog ..not Bella ) tend to be handler aggressive.

I say improper handlng;

"The handler is patting the dog to support its confidence..the dog is only 5 months old."

 

Obviously, it's not working to support the dog or build confidence, rather, it's putting the dog into conflict.

 

Christine 

Tell your club friend to STOP TOUCHING THE DOG.

Don't bend over it...  don't touch it..  stand up straight and be its backup. Handler's job is to hold the line.

The fight is between the decoy and the dog.

Is this guy listening to the helper??  What does your trainer tell them to do??

Hard to see without video..  might be a really strong puppy, might be an expression of nerve.

 

My opinion is that the reward ( for the bite) is too delayed. The dog wants it earlier as he is loaded and he redirects that frustration.