Do you allow it? Biting pant legs...prey drive... - Page 1

Hey guys. I have a question about prey drive and the biting of the pant legs.....I intend to....if all goes as planned, do personal protection with Anubis....my Mambo son.   He is basically to be taught that he's the toughest dog that ever walked the earth, that he always wins, he is well socialized to numerous people and environments, and no disipline is allowed on him until later on in life....basically all to help build his confidence......what about pant leg biting in prey drive? He does tend to do this as a lot of pups out of similar lines...and Mambo offspring do.  From those of you who have a dog  who you've done personal protection with, did you allow it?

I don't allow my dogs to be heatherns or monsters.  you can discipline and have a well mannered puppy and still do schutzhund with it.  some people do absolutly no corrections on their dogs cause they think it will crush their spirit.  I don't think you will have this problem with your guy :)  if he has good nerves and he obviously already has a load of confidence, a little manners won't hurt him.
Question, do you want an 80 lb+ male going after your pants?  I don't think so. 

would his mother allow him to be biting her legs? no, she would roll him across the ground

I let mine be really naughty when they are little.  I like for my puppies to do the pants bitting and play with a soft tug and try to get them interested in biting that too, you can transfer the pants biting to the tug, just takes playing with him.  Just fun prey stuff for your little guy right now!!!

Glad to hear he isn't a turd so far! LOL!  I would be worried if he DIDN'T want to chase your legs and bite your pants!  LOL!  You better start shopping for helper pants!

Vickie
www.PowerHausKennels.com

I probably need to clarify, I don't allow mine to go after my legs ect, but I do try to get their attention with rags, or bite tugs.   like what Powerhaus said, but I do start obed. early.  I have to be able to live with my dogs.  they must be able to come inside and behave.    I don't allow them to behave like horrible children with no manners.

You can easily teach them the context of "what's good" and "what's not good" to bite.  I'd calmly pull him off the pant leg, and redirect his attention toward something permissible for the activity, while employing your vocal tonality to impart an association of either discouragement/encouragement between the points of focus.

He'll naturally prefer to bring out your more pleasant tone, and learns to manipulate you for that response.  I don't like to use exaggerated levels of voice, not too disgusted or elated, too loud or too sharp.  Just calm even tones of moderate volume.  And also, that gives more power to the effect, if whenever sharp and loud does become necessary.  In doing so with less extremes, he should be able to discern the finer distinctions between your communication to him at a later point.  That's a huge boon, come time for obedience training.  Minimal effort to give the message.

In similar fashion to the martial art of Aikido, you're not stopping the energy or it's momentum, just redirecting it.  (I should mention, it's not my preference to manipulate drive levels --either there's plenty, or you wish otherwise)  If it's simply chewing he wants, give him something OK to chew.  If it's the chase and movement involved that's exciting him, then animate the alternative you're offering him.  But talk to him consistently, in regards to each opposing contexts, so he can learn better how to read you later on.

Some people let the dog do what it wants because it is a puppy or because it is "cute". It's never too early to redirect play to a more appropriate target. The earlier you start, the less you will need more punitive corrections.

Personally I let them until they get to about 12 weeks and they  bruise your ankles or the top of your arch through the boot. By then they are learning tug of war and No, Leave It and on to bigger and better things. I allow it when they are young because I can feel how much they put into it. A rag or tug does not give me the same reading. It's easy to break when you get ready.  A rag does not have a gauge to measure the preasure that my leg and foot do. One puppy may mouth you and tug your pants. The other will try to get as much as he can of your leg or boot and bite down as hard as he can. Watching it is hard to tell which is which. But I assure you, you will feel the difference at 6 - 10 weeks. Then you know who is who inside. Disapline is givin for things that are not allowed ever. Not harsh but quick and enough to get them to stop and behave. Then it's back to play and learn something new. Disapline is to steer the dog not to break the dog. Just enough to get back on the right track.

 The ( Heart ) to stick with something, and ( Guts ) not to cower ,Walk with confidece, and ( Pain tolerance ) lack of sinsetivity to normal pain, are inherited qualities that are not easily broken but can be, by abuse or overdominence. You must allow him to be proud and confident but not to bully.

A soldier is confident and proud and disaplined, respectful. A street punk is arrogant, self rightous, and mean. See the difference.

Keep this in mind and you will have a soldier in time. Teach him to be arrogant and a bully and you will have a monster.

Kind of like the parents that dont believe in disapline. Then wonders why their sweet little boy grew up to kill someone for no apparent reason.

Just my thoughts, mahon

I let my puppies do whatever they want. Even when they are older, I am not big on manners. I like my dogs crazy. 

That is probable why alot of people do not like my dogs.  I don't really care because I don't feel the need for every Tom, Dick, or Harry petting or "loving up" on my dogs. They get their affection and play from me, so manners are not a big concern.

They are to some people, that's just me.

Thanks for the response you guys.  I just didn't know how it would affect him when I do plan to do personal protection later on. I will say though that this little guy can bite HARD.  And Kinolog....I'm not letting him do it because I think it's cute. I never allow dogs to do something because I think it's cute.  I actually work with a lot of people whos dogs have behavior problems, or to help rehabilitate dogs some of the cases do have dogs who as puppies were allowed to display certain behavior because it was cute then.....not so cute when it's an 80 lb monster.  Vickie, helper pants sound nice lol.....I do have some really thick boots someone let me have before that go up fairly high. He decided he would pick one up before I got it on and carry it accross the yard like he just got a big trophy.  I think the boots bigger than he is, but he held his head high carrying it around.