Working on the agitator

Once the puppy displays a strong biting response to the burlap rag, and once it is accustomed to the leash and collar, it is ready for formal agitation. This may be as early as ten or twelve weeks of age.

Very confident, driven puppies can work all by themselves, one on one with the training decoy. Less confident puppies will profit from being agitated in groups that include older, more experienced animals that pursue the helper hotly, so that the youngsters can learn by watching them. If a puppy is too interested in pursuing the other dogs instead, and ignores the decoy, then wait a few sessions to see if it begins to transfer its interest to the decoy. If not, begin agitating the puppy by itself.

The best group agitation method is line agitation. The dogs and handlers are arrayed in a line at evenly spaced intervals. The decoys run up and down the line, zigzagging, jinking and waving sacks, and hiding in blinds when they need rest. Movement is continuous, fast and very exciting, and the decoys take care never to run directly at any of the younger puppies. For the first few sessions, the completely naive animals are placed at the ends of the line and ignored by the helpers until they are accustomed to the situation. If they show no fear of the decoys or the other dogs, and if they pursue the sack, then they are gradually included in the activities of line agitation.

^{“Zarro” in flight downfield after the agitator.}

^{Ideally, drive work begins in puppyhood. (Birke v. Haus Barwig.)}

^{The first step in protection training is establishing a strong prey‑biting response to the burlap rag. The handler can accomplish this simply by playing tug‑of‑war with the puppy. (Ann Weickert and Blitzkrieg v. Haus Barwig.)}

Once the puppy is comfortable in the line, and once its desire for the sack is intense, the helper begins allowing it bites. At first, he just lets the pup snatch the rag out of his hand as he passes by. Later, he keeps hold of the rag for a moment or two after the puppy seizes it, and tugs lightly. If the youngster bites impetuously and with a big mouth on the sack, and holds fast to it, the helper begins progressively to make it fight harder and harder in order to win the prey.

While struggling over the rag, the agitator must be active and vigorous with the puppy without either intimidating it or being physically punishing with the youngster. The trick is to appear violent but to be gentle.