Catching the dog correctly

Once the young dog drives hard into the collar and chases spiritedly in the on‑leash pursuits (see Goal 1, Concept 4), it is ready to go off leash. The first runaways should be very short, perhaps ten to thirty feet. If the dog throws itself into the sleeve and bites convincingly, we can gradually make the runaways longer and longer.

Runaway bites are the decoy’s job. How well he catches will determine how hard the dog hits. He must be smooth and well timed so that the young dog does not pay a price in pain for a good, hard impact.

First, he must not run too fast, as a fast pace demands too much calculation on the dog’s part and will slow it as it tries to match its stride to the decoy’s. The trick is to run quite slowly while still giving the impression that one is desperately fleeing. The dog should overtake the agitator like a bolt of lightning!

The decoy must not be unsteady or unpredictable. He must not swerve! He should make a good, reliable target for the animal. There will be plenty of time later on to teach the dog to catch people that try not to be caught. For now, the person should be a sitting duck.

Last, and most important, the agitator must absorb the dog’s momentum effectively. The agitator must pivot smoothly with the animal as it enters the bite, minimizing the impact on neck and jaws. We must not make a good young dog suffer for its courage.

The courageous, spirited animal will thrive on runaway bites, and we will soon begin to use them to reward it when it has done fine work.

GOAL 4: The dog will withstand the stick and drive without anxiety or disturbance of its bite.

In Schutzhund protection, there are two main phases during which the judge gauges a dog’s courage and spirit: the courage test and what we will refer to as the stick and drive. In Schutzhund I the stick and drive takes place in the attack on handler, in Schutzhund II during the reattack after the helper’s attempt to escape and in Schutzhund III during both the reattack and after the courage test.

The stick and drive poses two main difficulties, two stressors for the dog: It is struck with a reed stick and is driven before the decoy. Fighting a person who rushes forward, driving the dog backward, is a far different matter for the animal than fighting one who pulls away, struggling to escape.

In training the Schutzhund, it is always useful to subdivide exercises and isolate the sources of stress or confusion for the animal. We therefore compartmentalize the stick and drive, and teach the dog first to withstand the stick hits alone and then the drive alone. Only then will the helper stick‑hit the dog and drive it at the same time.

Important Concepts for Meeting the Goal

1. Accustoming the dog to the stick

2. Introducing the drive

3. Combining the stick hits with the drive