![]() The prey drive is the easiest drive to see and understand in our dogs. To be effective in protection training, the handler and helper must work as a team. We then go into the training steps for the dog, the handler, and the helper. The first part of the video deals with defining the drives a dog uses in protection work. That would be like saying that just because I have a horse, I think it can run in the Kentucky Derby. Just because a dog is a German Shepherd does not mean that it can be trained in bite work. In other words, if a dog does not have the genes for protection work, then you are not going to be able to train the drives into the dog. It is a genetic factor and neither a factor of training nor a factor of breed. Right from the beginning, everyone needs to understand that dogs must inherit the drives for protection work. ![]() Probably just as important, I want them to understand when a dog has not inherited the necessary drive and therefore cannot be trained in protection work. I want the viewer to recognize when a dog has the potential for protection work. In my video, I will define and demonstrate drives by showing you dogs that have good drives and dogs that lack drive. When he switches drives, you need to try and recognize when that happens and why. If you can watch an experienced helper work with a dog, you need to be thinking "What drive does the helper have the dog in?". Every time you watch a dog doing bite work, you should be thinking "What drive is this dog in and why?" If you are new to this sport, you need to listen to what I am about to say about drives and then either watch my video on the subject (The First Steps of Bite Work) or go to an experienced trainer and learn from them. If a trainer does not fully understand drive development, he may as well not even start this work because he is never going to accomplish anything in protection training. If your goal is to learn how to train a dog in protection work, your job begins by understanding these drives and how they relate to each other. To be successful in this training, handlers need to have a thorough understanding of the drives that govern a dog's temperament in protection work. He is taught that to show avoidance and that running away does not solve his problem. A good protection dog is taught from a young age to act in an appropriate way when threatened. In its simplest sense, bite training is founded on the ability of a dog to deal with stress. The reason for this is based on the temperament of the dog. In fact, most dogs, when threatened, will show avoidance and run away, leaving their handler to fend for themselves. I often hear people say “My dog has not been trained in protection but I know that if someone came after me, he would protect me.” In 99% of the cases, this is wishful thinking. But few dogs can be trained in handler protection. Most dogs can learn obedience, scent work, or agility. Protection training, when it is done properly, is one of the most demanding and difficult dog training tasks out there. ![]() When asked, “Where do I start training a protection dog?”, I recommend these two DVDs: I have bred over 350 litters of protection dogs and produced over 120 dog training videos, many of them on protection dog training. I have studied the art of protection training dogs since 1974. Understanding the Drives of Protection Training
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