[Storm]

Good post Mick!;) Emphasis should be placed on training the dog that it sees the bite as been civil, even within the "sports arena". This is achieved by "balancing the drives" so that the dog acts accordingly. We worked a few dogs last weekend, some having been on the Dutch, national team. These dogs where extremely high driven prey dogs, good nerves and with all that you are able to get high 90's in all facets of the sport. Because of the high drive and solid nerves, the dogs are only worked on the nice side, for their purpose and the competitors intentions it's all that is required. The end product is very impressive yet, surprising enough these are just sports dogs. Not because of the dogs genetic limitations, but plainly because this is all that is required, high scores and thus the appropriate training for that purpose. Very nice dogs, yet if the dogs where more "balanced" they would be awesome! It is pretty easy to train for this purpose where you basically just have to show the dog the way, in succession as required adding control and intensity as you go along. But developing a dog where you change its outlook of the "criminal" goes a bit deeper. You gotta know the dog's limitations, you got to have more feeling, you have to add stress and show the dog how to deal with it in a manner that increases the dog's confidence levels. Every time the dog works through these "stress levels" they, through training, "balance" or slip into a comfort zone. Then we move on increasing the intensity, showing the dog the way. This is relevant to whatever exercise we expose the dog to, bottom line is the training must have a positive influence on the dog making him stronger and not a negative one thus breaking down the dog. We therefore work towards getting that balance in conjunction with putting in the control and working towards a program maintaining the correct or required intensity within a certain mindset in the dog. This requires feeling and the ability to read the dog and been able to put things into perspective. So with the correct dog and helper you can do it, just make sure that the helper is able to recognise the dog, for what it is and knows where he is going and what he wants to achieve, without this insight there will be problems.;)