Anne Vaini

I had someone try to break into my house last week! I think I need to do some PPD training with my dog. She's not going to be a man-stopper, looking for more of a deterrent type training I guess?

We're going out to training tomorrow and I need to figure out my goals.

I'm encouraging defensive barking when she hears someone at the door. At this point, she is happy tail wagging when the door opens.

I want a bark & hold at the front door. (Would like a bark & hold on cue, regardless of circumstances.)

I NEED to work on a call-off recall when she is a little in defense. She blew me off once!

I don't know how to read a few things about her. She's "flinchy" with the clatter stick. And then I realized that she's flinchy with a lot of things over her head. I beaned her on the head once when she was a pup and she hasn't forgetten it! The TD's/decoys she has worked with before were reading it as stress because I had forgetten that she had been smacked on the head as a pup. (dang, my bad!) Because it was read as stress, she hasn't been pushed further. If her grip is good (calm) and no other signs of stress, should we ignore the flinchyness?

So I'm thinking training should be to load up on the recall with high reward (we'll start with OB anyway), give a couple bites in prey, see where she is at this year. Try to get some barking or explore defense? Not sure on this part but I can trust my TD/decoy. And then recall while she is in the bitework state of mind, reward the recall with a send/prey bite, slip sleeve and carry. Call it good.

Do you think my goals are reasonable and safe? Does that training plan sound like a way to go?