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Hi this should be in the Schutzhund/ring section. but no on ever posts in those forums. So I see some names that ring a bell and trainers that have defintly accomplished some things. so i thought maybe I could get some feed back. I have been attending a Sch club for about 18 mos, working as a decoy and preparing my self for my first sport dog. I now have this dog, A female belgian malinois, this is my second mal, first one a pet. she is just about 16 weeks and has some promise. My club I here and see is not of the norm, especially our training director. He promotes and untilizes a non-force theory and positive motivation. hardly any adversives and if there adversives they never, ever cause pain. anyone that has been in or around protection sports knows that this hardly common place. and i feel fortunate to be a apart of a club, that practises this. actually it was thing that attracted me to the sport. it was the first club i went to, and i got lucky. back to the pup. She has some behaviors i would like to talk about. she guards a tennis ball. she will do every thing in her pwer not to bring it to me. i do the hallway trick and the lead trick but she seems to want to keep the ball. now i have been told that is actually desirable in a protection dog. and i do not have a problem with this. except what my gut tells me and what some other trainers tell me. she will engage in play with a tug, having me tug she shakes her and fights with it. and then brings it back for more. but the ball different story. so my idea or feeling is, that for now while she is young, no ball, to stressful on our relationship. others tell me keep trying. the pup shows obvious signs of stress, ears down and cocked. mouth smashed on the ball and covers it with her feet. now the tug is much happier game. so should i just worry about the tug and not the ball, to spare relationship. i also have tried trading for other toys and food. no good. the other thing which i am sure will get better and better is she is reluctant to play with other people more than me. she will play but not as enthusiasticly and will come back to me fro reassurance. i ignore her when she does this and praise when she does things i like. i would like not to put any pressure on her, and let her grow and feel free. so she has confidence and a even little cockiness. by this point all the pet people are looking at me going, this guy is nuts and his dog is going to eat someone. that's what i thought when i was being taught. but i all the dogs at my club have been trained like this and are social. so any tips or hints to improve bond, and build confidence. the theory i ma going off right now. is to let the pup become a dog and not dominate it. everything with me is happy and fun. the dog does not get much attention form yhe rest of my "pack" as we want the dog to think i am the sunshine in her sky. she is social with my other dogs and my wife she gets to say hi, have a few minutes to get a petted or a sniff. but then off we go or to the crate. i keep play short and the little ob i do right now. i am familiar with clicker training and use it. she is doing good. and the dog i am sure is going to be good, i am the one who needs some training.

>>Hi this should be in the Schutzhund/ring section. but no on ever posts in those forums. So I see some names that ring a bell and trainers that have defintly accomplished some things. so i thought maybe I could get some feed back. I have been attending a Sch club for about 18 mos, working as a decoy and preparing my self for my first sport dog. I now have this dog, A female belgian malinois, this is my second mal, first one a pet. she is just about 16 weeks and has some promise. My club I here and see is not of the norm, especially our training director. He promotes and untilizes a non-force theory and positive motivation. hardly any adversives and if there adversives they never, ever cause pain. anyone that has been in or around protection sports knows that this hardly common place. and i feel fortunate to be a apart of a club, that practises this. actually it was thing that attracted me to the sport. it was the first club i went to, and i got lucky. back to the pup. She has some behaviors i would like to talk about. she guards a tennis ball. she will do every thing in her pwer not to bring it to me. i do the hallway trick and the lead trick but she seems to want to keep the ball. now i have been told that is actually desirable in a protection dog. and i do not have a problem with this. except what my gut tells me and what some other trainers tell me. she will engage in play with a tug, having me tug she shakes her and fights with it. and then brings it back for more. but the ball different story. so my idea or feeling is, that for now while she is young, no ball, to stressful on our relationship. others tell me keep trying. the pup shows obvious signs of stress, ears down and cocked. mouth smashed on the ball and covers it with her feet. now the tug is much happier game. so should i just worry about the tug and not the ball, to spare relationship. i also have tried trading for other toys and food. no good. the other thing which i am sure will get better and better is she is reluctant to play with other people more than me. she will play but not as enthusiasticly and will come back to me fro reassurance. i ignore her when she does this and praise when she does things i like. i would like not to put any pressure on her, and let her grow and feel free. so she has confidence and a even little cockiness. by this point all the pet people are looking at me going, this guy is nuts and his dog is going to eat someone. that's what i thought when i was being taught. but i all the dogs at my club have been trained like this and are social. so any tips or hints to improve bond, and build confidence. the theory i ma going off right now. is to let the pup become a dog and not dominate it. everything with me is happy and fun. the dog does not get much attention form yhe rest of my "pack" as we want the dog to think i am the sunshine in her sky. she is social with my other dogs and my wife she gets to say hi, have a few minutes to get a petted or a sniff. but then off we go or to the crate. i keep play short and the little ob i do right now. i am familiar with clicker training and use it. she is doing good. and the dog i am sure is going to be good, i am the one who needs some training.

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This behavior does need to be shaped in a different direction, but I am not a Schutzhund trainer and I know you want advice from that source. What I can suggest is the "two hose game," using tennis balls. I think it's in the book "Schutzhund Training in Drive." Those authors are very familiar with Belgians. I have three Tervs, and what I've studied about Schutzhund has been for the purpose of gently redirecting my dogs away from all those behaviors. For therapy dog work and an assistance dog to a person with a disability, I need dogs who will never react protectively in public settings a Schutzhund dog would understandably perceive as a threat or protection game. My dogs have to be confident that the world is their oyster and when people act up, it's not going to turn into anything, and the other humans will handle it.

You're looking for something different. But you are not looking for the opposite. It sounds like your dog is showing some instability and she needs to be handled correctly to bring her through it.

My last one went through that from about 7 months to 10 or 11 months, which hormonally is a time of radical change in a female dog's mind and body. You need to guide that change in the right direction, and you will need the right help to do that. My dog turned out beyond my wildest dreams, best dog I've ever had.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

Thanks Kathy, I will research the 2 hose game. I agree i am not looking for the same thing, but not the opposite. same ideas different points A and B. This is a problem in working dogs. super high drives, which lead to problems like this. I do have good guidance, from a trainer I would say near your caliber. He has suggested removing the stressor for the time being. The idea is she is young and still emotionally developing, so, at this point we do not want that emotional response to become engrained and be harder to shape later. also training this now, requires her to engage me with a game that she does not nessacirly want to play. he has also said that if we do want to continue the ball game. go for walks and throw the ball behind me. let her take it and walk around with it till she gets bored. then when she gives it up, on her own will throw it again. do this 2-3 times and to stop the game put the ball away and feed her. she does bring the ball to me if i sit and and do nothing. but does not want to give it up. i have done this a few times now without grabbing or reaching for the ball. trying to gain her trust, that i will take her ball all the time.

I think you have a decent plan to handle this. Good luck. I admire those who do protective sports. I'm fascinated by it being done in a more positive way. Enjoy your training with your dog. Good luck!
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PHReign
Email me: HReign@pethobbyist.com" target="_blank">PHReign@pethobbyist.com
Dear dog,
I can not buy anything larger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think that I will continue to sleep on the couch to ensure your comfort. Look at videos of dogs sleeping, they can actually curl up in a ball. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to your fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straigt out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space used is nothing more than doggy sarcasm.