Techniques for keeping the dog straight and close in the blind

[cindy_s]

My dog was bad about guarding the unprotected side away from the sleeve for a while. I could correct her with a long line, but she never really learned from this. We went to the helper wearing a sleeve on each arm. Worked like a charm.

[onyx'girl]

Originally Posted by hunterisgreat

So yeah I guess there are really two pieces to the equation... the position for the B&H, and secondly: maintaining the position when the handler walks in. I kinda see them as two different things... usually when someones working callouts and pickups to death you see the latter become an issue.

My dog has a really good(great) instinctive H&B. Because of this, doing repetitive pickups and callouts could change it, and I don't want to mess up a good thing.
So I'll walk in, pat him up, walk out, maybe make him sit, pick him up, or maybe walk away to the call out position. Always changing it up and he isn't sensitive to me coming in.

Now and then, he may go a bit sleeve side while guarding, so I'll check him or bump him over with my knee. I think if the handler changes up the exercises in the blind the dog will not expect to be called out, or picked up and keep up the strong guarding until directed otherwise.
More often than not, either the stick is the issue or handler sensitivity.

[hunterisgreat]

Anyone ever used a platform?

[hunterisgreat]

For me, I've found pulling or correcting the dog into position to be the least effective

[onyx'girl]

where I train, they use a platform for young dogs learning the B&H, and it works well.

[Tim Connell]

A few different thoughts (for different dogs with different issues, thus different solutions)

For the crooked guarding:
1.) 2 sleeves (as mentioned earlier) so the dog does not know where the reward bite is coming from

2.) Place an obstacle to block the dog from being able to scoot to the side

For the lack of close guarding:
1.) Rearward escapes

2.) Build drive and "pushiness" and build confidence to bring the dog in

3.) Civil work, and/or having the dog guard an unprotected helper that is inaccessible to the dog

Not all inclusive, but just a few random thoughts

[gagsd]

Why might some dogs guard away from the sleeve?

[hunterisgreat]

Originally Posted by gagsd

Why might some dogs guard away from the sleeve?

I almost always see guarding at the sleeve. Either stick shy, or reward bite focused, or blocking the handler from taking a basic position when the move there once the handler approaches.

[gagsd]

My dog starting guarding stick side. We tried to convince him to go sleeve side by using a wedge and then throwing it out to the side as a "reward."
He was not impressed and seemed to get worse.... where he was avoiding the sleeve completely. It was weird, but then he is a weird dog.

[Liesje]

Mine will guard stick side if he's not centered (which we have been working on) because he *is* guarding the stick, lol.