DECOY WORK

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DECOY WORK
for the Ringsports and Practical Work
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• Decoy work is a huge and almost overwhelmingly
  complicated subject.
• It takes years of experience to be an
  accomplished decoy capable of training a dog to,
  and working a dog at the highest levels of
  protection work.

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Protection work is a TEAM effort!

• Philosophy Without the decoy, we have no
  protection sport or work. You can not
  underestimate the importance of good decoy work
  both to build and train the dog and also to
  insure the safety of the dog in competition and
  testing. Decoy work is mentally challenging and
  physically strenuous and sometimes dangerous and
  painful. Anytime you see a spectacular display of
  protection work by a dog, you can be sure there
  is a good training decoy in that training team.
  Unlike obedience, agility and so many other
  dogsports, the protection dog training team
  consists of more then just the dog and handler.
  You have a third member in the training team the
  decoy.
• 
  
  
• Every member of this team is equally important if
  you are to reach a high level of accomplishment.

Dog
Decoy
Trainer
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It is important that this team have a good
working relationship and excellent methods of
communication.

• If at all possible at least two members of the
  team should have a high level of competence.
  Meaning that if you have a young dog, the handler
  and decoy should have experience. A new decoy
  should be working with experienced handlers and
  dogs. And a new handler (and as often with a
  young dog) should be working with an experienced
  decoy and an experienced trainer or handler to
  make sure things go right.
• A new handler, working with an inexperienced dog,
  on an inexperienced decoy, is a sure recipe for a
  disaster! PROCEED WITH EXTREAM CAUTION!!!
• Or better yet..DONT DO IT! Seek the help of
  more experienced decoys or trainers. Even if this
  means waiting or traveling to train. The great
  French Ringsport Decoy, Trainer, and Judge, Jean
  Michel Moreau was fond of saying The easiest
  problem to solve is the one you never create!
  That continues to be excellent advice.

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Being a good Decoy involves more then just being
a target for the dog.
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So you want to be a decoy?

• Before you get started know that throughout your
  career as a decoy you will, experience mental
  stress and physical pain. You will find yourself
  picking grass from your mouth, gasping for
  breath, trying to see through the sweat running
  in your eyes, staring up at the sky, limping off
  the field, rubbing sore muscles, and tending bite
  wounds.

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Protection training for Puppies and New dogs

• You can accomplish much with puppies and young
  dogs in protection training. But you MUST keep it
  positive and there is NO place for defense work
  with young dogs! I often make an analogy between
  protection training for young dogs and martial
  arts training for youngsters (human). First you
  teach technique, build the physical skills, the
  confidence, and the knowledge. Then with maturity
  and experience the training skills become combat
  skills and when the situation is real the
  well-prepared student will succeed. This is often
  in opposition to the popular school of protection
  dog training where much defense work is used. The
  analogy here would be to take your young child to
  the Dojo and the black belt kicks his butt while
  screaming at him to defend himself. Maybe your
  child survives but they will not be happy to
  repeat the experience. Your young protection
  student should NEVER experience fear or self
  doubt during the training process.
• If your student is afraid, hurt, unsure, or not
  properly motivated during the initial training
  you will create problems that will last all
  through the dogs career.