In this episode, Jerry Bradshaw discusses:

• The difference in responses between defense mood and prey mood.
• The problems that can occur when a dog can’t channel defense to prey.
• Why defense work is inherently stressful for the dog.
• Good and bad behaviors from the decoy in defense to prey channeling.
• Adjusting intensity and duration during each element of the defensive channel.

Key Takeaways:

• We must do what we can to try and teach the dog that fighting is always the strategy and always the way that it will win confrontations.
• Think of channeling to prey as relief from stress.
• Fights ebb and flow, drive channeling is the key to allowing the dog to think in those situations.
• The avoidance threshold isn’t a fixed amount, it will trend upwards over time as we train the dog that he can handle the stress in higher and higher amounts.
• Stress accumulates, without relieving the stress, the dog’s avoidance threshold may lower over time.

“What we need to get the dog to understand is, when he wins the fight, he can calm down. By channeling defense to prey, the return to prey mood signals to the dog that he’s winning or he’s won and he can concentrate on those obedience commands.” —  Jerry Bradshaw

Get Jerry’s book Controlled Aggression on Amazon.com

Contact Jerry:

Website: https://controlledaggressionpodcast.com/

Tarheel Canine Training: http://www.tarheelcanine.com/

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/tarheelcanine

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tarheelcanine

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarheelk9/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TarheelCanineTraining

Protection Sports Website: http://psak9.org/

Patreon:  www.patreon.com/controlledaggression

Train Hard, train smart, be safe.

Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You’re the expert. Your podcast will prove it.