pocketpit wrote:What kind of equipment are you using on her and who handles corrections?
We started with a regular Schutzhund hard sleeve, but she wasn't dirty on that nor was she dirty on the shoulder sleeve. In fact, it wasn't until we put a fully-suited decoy in front of her that she was dirty.
So, we backtied her (backtie attached to her flat agitation collar), then I held the line attached to the prong. I was doing the correcting, but we were met with another challenge: she would start to look for me, and as soon as she saw me coming in, she'd get dirty (at first, she was just dirty whenever). So, Jerry said we were creating a conflict even worse than before, b/c now as I came in, she not only was expecting to be taken away, but she was going to get a correction for it.
So, what Jerry has us doing is he has a fully suited decoy who controls the line (so she learns to respect him), and the suited decoy really challenges her in the guard (when Rick does it, he literally bends over her and eye f*cks her). As she is guarding, they have me walk around, walk in to her, pet her once, walk behind the decoy - just all around, then they reward her at various times. At the end of the session, I take her off of backtie while she's in the grip, and the decoy slips the jacket for her. So, she never loses, and the corrections don't come from me...it's just a really slow process...
Jerry also said that we might want to consider teaching her to do a silent guard in a down position. He said this might cap her a bit, and help with the dirtiness...