Bite work is a crucial component of training for many working dogs, including police dogs, military dogs, and security dogs. These dogs are trained to bite and hold onto a suspect or target until commanded to release. Bite work is an essential skill for these dogs to possess, as it enables them to apprehend suspects, protect their handlers, and maintain public safety.
Bite Work Is Not Natural For Dogs
Bite work is not a natural behavior for dogs. It requires extensive training and conditioning to ensure that the dog can perform the task safely and effectively. The process of training a dog for bite work typically involves several stages, beginning with basic obedience training and gradually progressing to more advanced skills.
Bite Work Training
The first step in training a dog for bite work is to establish a strong foundation in basic obedience. This includes training the dog to sit, stay, come, and heel on command. A dog that is disobedient or unresponsive to commands is not suitable for bite work and could pose a danger to others.
Once the dog has a strong foundation in basic obedience, the next step is to introduce them to bite work equipment, such as bite sleeves, bite suits, and bite pillows. These tools are used to simulate real-life scenarios in which the dog may need to apprehend a suspect or protect their handler.
During this phase of training, the dog is taught to bite and hold onto the equipment using a command such as “bite” or “hold.” The dog must also learn to release the equipment on command, such as “out” or “release.” This command is critical to ensure that the dog does not continue to bite or attack the suspect once they have been apprehended.
As the dog progresses in their training, they will be introduced to more advanced skills, such as multiple apprehensions and building searches. These skills require the dog to be able to apprehend multiple suspects or search a building for hidden threats.
Essential Bite Work Notes
It is essential to note that bite work training should always be conducted by a professional trainer with experience in working with these types of dogs. Improper training techniques or equipment can result in injury to the dog or their handler, as well as legal repercussions if the dog is used in a real-life scenario.
In conclusion, bite work is a crucial skill for many working dogs, including police dogs, military dogs, and security dogs. It requires extensive training and conditioning to ensure that the dog can perform the task safely and effectively. With proper training, these dogs can be valuable assets in maintaining public safety and protecting their handlers.
This is a very important part of your dog’s life. They will take it out somehow, so you need to redirect their energy to something positive. In this video I show you what works for Flash and I, but there are a lot of other things you can do.
Sleeve Bite Work
One of the things that I do with Flash is Sleeve Bite Work. This is another way to redirect his bite and let him know what it is used for.