The Object Guard

Q - is one of my favorite exercises to watch, and I've been told that the top decoys can quickly figure out how the dog was trained and how to take advantage of that.

A - Absolutely, all decoy's in Ring are there to test and challenge the dog. They are there to help the judge assess the dog. If there is a hole in the training then the decoy must expose it.

Q - How is it normally trained?

A - Wow, big question. This is another book you can write. You start from puppy up. The decoy and handler must work very closely together on the timing of the bite, usually within one meter of the object. The decoy would focus on the object and not on the dog. In Mondioring the object is not the same. The object can come in many different shapes therefore your dog must learn to sit, stand or down beside it. Standing in it doesn't usually work. It is never a basket. Reward is the bite and the when you train as a puppy, the puppy wins the rag or tug and must refocus on the decoy and spit the rag / tug. You can see if your dog is toy oriented he will only care that he has won the toy and he will not refocus on the decoy. Sorry, but this question will be too long. I could on forever, maybe a more specific question on this may help me focus in.

Q - Are there any tips and tricks to make it foolproof?

A - The beauty of Mondioring is there is no one way to train. Therefore you must assess all possibilities the decoy may try, your training methods, your dog's specific traits, then go to trial and see if you are successful. If not, see where your training holes are, see what your dog needs to be better, and go back to work for the next trial.


Regards

Bob