THE BITE

When doing a helper seminar, the first task I throw at the helpers is to simply walk up to a circle on the edge of the arc, with the dog on lead. I then ask them to stand on the edge of the arc and give a bite. No matter what the level of the helper, the largest majority can't do this simple task properly! The point of this early work is that if a helper can't perform the most basic maneuvers under such controlled conditions, is it any surprise that more advanced work brings big problems? In truth, the techniques learned at this level inevitably lead to later greatness or failure. It isn't just strength or athletic skill, but the combination of these with the knowledge of how to put them together.

The basic position for taking a bite from a dog is fundamentally the same, whether the helper is running toward the dog or standing still.

1. The helper must have his hips, upper body and head facing toward the dog until the bite is actually taken.

2. The knees must be bent, the body relaxed and the back close to vertical.

3. The non-sleeve side foot must be extended approximately twelve inches in front of the foot on the sleeve side. The picture of this position is the sleeve side foot being under the helper, while the non-sleeve side foot is about twelve inches in front of the sleeve side foot.

4. The position of the sleeve is at a diagonal where the elbow or hinge is the lowest point of the angle with the end slanting upward towards the helper's opposite shoulder.

5. All bites in the attack position should be immediately under the elbow.

6. The sleeve is generally held between the waistline and the lower chest, not directly over the waist.

7. On those sleeves with a bite bar, the bar must be angled downward toward the dog.

So why do so many people fail the simple first test of taking a bite in my seminars? The helper approaches the dog, stops and then swings the sleeve and body around towards the dog. At the point of the bite, the helper's sleeve side foot is crossing in front of his body, the shoulders are turning and the hips are sideways. Figure #1 shows this fundamental mistake. The cause is the helper not being able to use his sleeve arm independently from the rest of the body. I'm not sure why it happens, but it is prevalent and there is no need for it. Even worse, it takes the helper out of a good basic position. Instead, the helper should strive to keep his hips, upper body and head facing down field in the direction of the dog. The only part of body that should adjust to the dog is the sleeve arm. The sleeve arm should stay relaxed and move from the shoulder, like a clock pendulum as shown in Figure #2. Perhaps the greatest benefit of this position is it allows the helper to aim the bite bar at the dog, to position the dog's bite in the place most advantageous to the helper, just under the elbow or hinge of the sleeve.

There are few sports where an athlete is required to keep the legs rigid with the knees locked. Often the secret to good position is to bend the knees to the point where they feel overly flexed. Again, it's common in learning any athletic exercise to exaggerate the body position at first. This makes the athlete conscious of the correct body position and, with experience, the body adjusts to a more natural position while maintaining the proper placement. If a trial helper tries to maintain position with stiff legs and locked knees, the inevitable result is his bending over at the waist to work stronger or smaller dogs. This destroys the platform I discussed in the first installment by bringing the helper out of vertical and forcing him to use his lower back to control the dog. Remember that with a good platform, the helper can use his legs, knees, lower back, upper back and shoulders to work the dog. With a poor platform, the helper is restricted primarily to the lower back muscles, exposing them to injury and a more unstable position over the dog. This position becomes particularly important when the helper is driving the dog in more advanced training.

When I do a long moving attack, the very last thing I remind myself to do is plant my right foot just before the bite (I wear a left arm sleeve). In the first installment, the idea of creating a lane for the dog to travel through after the bite was discussed. While this subject is covered in greater detail when we get to moving attacks, I would like the helper to start thinking about proper foot position from the very beginning. Therefore, the non-sleeve side foot should extend about twelve inches in front of the sleeve side foot with approximately six to ten inches separating them from side to side. The non-sleeve side foot shouldn't be extended too far in front of the helper as this takes the feet away from the vertical platform the helper needs under him. We'll see in the drive that one of the big mistakes is allowing the feet to be extended too far in front of the helper, creating instability. For now, simply assume a comfortable position with the non-sleeve side foot in front of the other.

The next point is one that is more controversial among those I teach than any other, the high slanted sleeve. It's not unusual to see current trial helpers present the sleeve across the stomach and parallel to the ground. This position creates several problems that were discussed in the first installment.

    •With the sleeve low, the full energy of the dog is absorbed by the helper's midsection, driving him backward. All the dog's energy must go somewhere and, in this case, it is more likely to be absorbed by the helper's body.

    •The low sleeve can also cause the dog to come in low with its feet still on the ground, allowing the helper and dog to become a tangled mess. Also, if the helper is unable to deal properly with the dog's energy, the force may drive its neck under the sleeve, effectively bending the cervical spine.

    •As we also saw in the last installment, if the sleeve is parallel to the ground, the dog can choose any part of the sleeve to bite, from just below the elbow to the helper's wrist. Since we want the dog biting close to the elbow, the dog may gain unnecessary leverage over the helper by biting lower on the sleeve.

The high slanted sleeve cures these problems in nearly all cases with all types of dogs and the reasons are fairly simple. Why should this adjustment make any difference?

Most dogs will take that part of the sleeve closest to them. Experiment with a sleeve where the end of the sleeve slants across the chest up toward the non-sleeve side shoulder and you'll see the portion nearest the elbow extends out slightly. Usually the dog will then take a bite at this point, rather than nearer the end of the barrel which is the farthest point. The helper can then point this portion of the sleeve at the incoming dog, just like a gun sight. If the helper moves the sleeve only an inch or two in either direction, the dog can be guided into the spot the helper wants, not the spot the dog wants. The higher sleeve also makes the dog jump to the bite and not wait for the sleeve to come to the dog as with a lower presentation. This isn't only a good test by making the dog commit to the man, but keeps the dog's front legs off the ground, out of the path of a running helper, insuring a greater measure of safety.

Next, there is the real value of the high sleeve assisting the helper in dealing with the tremendous energy and force of the fast moving, biting dog. Again, I will expand on the mechanics of this energy in the section on the moving frontal attack, but there's a simple demonstration you can carry out to explain the problem. Stand as vertically as possible with your feet in place and attempt to twist your upper body to your sleeve side starting with only your hips. Now try the same test with your shoulders and chest starting the twisting movement. You should notice that if the upper body starts the twisting turn, the lower body naturally follows in the same direction with little help from the feet. On the other hand, if you start to twist from the hips, you must use some muscle to make the upper body follow the hips. The movements may not seem too different until you factor in the energy of the moving dog.

The last two points go hand-in-hand in giving the best bite possible. I have already mentioned several times that the bite must be close to the elbow. The only reason, again, is leverage. If the dog bites the lower part of the sleeve, it can whip the helper's sleeve arm around and the only muscle group the helper can use to control the dog is the sleeve arm biceps. If, on the other hand, the dog bites near the elbow, the helper can employ the biceps, sleeve side shoulder muscles and upper back in controlling the sleeve. This is because the helper can more easily flex the arm with the high bite than if the bite is lower. If the helper properly aims the bite bar on a high sleeve, most bites will occur exactly where the helper wants. Although the helper has properly aimed the sleeve at the dog, it's still possible to get a poor bite if he forgets to point the bite bar downward, toward the incoming dog. Since the dog is coming from a low angle of approach, if the bite bar is pointed upward, the dog will usually try to grab the barrel of the sleeve, underneath the bite bar, resulting in a poor and frontal bite. While sleeve handle placement and the style of bite bar can affect the approach a helper must use, the usual and best answer is for the helper to simply rotate his wrist outward as the sleeve is presented. In other words, as the helper snaps the sleeve up and across his body, he is also rotating his wrist outward to twist the sleeve into a position where the bite bar is facing down. Some sleeves require more muscle than others to rotate, but the helper must rotate the sleeve as it moves up or the bite bar will end up pointing up at a forty-five degree angle.

Now let's put all these beginning, but fundamental, ideas into action. First, there should be a few preliminary rules and safety precautions.

1. Always wear padded protection pants, a groin protector and a bite jacket. While safety is uppermost, there is another important reason. With good safety gear, the helper can concentrate more on technique and developing his skills, instead of constantly worrying about what the dog is going to do. In all helper work, as in other athletic events, there is an ongoing risk of injury. If the beginning helper is unwilling to suffer the risk of these occasional scrapes and bites, he shouldn't do the work, for he'll be too preoccupied with concern for his body. On the other hand, a kamikaze approach to helper work isn't appreciated by anyone except maybe the helper's greedy heirs. Always think safety and, in fact, this is why we are being so careful to learn good technique in the first place.

2. Always learn on a steady, sleeve sure dog. Not only it is safer, but it's difficult to try to work a dog that can't bite the sleeve properly or is unsafe. I have a rule that you can't train two dumb animals at the same time.

3. Have someone watch your work, not the dog's. Often mistakes can be corrected by small adjustments that aren't so obvious to the helper. A good eye from a third person can often pick up the needed corrections.

4. All this work is developmental through the last installment. Don't try to learn anything but good basic position and sleeve presentation at this point. Until you learn good fundamental skills, you can't move on to a more advanced level where these skills are tested more severely.

At first, put a dog on lead and have it stand in the middle of the field. The helper must always know the location of the arc, that is, the outer physical limits of the dog's ability to bite when on the lead. Therefore, instruct the dog's handler not to move when they are in position, for if the handler moves several feet, the arc will also move. The initial setup then has the handler holding the dog on lead, with the dog moving around a half-circle, defined by the length of the lead. The helper walks to the arc with the sleeve at his side. He approaches to within only a few inches of the dog and stands there. We'll now incorporate all the earlier ideas into the bite presentation.

As the helper stands before the dog, he should be as relaxed as possible with his knees flexed and body facing the dog. This means the back must be near straight and vertical.

When the bite is given, the helper swings the sleeve quickly upward, with the end of the sleeve coming up to the level of the opposite shoulder. Remember to counter-rotate the handle of the sleeve outward so the bite bar points downward while the sleeve is moving up. While the sleeve is coming up, the helper should look down, across the bite bar of the sleeve, to aim that portion of the sleeve below the elbow at the dog's mouth. There is one further point to keep in mind. As the sleeve is brought up, it's often natural to allow it to also swing out toward the dog. This is a poor presentation as it "feeds" the sleeve to the dog, effectively jamming the sleeve in the dog's mouth. Jamming the sleeve is bad enough at this level, usually resulting in poor bites, but it can be very dangerous when running attacks and courage tests are started. Many dogs have suffered injured necks and damaged teeth from a fed sleeve. Remember one cardinal rule in all bite work and you will never go wrong: the dog always comes to the sleeve-the sleeve never comes to the dog. If you follow this rule, you'll never have to worry about jamming a dog's neck or hurting its jaws and teeth. Like the bent knees, a little exaggeration doesn't hurt when bringing up the sleeve. Try to bring it up as close to your chest as possible just before the bite, instead of letting it swing away from the body.

When the dog has bitten the sleeve, immediately release the sleeve handle, allowing the sleeve to slide off the arm, and then step back. The most important thing to watch for at this point is where the dog bit the sleeve and how well. Here are a few indicators of problems.

Did the dog bite on the elbow, instead of just below it? This usually occurs when the helper turns his body in the same direction of the sleeve movement, resulting in the sleeve coming too far around and presenting only the elbow. The helper needs to keep his body position absolutely correct, with the feet planted, using only the sleeve arm to make the presentation.

Did the dog bite on the lower part of the sleeve? This often results from the helper not raising the sleeve end to his shoulder, instead moving the sleeve directly across the front of his body so the dog can get any part of the sleeve it wants. It may also result from the helper not moving the sleeve upward quickly enough.

The dog did not get a full bite or it bit underneath the bite bar. Inevitably this results from the helper failing to turn the bite bar downward as the sleeve is raised.

This exercise must be repeated until the helper is presenting the sleeve correctly and the dog is biting correctly just below the elbow. Do not move ahead until these goals have been accomplished. But, if things are going well, we can now move to the next exercise.

The setup for this exercise will be the same as in the first, except the helper stands about ten to fifteen feet away from the handler and dog. The helper's position is identical with bent knees, the sleeve at his side and the body facing the dog. The dog is released to attack the standing helper. As the dog approaches, the helper does not move his body position, but continues to face the dog until it is about six feet away. At this point, the helper throws the sleeve up in the same way as the first exercise. When the dog bites the sleeve, the helper either keeps the dog on the sleeve until the handler can retrieve the dog or, if the dog is safe, the helper can drop the sleeve by releasing the sleeve handle. There are two important points that I want the helper to understand in this progression.

The first is not to use the body to aid the helper in giving the bite. Use only the sleeve arm to adjust and remember to aim the bite bar at the incoming dog. It is tempting, even natural, to use body English, but one of the goals of this work is to teach the helper that the arm does all the work in presenting the sleeve.

The second, and more abstract point, is for the helper to stay as relaxed as possible during the attack and bite; allowing the dog's energy to be felt as it hits the sleeve. Don't fight with the dog, but simply allow the body to go in the direction of the dog's power. By feeling this power and the momentum of the dog, the helper will start to understand what he must do in the work at more advanced levels. This energy must be dealt with safely and in a way the helper can use to best test the dog.

There are two safety points to keep in mind when first learning attacks. The handler might use a 30 foot long line to control the dog if something goes wrong. Also, don't try attacks of more than ten to fifteen feet in length as the dog might build up too much speed over longer distances and either hurt itself or the helper. There is really no point in doing longer attacks in any event until the helper learns the drive, for this will teach him what to do with the dog after the bite. For right now, just stay relaxed and enjoy the feeling and power of good bite work.

In the next installment I cover the most physically difficult part of helper work, the drive. Until then, keep your sleeve up.