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Posted by Sherri
on August 7, 2009, 11:54 pm, in reply to "Re: Rick"
66.82.9.83
Prey drive is a little easier to explain for me than defense.
Think of it a little like a wolf and a rabbit. As soon as the rabbit starts to hop away the movement catches the wolfs eye and the wolf is enticed to chase, catch and eat. Without this basic drive the wolf would starve to death. And although it is a little different for a sport dog because they aren't in jeopardy of starving it is the same drive that pushes them to catch something that is moving. A rag, then a tug, then a sleeve or a suit. A game is built upon a dogs natural drive to survive.
Defense is pushing the dog to decide whether he is going to fight for his life or run away. **Look up table training** Although it is not something I would ever do. It is done frequently with German Shepards. Odin protects you out of a defense mode. He is protecting what he believes is his. (That's you)
Different breeds, based upon what they were bred for work in different modes. A Pit Bull for example will work mostly out of prey. A dog like Odin is mostly defensive.
There is no right or wrong here, just different.
In my opinion Odin could be trained for a send out. It might not come natural to him (because by breed he is supposed to stay close to his owner) but any dog can be trained to do anything with the right motivations. Patience will be the key.
I hope that helps.
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