Defensive drive is a life-threatening situation. Life-threatening either to itself or the handler. At least as the dog perceives it. It may not actually be life-threatening. The recognizable characteristics are:

1. The hackles are raised.
2. The tail is low and wagging slowly - menacingly.
3. The dog is snarling and growling.
4. The bark is low and guttural.

Note that in this drive the dog will not shut down because of tiredness or boredom. He or she perceives a serious threat and adrenaline takes it beyond being bored or tired.

One of the controversies surrounding these two drives is which should be trained first, or should they be trained together. To me, logic dictates a dog must be comfortable and accomplished in prey drive before defensive drive training is started. But still the controversy rages. Ed Frawley puts it rather succinctly in the title of his on-line article, def-frst. Mr. Frawley titled this article, “Training DEFENSE before PREY is STUPID !!!!!!!!!” (1). I find his candor refreshing and his point easy to understand.

In this article Mr. Frawley contends that each dog is an individual. While some may have similar nerves or thresholds, no two are alike. Each will have his own point in the training where defense should be introduced, but in no case should the defense training precede the prey training (2). Considering the individuality of each dog, I am reminded of the earlier point in this discussion about finding a trainer with whom you agree. Elaborating further, it is essential that together, you work out a program that fits your dog!

Ed Frawley says in his drives2 on-line article, “Understanding the drive interaction is an important part of all dog training” (1). Perhaps the interaction between the prey and defensive drives can be better illustrated by introducing three associated drives in a double-decker sandwich format. (Illustration 1, next page)

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Play drive is a direct lead-in to prey drive. It is the dogs’ drive for physical contact with pack members (Frawley. drives3 1). Remember to the dog, the handler is a pack member. The joyful exuberance of this drive flows smoothly to the non-stressful prey drive pursuit of its job. In the wild the job would be the catching and killing of food. In our society the job will be a sport or one of the worthwhile functions we train them to perform.

Fight drive bridges the gap between prey drive and defensive drive. This level manifests itself in the dogs desire to measure its physical prowess with rivals (Frawley. drives3 1). The rivals may be pack members or outsiders. It should be noted that the dog would likely move into defensive drive easier or more quickly with outsiders. Frawley’s definition of fight drive is “A dog that is working with the forwardness of prey and the intensity of defense” (def-frst 3).

Avoidance is the natural projection beyond the defensive drive. When the perceived threat that put the dog into defensive drive becomes so strong the dog feels he cannot win, avoidance sets in. In confident dogs with strong nerves avoidance may not show until after fatal injuries are received. In that case the avoidance is merely a mental event. Physically it’s no longer capable of fleeing. Conversely, in dogs with weak nerves avoidance can occur early in the defensive drive, - or in severe cases, in fight drive or even prey drive.

Understanding this is a key to understanding how much endurance to expect from a dog. (Illustration 2)

The further to the right of defensive drive that avoidance occurs, the more endurance, (drive to stick to the job at hand), the dog possesses. To illustrate the importance of this concept, consider the following SAR scenario.

A real search mission has been in progress for several hours. The weather is bad, humans and dogs are tired. The dog does not know this is for real. He has been on many practice missions in the past year. To him this is just one more. It started out as fun, but now he’s tired and worn out. He’s ready to quit. Remember, he’s been working in prey drive. But you, the handler, the human, know this one is for real. You know 90% of the area has been covered. Another hour or two will find the lost person who desperately needs help. You’ve got to keep this dog going. You must:

1. Know the point each drive kicks in and how to get the dog to that point.
2. Know where the avoidance point is with this dog.
3. Know how to get his adrenaline going without creating a dangerous situation.

How do you do this? You can, if you:

1. Selected a dog with the right drives during your puppy selection.
2. Trained the dog to channel his drives properly. From the beginning of his training!
3. Trained the dog to react instinctively and immediately to handler commands (qtd. Hubbard, see appendix a1).

If the preceding steps were followed faithfully, such a scenario is far more likely to have a happy ending.

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TRAINING SEQUENCE

Thus far we’ve discussed the differences between the GSD show and working classes. We’ve addressed the necessary characteristic drives required in a working class GSD. We’ve addressed the selection of a puppy, then jumped ahead to the expected results (goals). This was intentional. Earlier in the report I stressed the handler must set the goals early in the training cycle. We did that. Now, how and in what sequence will the training be accomplished?

In addition to his or her job training, a working GSD requires obedience training. Actually, I recommend obedience training for all dogs, including pets. Obedience training consists of the following basic commands:

Come
Sit
Down
Stay
Heel

Other commands, such as Finish Heel, Stand, Go and others may be added at different training facilities. Basic obedience consists of working on leash, while Advanced works off leash. Silent commands are introduced in Basic and applied in depth at Advanced. Some facilities break the training into three levels. The exact breakdown is less important than the dog learning the basic commands and learning to execute them on your command. Immediately! An important point in the teaching of silent commands is for the dog to learn to focus on you, the handler. In some working situations that can be crucial.

For working dogs that may be in the public eye, obedience training is a must! The image of a working dog misbehaving during lulls in work or practice sessions is unthinkable. Regardless of how well the dog can perform his job, displaying a lack of discipline would destroy the public confidence trainers and handlers have worked so hard to build. Additionally, the disciplines learned in both task and obedience training are complementary. Done right, each reinforces the other. In their book “Search and Rescue Dogs”, the American Rescue Dog Association makes it clear that they feel a SAR dog without obedience training simply will not work (78).

There are different schools of thought regarding the sequence of training. Training in general and specifically in the sequence of task and obedience training. Some say:

Obedience training first.
Task or job training first.
Start early (about 8th week).
Start late (about 8th month).

To some degree, all are right, if you accept the modern concept outlined by Tom Rose and Gary Patterson in their book, “Training The Competitive Working Dog” (44). The concept, called “imprinting”, is based on three suppositions.

1. The puppy is genetically inclined to do the task which lies ahead and the handler has been careful in selecting a puppy with the necessary genetic make-up. (Has the drives).
2. The age of the puppy. (Six to sixteen weeks).
3. The puppy is NOT taught in a structured environment.

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