TESTING FOR READINESS

There is one more thing you must do before trying your dog off the line.

He should be tried against a variety of would-be intruders, both male and female. It is not feasible or necessary for you to train such

helpers to do any agitation. They will not be exposed to the dangers of contact with the dog. They need only to make themselves seen or heard by the dog, and to retreat when he alerts. This will be enough to

deepen his suspicion of all shapes and sizes of humans that may approach his area. When you are convinced that your dog is amply suspicious of all who try to approach him, he will be ready for a very f interesting

test.

Safety demands that before going to the process of testing and working your dog off the line, you should remember that he is -not taught to

"out" or stop attacking on command. There is good reason for this omission. The plant protection dog works in a unique situation. For him to be responsive to anyone's voice, even yours, during the heat of combat, could result in a moment of hesitation that could cost his life and your property. He is his own general when he's fighting alone and should be heedless to all shouts and commands. The only time he should quit fighting a trespasser is when you, or another familiar handler,

take him out with a leash and a command, and even that shouldn't be too easy. As for him "holding a man at bay" until morning comes, forget it.

The best way he can protect himself and

176 your property is by the initiative of attack, not crouching like a sitting duck before one person while a second one gains an advantage.

You can see where this inherent danger makes it necessary for you to proceed with the utmost caution in your off-the-line test.

You will need to test your dog under actual working conditions, whe n he is off the line and you are not right at hand, to prove that he does not construe your absence and his freedom from restraint as something that calls for a change from the suspicions and reactions of the training session. There are two contrivances that can be used in a limited way to protect a heavy during his fight with a plant protection dog. One is a muzzle that will protect the man from bites as the dog goes through

the motions of fighting. The other is a padded suit, which is generally so grotesque and unrealistic that it allows only scant similarity to a human's appearance and movement. Obviously, the muzzle is the better choice. Have the dog wear the muzzle a few times before the test to make certain that it is secure and comfortable, and to accustom him to its feel. Do not ever have him wear the muzzle when he is alone in the area. He would know that you were subjecting him to a handicap in the very area which you have trained him to protect. I have actually heard of a few morons treating a dog in such a manner in an attempt to create a "bluff that would not get them into trouble." It's doubtful if such an unfortunate dog could be enough of a bluff to protect him against those who would revel in his helplessness. However, for the purpose of protecting those individuals who will help you test him, the muzzle will serve nicely.

To test your dog under actual working conditions, you will need a

"thief" who is new to the dog, physically strong, and able to follow directions accurately. Before you bring the dog into the area, the two of you should dry-walk the following instructions until there are no questions in your minds. First, because more trespassers will come over the fence than through the gate, get set for that manner of entry. Put your scaling ladder where you can watch the action from a place of total concealment. In your dry-run, have your heavy rehearse his approach and retreat until he has the feel of the ladder and you have made sure that you can see all of his moves from your hideout. Set an exact time for his approach so that you will be alert at the moment of his entry.

Muzzle your dog, and turn him loose in the area about half an hour

before the approach time; then conceal yourself.

At the time set, the man should climb the fence and stop at the top until the dog moves into a position where you can see if the muzzle is in place. When you do not stop him, the man should start down the

ladder, sweet-talking, bluffing, or doing anything he likes to get by the dog. Because your dog has been conditioned to "wait," he will

probably let the man move out a ways from the fence before he makes his rush. However, the man should be set to foil a premature rush by

retreating to the ladder at any time. Without showing yourself, you

should be ready for any emergency. When contact is made, the man should let himself be borne back by the dog's attack, but should apply a couple of stinging cuts with the switch as he retreats to the ladder; then he should climb out and run away. Get to the dog in a hurry and put the leash on him so you can control his movements while you praise him and remove the muzzle.

You stood to gain in two ways by this test. If the dog attacked the man in the usual manner, it was a successful test under true working conditions, and the sting of the switch proved to the. dog that he was right in his judgment. If the dog was confused by the change from the previous situations, where he was secured and you were close by, the fact that a stranger brought a fight to him was more evidence that regardless of the situations, all intruders are enemies. Four or five such tests, changing trespassers, the places of approach, and the period of waiting, should give your dog a chance to prove he's ready to take

his place on the job.

Protection Dogs for Stores and Vehicles

The same processes of basic agitation and on-the-job experience used to develop a dog for industrial yard service should be used to train one for work in a store, shop, or commercial vehicle. Because the area is less and the trespasser's access is limited to doors and windows, the problems of interior protection are generally fewer. However, care must be given to selecting a dog where physical and temperamental qualities are suited to the specific interior where he will work. As has been mentioned, such things as excessive shedding and destructive chewing would hardly be acceptable in a dog who guards a department store.

9. HE'S READY

Congratulations. You have brought your dog to a point where he would be quite a problem to any aspiring thief. Earlier, you looked at the

problem of facing a heavy from the dog's perspective. Now, it will be very satisfying for you to look at some problems from the heavy's position. The dog you see is no "patsy" who crowds up against the fence where he could be clubbed or stabbed. He's had so much experience with

"hot food" that you couldn't trap or poison him. Even your chances of hitting him with ammonia or projectiles are lessened by the distance he stays back from the fence. Whether he is barking or quiet, there is a

look that shows you that he's not hanging back from fear-a look that tells you that once inside the fence you are going to have trouble. Your dog is ready to convince any prospective thief that he would encounter fewer problems elsewhere.

10. POSTING

A plant protection dog's greatest deterring force is his threat as a fighter but, if it is needed, he can be the keystone of an alarm system that will be effective even when the dog is alone-and more tamper-proof than a rigidly fixed, electronic-eye system. The following is an

example of such a use which might be adapted to your situation.

The owner of a machine shop that was located in an outlying area was using a big German Shepherd for plant protection. He felt it best to use the dog inside the building for maximum protection of costly precision machines, which meant that the dog could do little to protect other things of value which were stored outside. This owner used ingenuity and a few simple materials to increase the dog's

effectiveness. Inside each window at the exact level where the alerting dog placed his forepaws, the man installed a four-inch wide board. Each of these shelf-like boards was hinged on one end with the other end resting on a light coil spring, which kept the board's weight from bearing on a push button switch until such time as the additional force of the dog's paws made the board push the button. For as long as the dog looked out of a window, which was when anyone even walked near the

property, a circuit of lights inside and outside the plant was charged.

You can see how this sudden illumination could be quite discouraging to clandestine callers. The variety of things that can be done with such a dog-activated circuit is practically unlimited. It could ring bells, shoot a spotlight into the sky, or blow a horn.

Another example of an unusually effective way to use a dog has to do with the solving of a security problem in a rather large auto-wrecking yard that was plagued by more than average small parts thefts. The one dog, though excellent, could not protect the several acres against the teenagers, some of whom would hold the dog's attention at one end of the area while others raided the opposite end. The problem was solved not so much by the addition of a second dog, but in the manner he was posted. He was confined in a small enclosure in the middle of the area and was completely hidden from view by hundreds of car bodies. At the sound of the first dog's alert, the second dog's bark would echo through the corridors of junk. No one could tell exactly where the using a big German Shepherd for plant protection. He felt it best to use the dog inside the building for maximum protection of costly precision machines, which meant that the dog could do little to protect other things of value which were stored outside. This owner used ingenuity and a few simple materials to increase the dog's effectiveness. Inside each window at the exact level where the alerting dog placed his forepaws, the man installed a four-inch wide board. Each of these shelf-like boards was hinged on one end with the other end resting on a light coil spring, which kept the board's weight from bearing on a push button switch until such time as the additional force of the dog's paws made

the board push the button. For as long as the dog looked out of a

window, which was when anyone even walked near the property, a circuit of lights inside and outside the plant was charged. You can see how this sudden illumination could be quite discouraging to clandestine callers. The variety of things that can be done with such a

dog-activated circuit is practically unlimited. It could ring bells, shoot a spotlight into the sky, or blow a horn.

Another example of an unusually effective way to use a dog has to do with the solving of a security problem in a rather large auto-wrecking yard that was plagued by more than average small parts thefts. The one dog, though excellent, could not protect the several acres against the teenagers, some of whom would hold the dog's attention at one end of the area while others raided the opposite end. The problem was solved not so much by the addition of a second dog, but in the manner he was posted. He was confined in a small enclosure in the middle of the area and was completely hidden from view by hundreds of car bodies. At the sound of the first dog's alert, the second dog's bark would echo through the corridors of junk. No one could tell exactly where the second dog was, and none of the brave bandidos wanted to be on the wrong side of the fence when he found out. You can see how this practice of posting one dog in concealment would be much more effective in a two-dog area than merely letting both dogs run in plain sight.

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