Re: French RIng Brevet and FR 1 Video

[abndogos]

I remember reading in one of the bitework books somewhere, that there are dogs like to “fight” with the decoy as if they were their “sparing partner” much like two boxers in ring are sparing partners. When I have seen most dogos(mine included) and my AB “fighting” a hog, they are in that same “fight” drive(tail high and puffed out at the base) as when some of the dogs are fighting a decoy. I have also seen a dogo “fight” a hog in defense drive, and it looks just the same as a dog fighting in defense(pressured) with a decoy(tail lowered, head down, bark is different than prey or fight bark). I think TOro likes the “play fight” as rough as he can get without hurting you and I think he is inbetween the prey and fight drive, not full out fight but not all prey. IF TOro were to learn the rountine of FR in prey, I think he will be ok. THe closest FR club is in Waterbury, CT. There are few guys around that I have found, one is Bob Solimini up in MA that heads the NE section of the NARA:
– Selected as a decoy for North American Ring Association (level III), National Association of Protection Dogs, K9 Pro Sports (level II) and American Street Ring
• 2005 Decoy for North American Working Bouvier World Championship
• 2006 NARA Decoy of the Year
• 2006 NARA Decoy Super-Selection Winner
• 2006 – 2009 Only American decoy Selected for Level III
• 2007 Decoy for Canadian Championships
• 2007 Ring III Decoy for the Coupe Intercontinentale (World Championships – Douai, France)
• 2007 Decoy for North American Ring Associations Championships
• 2008 Selected for Decoy for the Coupe Intercontinentale (World Championships – Mexico)
• 2008 Decoy for North American Ring Assoc Regional Championships
• 2009 Decoy for American Ring Federations Championship (Ponce, PR)
• Former Director of Decoys for NARA
• Director of Decoys American Ring Federation
• Titled dogs in French Ring, K9 Pro Sports, ASR, NAPD, NVBK, and placed in numerous protection events
• Responsible for teaching 3 decoys to be selected as level 1 decoys

then there is a guy John Soares in Warwick, that does SchH and some ring. I would only allow someone with MEGA decoy experience do FR with him because of the facts you mentioned, and only with a decoy that is willing to work him the way I want him worked(never in defense). I have told guy Paul Cipparone that I am friends with and I am going to his seminar in July about his strength and he is only worked in prey. I would never push Toro into anything that could hurt his demeanor. I also wonder how he will react to a strange decoy, but he does always start getting worked up whenever he sees a suit or whip or clatter stick. When I had the jacket, I did tease Toro a bit with him inside the fence and me outside just with the jacket on, no stick, no “agitation” just walked back and forth with it on and his tail got so puffed out at the base and he got so worked up just by the sight of the suit. I watch the dogs on the videos with the Brevet and the FR 1 and it doesn’t look like they are in defense, it looks like they are in the prey/fight drive and having a good time, that they know the “game” and are waiting for that bite.

Oh, and one other guy, he finally emailed me back, Mike Baton a ringer out in CT that my friend trained with and really trusts