Words matter. If the only words you have for what a dog does are bark, bite and hold, then the only thing you'll ever train is bark, bite and hold.
The industry's vocabulary was built on the sport field. When I started building methodology for dogs working inside corrections, at ten feet and in, against people who fight back, the old words didn't describe what the dogs had to do. So I defined new ones. This article is the foundation for the rest of the series. Every other article uses these terms the way they're defined here.
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THE READING RECORD
Supporting References & Further Reading
This article records my findings, observations and professional standards. No external references are cited in this edition.
From my operational record
I have worked as an operational K9 handler since 2009 and have seen more than 44 dogs go through our unit's program. These articles draw on that work and the feedback I bring to our K9 specialists.
References support the specific subjects for which they are cited. My operational findings are presented in my own voice. Individual medical and legal questions require the appropriate professional.
