Ringsport Training
The French ring brevet title is obtained by the dog performing in obedience, protection,and food refusal. In the obedience, the dog must engage in on and off leash healing. On lead, the lead is a meter long, and if it straightens out, the dog will zero the exercise. Off lead, the dog can stray, but he must show that he is under control, (by returning upon command) The last part of the obedience is the off lead heeling in a Z shape. The judge will call for the handler to stop, (at which time the dog must also stop), at various intervals. Again, if the dog gets too far from the handler, he will zero the exercise.
The second part is the defense of handler. The handler, with his dog, walk towards the decoy. When the handler and the decoy meet, they shake hands and talk for about 10 seconds. The dog must sit, (or stand), when his handler stops, but he must not show any aggression. The handler and decoy then break off the conversation, and walk past each other, and after about 5 paces, the decoy turns around and begins to follow the handler and his dog. When the decoy gets close to the handler, he hits the handler on his back, and a gun is fired at the same time. The dog must show no fear of the gun, and attack without command. The dog must fight the decoy for 14 seconds, and let go only when called off by the handler. When called off, the dog must "guard", the decoy by staying with him, and when called with the whistle, he must return to his handler and remain within 1 meter of the handler.
The last and final part of the brevet title is the face attack. The handler heels with his dog to a position designated by the field judge. The handler puts his dog in whatever position he has trained for, (sit, down). The docoy comes running out about 40 yards away, waving the reed stick at the dog and making threatening motions. He is trying to entice the dog to attack without a command, which will make him fail the exercise. When the judge is sure that the dog will not attack under enticement, he blows the horn, which is telling the handler to give his dog the command to attack. The best dogs take off like a bullet, cause they can't wait to engage the decoy. The decoy uses the stick until the last moment to make sure that the dog is not in fear of the stick, he holds it in front of him as a barrier, and lets it up only when he is sure the dog will not be intimitaded to stop his attack. After the dog engages the decoy, he must fight the decoy for 14 seconds, (remember now, the dog is at least 40 yards away from his handler, so he is working pretty much on his own). The judge will then sound the horn again, at which time the handler will blow the whistle, telling the dog to stop fighting the decoy, and return to him. This is what it looks like. (When you don't have a video camera).
Heeling
Defense of Handler, the handler has been hit, the gun has been fired, and the dog has attacked without command. (Like he is supposed too.
Another view of the Defense of Handler.
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