The answer
Yes, on film it does - but the evidence for the deliberate step in this idea rests on one dog, and that should be said first. Savage, a Belgian Malinois in protection training with Christian, is the only dog on film whose trainers put him on a new bite surface because it is new. Nobody on film explains the reason in more words than that, and it is not shown with any other protection dog.
What Savage's case does show is where the new texture sits in a sequence. In April his trainer would not start sleeve work until Savage held the tug with a full grip and a shake and would not let go until outed - "that's the prerequisite basically". He named the next steps himself: the sleeve the following week, and later "a hidden sleeve and all that stuff", because "once we tell them to bite an arm that's a different story". By June he was biting the sleeve with the owner handling; by July he was on a suit of a different texture, then back on "the regular brown" sleeve for frustration work, where the helper's elbow was used to move his grip to the centre.
The wider record shows the same fact from the other side, in seven more dogs: a dog may refuse or lose interest in a bite object because of how it feels, and the trainers respond by changing the object. Titan's trainer suspects the tug's texture and tries another ("it's like a color thing texture thing not sure"); Chunk's trainer says "some of the dogs won't bite this. The texture thing."; Rocko's trainer tries a jute tug and, if that fails, "Maybe he likes a different texture"; Bullet gets "a more solid toy" because "he's got a much stronger bite"; Muna likes "the softer tug". Dolce bites a sleeve far more readily than a tug, and the next try is a suit. Apollo the Sharkie's family are told to buy a tug made of French linen, "the same thing that you make protection gear out of".
Said on film: Savage's new suit was used because its texture differed; the full grip on the toy is the prerequisite for the sleeve; other dogs' trainers change the toy's texture or firmness to find one the dog will bite. Inferred, not said: that moving Savage onto new textures is generalisation of the grip (the dog learns to bite and hold whatever the threat is wearing), and that matching a home tug to protection-gear material is meant to carry the grip over. The deliberate-texture practice may be routine in the program; one dog is all the film shows.
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What the trainers say
So it introduced like the new textures.
Cause this suit is a different texture than the other suit.
I know, it's a new texture, huh?
You only have to grip a little harder
The, just the regular brown one. We're gonna do a little frustration work.
and kick out with your elbow. So when you're kicking out with your elbow, he'll prop, he'll target more around the corner
You got a lot more center spot.
That was a little bit more force to it, yeah, so he got a better target, right
he wasn't quite gripping hard enough before and he didn't want to do the shake
before i can do defense or like get to any bite work with sleeves or anything i need him to hold it right
before we tell them bite an arm right because once we tell them to bite an arm that's a different story right do a hidden sleeve and all that stuff
he played tug with one of our other trainers i heard he's really strong maybe this texture he's not like
i'm gonna bring a different tug out with me next time i find that this tug right here is cool but like some of the dogs really uh they don't respond to it
You know what's funny, some of the dogs won't bite this. The texture thing.
If he's not into that, what I'll do is, I'll see if there's any other like stuffed toys or anything like that. Maybe he likes a different texture, something that he can like really rip up.
Maybe you want a more solid toy You want something really you can bite hard.
Yeah, he likes a much stronger toy because he's got a much stronger bite this dog
So she wanted to play. She likes the tug. I can definitely tell she likes the softer tug.
she seems to love using the um she seems to love using the sleeve and she likes to do the flirt pole but not as much the tug toy she finds the tug toy somewhat uninteresting
um it's made of french linen it's the same thing that you make protection gear out of
How it looks, dog by dog
Savage
The only dog on film whose trainers change the bite surface on purpose because it is new. A Belgian Malinois in protection training with Christian. In April his trainer holds the sleeve back a week: Savage used to grab and let go, and before any sleeve or defence work he must hold the tug, shake it and not release until outed. The trainer names the steps ahead - the sleeve next, a hidden sleeve later - and warns that biting an arm is 'a different story'. In June the owner handles while the trainer wears the sleeve, and the grip is called better. In the July session a suit of a different texture is brought in for that reason and he bites it with praise; the session then goes back to the familiar brown sleeve for frustration work, with the helper coached to kick the elbow out so the grip lands more centrally and holds when pulled.
On film
Cause this suit is a different texture than the other suit.
so like yeah like he we used to like grab it let go grab it let go right
before we introduce the sleeve part next week so that so that we can build and make sure it's perfect
That's a better grip.
He needs to make sure he doesn't let go.
Titan
A strong dog who would not take the tug on this handler's first park outing, though he had played tug with another trainer. The trainer guesses at the texture, tries a different tug, defers the game, and at the end says he will bring a different tug next time because some dogs simply don't respond to this one - 'a color thing texture thing not sure'.
On film
he played tug with one of our other trainers i heard he's really strong maybe this texture he's not like
interesting all right let's come out here maybe a different tug toy
see it and go like i want to chew on it i don't know why it's like a color thing texture thing not sure
Chunk
In a play assessment the trainer offers a toy and remarks that some dogs won't bite it - 'The texture thing.' Chunk is not keen on it, or on the ball, and the trainer plans to get the small string tug Christian had used with him.
On film
You know what's funny, some of the dogs won't bite this.
christian actually has this like little like small like string tug thing
Rocko
On a park field trip (Kodak and Rocko's household) the trainer works through toys to find what Rocko will play with. Before trying a jute tug he lays out the fallback: if Rocko doesn't take it, try stuffed toys, a different texture, something he can rip up. Rocko takes the jute tug hard, wins it, and the trainer decides tug is the game to build.
On film
We're gonna try this jute tug.
If he's not into that, what I'll do is, I'll see if there's any other like stuffed toys or anything like that. Maybe he likes a different texture, something that he can like really rip up.
All right, I think Tug's a little bit better.
Bullet
The firmness version. Bullet goes for the trainer's legs instead of the toy; the trainer switches to 'a more solid toy' and Bullet takes it, because 'he's got a much stronger bite'.
On film
Maybe you want a more solid toy You want something really you can bite hard.
Yeah, he likes a much stronger toy because he's got a much stronger bite this dog
Muna
The opposite end. On her first day Muna ignores a tug on a line, half-likes a ball tug and gets 'really interested' in a softer tug - but lets go as soon as the trainer pulls. The trainer reads that as low confidence rather than a toy problem, and plans to build competition slowly.
On film
not like a lot so but softer tug and she got really interested with that
but as soon as there's like a little competition and pressure me like pulling on it she lets it go
Dolce
A Rottweiler in protection work. Her handler reports she bites the sleeve far more readily than the tug, likes the flirt pole, and finds the tug 'somewhat uninteresting' - so the next try is a suit, to see whether she engages and bites it.
On film
she seems to love using the um she seems to love using the sleeve and she likes to do the flirt pole but not as much the tug toy she finds the tug toy somewhat uninteresting
like to work her on an actual suit see how she does on the suit see if she engages and see if she bites the suit
Apollo (the Sharkie)
At the go-home lesson the trainer recommends a tug made of French linen, 'the same thing that you make protection gear out of', and adds that Apollo has the bite motivation to bite a sleeve or a suit if the family ever wanted protection work. The material choice is stated; any reason for it beyond toughness is not.
On film
um it's made of french linen it's the same thing that you make protection gear out of
bite motivation where he would he would bite a sleeve um and he'd also bite a suit just fyi
Why it works
Stated: a dog may not bite, or may not grip well, on a particular object, and trainers attribute some of that to its feel - texture (Titan, Chunk, Rocko), firmness against the strength of the bite (Bullet), softness for a dog low in confidence (Muna). For a protection dog, the grip is built on the toy first and must be full and held before any sleeve (Savage), and new surfaces - a sleeve, a suit of a different texture, a hidden sleeve - are then introduced one at a time.
On film
You know what's funny, some of the dogs won't bite this. The texture thing.
Yeah, he likes a much stronger toy because he's got a much stronger bite this dog
before i can do defense or like get to any bite work with sleeves or anything i need him to hold it right
Cause this suit is a different texture than the other suit.
Inferred
Not stated on film: why a new texture is introduced to a working dog. The likeliest reading, consistent with generalisation-is-the-whole-job, is that a grip learned on one material is not yet a grip on every material, so the dog is moved onto new ones while the work is controlled. Also inferred: that the trainers' hesitation ('not sure', 'the texture thing') means texture is a working guess, not a diagnosis.
Questions owners ask
My dog won't play with the tug I bought. Is he just not a tug dog?
Not necessarily. On film, when a dog ignores a tug, trainers try a different one before deciding - jute, a stuffed toy, a softer tug, a more solid one - and several say plainly that some dogs just won't bite certain toys. Rocko took a jute tug hard after other games fell flat; Bullet took a more solid toy because he has a strong bite; Muna preferred a softer one.
On film
You know what's funny, some of the dogs won't bite this.
If he's not into that, what I'll do is, I'll see if there's any other like stuffed toys or anything like that.
Why would a protection trainer switch my dog to a different suit or sleeve?
The one time it is explained on film, the reason given is simply that the new suit feels different: 'this suit is a different texture than the other suit.' Savage's trainer also set an order - a full, held grip on the toy before any sleeve, then the sleeve, with a hidden sleeve named as a later step. Only Savage is shown being moved onto a new texture on purpose, so this page cannot say how standard the step is.
On film
Cause this suit is a different texture than the other suit.
before we tell them bite an arm right because once we tell them to bite an arm that's a different story right do a hidden sleeve and all that stuff
What should my dog's tug be made of?
It depends on the dog. One go-home lesson recommends French linen, the material protection gear is made from; a strong biter got a more solid toy; a less confident puppy did best on a softer one. Try a few and watch which one he grips and holds.
On film
um it's made of french linen it's the same thing that you make protection gear out of
Yeah, he likes a much stronger toy because he's got a much stronger bite this dog
So she wanted to play. She likes the tug. I can definitely tell she likes the softer tug.
The lesson
The goal
A handler can choose a bite object the dog will grip, recognise when a refusal may be about the object, and - for a protection dog - introduce a new bite surface only after the grip on the familiar one is full and held.
Learn first
The drill
As run on film. Finding the object: offer one tug; if the dog won't take it, try another texture or firmness (jute, stuffed, softer, more solid) and let him win it (Rocko, Bullet, Muna). For the protection dog: the full grip and shake on the toy, out on command, then the sleeve; in the July session a suit of a different texture is introduced with praise through the bite, then the familiar sleeve again, with the helper's elbow kicked out to move the grip to the centre and the helper pulling to test the hold (Savage).
Watch out for
- Deciding a dog 'doesn't play' after one toy (inferred from the trainers trying several).
- Moving to a sleeve or new gear before the grip on the toy is full and held (Savage's stated prerequisite).
- Reading a dog who drops a soft toy under pressure as a toy problem when the trainer reads it as confidence (Muna).
Check yourself
Your dog grips his usual tug well but half-bites a new sleeve. Before blaming the dog, what two things would the trainers on film check?