On the Easter weekend of 2002, I went to Switzerland for a Mondioring
Seminar with my Swiss Trainer, Rene Sagarra. At this seminar were some people
from Germany who came to train Mondioring even though in Germany, working with
the "anzug" (bite suit) is forbidden and it looks like Mondioring
will soon be outlawed there. Following is the story of a German woman named
Nadia and her two malinois.
In Germany, it is allowed to make Schutzhund training on the sleeve, but it
is forbidden to make bitework with the full suit. Sleevework is considered ok
under the premise that the dog is equipment fixated and will not bite if there
is no sleeve to bite. Now there is a problem about the bitesuit because they
think if the dog is trained on the bitesuit, it is dangerous. Then it is a problem
if you want to make Mondioring because the bitesuit is not allowed. Obedience
exercises are ok, and the jumps, but not the pallisade. They want it to be like
the A frame in Schutzhund because they say that this is better for the dogs,
but the pallisade it not yet forbidden. But, that is not the biggest problem
because you have to train the protection work also. And if you can't do bitework,
what do you do? I think in the next two months, Mondioring will be forbidden
in Germany.
Could you talk about your experience with the police?
I was working with the Jambiere (leg sleeve) in the park and unkown to us, the
police made a video of our work and they then stopped us and said this is forbidden
and made a second video of us. On this video, they said this is Nadia and her
dangerous dog **** (in my opinion, a very sweet five year old female mali) They
took our names and address and let us go. A few days later, I came home from
work and there were six police cars in front of my house and they took me and
the dogs to the police station. We went to the station and waited for the "experts".
They looked first at my female and then did some bitework on the Schuthund sleeve.
They said it was very good on the out and the dog had very good training on
the sleeve. After this, they said not so bad. The dog is good in obedience and
with children and so forth. Then they said they wanted to work her on the bitesuit.
I said I don't want this because I know how they could work the dog and they
pressured me so I let the dog see the guy in the bitesuit, but did not send
her for the bite. Even though she did not bite, they said that because she was
excited and barking that was bad. The man in the suit started to agitate her
like a Schutzhund decoy and she started to go for him, but I downed her and
she stayed which was very good. Then they wanted to work my male who was only
six months at the time and they wanted to work him using the stick and I said
no. Not a baby dog. I don't want them to hit him because he is a baby. Then
they wanted to see his obedience. At six months he could already sit and down
and here and it was very good. And they said it was ok and let us go. Now we
have a special record and we have to wait to hear from them what the penalty
will be. It has been since October of 2000 and we still wait. To make Mondioring
protection work, I must come to Switzerland. The tug is permitted, but no bitesuit
and no leg sleeve.
Is there anything you think you can do?
No, we wrote letters to explain Mondioring and invited to governments and experts
to see our training, but they said no. They don't come to see what we are doing.
So, now you must travel here to Switzerland to train, and maybe some day
you can go to the world championships and bring a title back for Germany?
I can not say that I come to Switzerland to make Mondioring because I now have
a "nice" dog and if they know that I make Mondioring, then I have
a dangerous dog.........
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