Protection Dog Training - Presa Canario puppy Bite Pillow Introduction

Very early and playful introduction of a bite pillow with my 7 month old, female, Presa Canario puppy (for those wondering she was exactly 7 months old on the day of filming and weighed 92lbs on a calibrated scale).

CoCo-Janel is my first Presa, and has had 1-on-1 training sessions with a very experienced Protection/IPO/Schutzhund dog trainer once a week since she was 4 months old. Even though she is a Presa Canario, comes from a well-documented high caliber protection pedigree, and has great nerves/prey drive/focus/desire to please, we didn't do any kind of protection type training with her until our trainer was satisfied with her on leash obedience. Which only was possible from working with her every single day for at least 2 hours (spread out over the course of the day). From what I am told, CoCo is rare for her breed regarding her aptitude to learn quickly, and not require loads of correction. Especially so young.... Our trainer said that he's never started bite work with a "mastiff family" breed younger than 9 months old (all males), because the mastiffs tend to mature slower then the smaller more agile breeds like pits, malinois, sheppards etc. Which makes the initial obedience work the largest hurdle, and one he refuses to rush and start bite work too early.

Its still early, and she is still far too young to know just how far her desire/enjoyment of protection training will go. More than anything she loves to play, and seems to never run out of gas. Her confidence has significantly increased since beginning the bite work, I have to remind myself shes still just a puppy. The amount of potential she has, rivals a malinois or dutch shepherd, but will pack a punch of 30 to 40lbs more of weight behind it if she continues her progress into a fully developed, adult body, our vet estimates will be 130lbs (her mother weighed 120lbs and father 140lb....grandpas on both sides were 160lbs).