Keep Your Dog Sharp With These Best Dog Bite Sleeves

Getting the accurate dog bite sleeve for your canine is very important. There are many things to consider, the primary being your safety and that of your dog. You don’t want your puppy biting your hand because of a flaw in the bite sleeve design. Also, you don’t want your dog to get sick from biting something in the bite sleeve. Another important thing when buying a bite sleeve is durability. Some poor-quality bite sleeves will wear out after a few bites from your dog.

With that in mind, let’s look at these important considerations:

The Type of Dog Bite Sleeve

There are different dog bite sleeves, designed to suit your dog’s training level. They include:

Belgian arms

The Belgian arm sleeve is a dog bite sleeve used to train your dog to target the triceps and bicep. What this means is, with consistent training, your dog, when commanded to, would instantly target a bicep or tricep. Police dog trainers often favor this type of bite sleeve. The major advantage of a Belgian arm bite sleeve is that it can be used without a bite suit. That’s why many police dog trainers use it.

Often, they use it as a starter for the dog, before transitioning to a bite suit. The reason for this is, if the dog gets trained with a bite suit, it’s less likely to focus on a specific target. Its grip will not be firm and it will get distracted with other body parts. However, with a Belgian suit, the dog knows exactly what to target.

Wedge sleeves

A wedge sleeve is another type of dog bite sleeve that’s favored by police dog trainers. It’s used to prepare dogs for frontal attacks. They usually place this type of bite sleeves at the left, frontal side of the body, specifically the left bicep. Then, the dog is trained to attack that side. As the training goes on, the trainer will increase the height of the wedge sleeve on the body, to train the dog to aim higher.

Hidden dog bite sleeve

This type of bite sleeve is worn under the clothes. This sleeve is used to prepare the dog for a real-life attack. For instance, with the other sleeves, the dog can clearly see its owner wearing it, so it may feel that it’s safe to bite. This thought could extend to intruders. If the dog doesn’t see a bite sleeve on the intruder’s arm, it may feel that it’s not supposed to bite. The hidden bite sleeve discourages that notion.

The hidden bite sleeve is designed to train the dog to bite without hesitation. Again, it’s another type of sleeve used by police dog trainers. However, if your dog is a guard dog, there’s no reason where you shouldn’t invest in a hidden dog sleeve. Training your dog with a hidden dog sleeve makes it capable of biting down on any surface. As long as it gets the notion that said surface or person is a threat to you.

Leg sleeve

A leg dog bite sleeve is used for a dog that’s advanced in training. It’s also the best equipment to train your dog to target a secondary area, besides the arm. The left dog bite sleeve is often introduced to dogs who have mastered the arm sleeve. When training with these, other regions of the body are blocked, so that the dog learns to target just the leg.

Before buying your dog’s bite sleeve, consider where your dog is in its training. Once you do that, you can match it to any of the above types.

Material

A dog sleeve material is the most important part of the sleeve. It’s the whole part actually. The wrong bite sleeve material is too thin or soft and stretchy. What you need is something that’s hard enough for the dog to bite down on without hesitation and yet delicate enough to not harm your dog. It’s a delicate balance, but it’s one the top dog sleeve brands have perfected.

The best dog bite sleeves are made out of jute material for the outer part. Jute is seen as the best because it is durable. Some other bite dog sleeves are made from French linen. The inner part of the sleeve is often made from thick foam. It also has to be tear-resistant, durable, and have anti-static quality. Some bite sleeve materials are also eco-friendly and skin-friendly. Odds are, you’ll be wearing the dog sleeve for an hour or more, and you need one that won’t leave your skin in a rash.

Target area

This goes without saying, but you still need to consider it. For instance, if you are training your dog to go for the arm, you shouldn’t get a leg bite sleeve and vice versa. You should also start your puppy out with one target area, so it doesn’t get confused. Many dog bite trainers recommend you don’t start your dog out with a bite suit. A bite suit is general, and it doesn’t give your dog a place to target.

Another thing to consider is the purpose of the dog bite sleeve. Are you buying it for hardcore training or for play? Some dog bite sleeves double as both, while others are strictly for training. You need to figure this out so you don’t confuse your dog. Imagine how awful it’d be if your dog accidentally bit someone because it thought they were playing.

Comfort

Make sure to get a bite sleeve that comes with added padding and easy mobility. The sleeve is as much for you, as it is for your dog. You should have an easy and comfortable grip on it. You should also be able to adjust it and take it off easily. If you are ambidextrous, you should go for a dog bite sleeve that works on both arms. The sleeve should also be lightweight, breathable, and comfortable. That’s important if you are getting a sleeve that covers your entire arm.