[tonyb]

Hey I'm interested in getting ky pup into schutzhund as well as other working sports like weight pulling and had some questions. First how old should a dog be before they start training ? And are there any problems with dogs and human or dog aggression from training ? Basically I want my dog to be good around people and at least be able to be around other dogs still but be a protector if / when needed if that makes sense ? Sorry for the newb questions lol.

 

[performanceknls]

Schutzhund sport is not the same a personal protection. Schutzhund is very choreographed and has nothing to do with personal protection, DA, or HA. Schutzhund sport is much more than the protection it has Obedience and tracking. None of my Schutzhund dogs are good protectors so if that is the only reason for doing Schutzhund then it is the wrong sport. HA or DA dogs are not dogs you would select to do the sport so that should not be your concern. Now what are expectations or goals and I can point you in the right direction.

 

[Indigo Bully Connection]

Hey I'm interested in getting ky pup into schutzhund as well as other working sports like weight pulling and had some questions. First how old should a dog be before they start training ? And are there any problems with dogs and human or dog aggression from training ? Basically I want my dog to be good around people and at least be able to be around other dogs still but be a protector if / when needed if that makes sense ? Sorry for the newb questions lol.

light and FUN obedience IMO should be started right away. A Schutzhund dog IS a stable dog that is not HA. There HAS to be a separation from work and off time. Protection work is work for the dog not a "fine tuning" of irrational behaviors within your dog like most people assume. Find a good club and start to visit them regularly... visit as many clubs as possible before settling in and paying a membership to one. A club is like a training family that learns as they go because every handler and dog is different. Ask a bunch of questions about whys and hows. Socialization is the key, just don't stop going to the training enviornment. Schutzhund is more like a triathalon for your dog, not protection which is a huge misconception. Schutzhund incorporates a little agility, obedience, tracking and protection to create the ultimate companion dog. It's a rigorous sport that takes ALOT of dedication so much so that most people give up because it requires A LOT of your time to prepare for. IMO if you're looking for a guardian you're better off finding a dog that has been created for such. Laying the foundation for the protection part of the sport starts young but you should not allow your pups to do impact activity until at least 10 months of age.

I've never dabbled in weight pull but the general consensus around here is that you don't start pulling until the dog is two because of damage to the pups while in the developmental stage.

 

[Indigo Bully Connection]

Schutzhund sport is not the same a personal protection. Schutzhund is very choreographed and has nothing to do with personal protection, DA, or HA. Schutzhund sport is much more than the protection it has Obedience and tracking. None of my Schutzhund dogs are good protectors so if that is the only reason for doing Schutzhund then it is the wrong sport. HA or DA dogs are not dogs you would select to do the sport so that should not be your concern. Now what are expectations or goals and I can point you in the right direction.

Good post!

 

[performanceknls]

IMO the younger the better to start a dog off with if that is what you want to do. If course you cannot do protection with a 12 week puppy but you can build prey drive and the foundation for bite work. I am getting my new puppy today, she is 14 weeks and starts Schutzhund this Sunday.

 

[Sadie]

Schutzhund sport is not the same a personal protection. Schutzhund is very choreographed and has nothing to do with personal protection, DA, or HA. Schutzhund sport is much more than the protection it has Obedience and tracking. None of my Schutzhund dogs are good protectors so if that is the only reason for doing Schutzhund then it is the wrong sport. HA or DA dogs are not dogs you would select to do the sport so that should not be your concern. Now what are expectations or goals and I can point you in the right direction.

Good Post Lisa :goodpost: I have found out too that Shutz trainer's will not work with dog's who they believe are not cut out for this type of work. If you have an unstable dog, or a dog who lacks drive and basic obedience. They won't touch your dog regardless if it's a working breed.

 

[tonyb]

I'm not looking for a protector really but I want to get my boy onto the sport. It seems like something that will be good for us to do together. I really don't have much knowledge on it that is why I am here lol. I just didn't want to get him involved and set him up for failure with an aggression issue. I have been working with him with obedience and for his age he is pretty good , stays next to me on the leash and follows all basic commands very well except for lay down lol. So if you wana give me a little more info on it I would appreciate it. I am probably interested in the obedience and agility the most. I guess I thought it was protection based due to the bite work. As far as the WP I read on here that around 10 months very light pulls can be started but I still have a lot of time to figure it out lol. I'm in no rush to get him started but the sooner the better.

 

[performanceknls]

How old is he? If you are really serious about getting into the sport you need to go to a club as soon as you can. Most of what people do to dogs to make them obedient is really counter productive in sports. Many people take the drive out of obedience and that is a huge no no for sports work.

Find a club and here is some info you can also do a search online in your area just goggle it.
http://www.gopitbull.com/Schutzhund/15998-newbies-how-find-sch-club.html

Here is some video about schutzhund and what to expect.
This is the BH and the first level, it is a temperament test

Here is another one of my dogs doing the BH

Then you have the Sch 1, I do not have the tracking on video but here is the Obed and protection part.

Obedience

Protection

As you can see it takes a lot of work!!! Many people to not stay in the sport when they find out how much is involved. I have 4 Schutzhund dogs and I train 5 days a week, when our club meets on Sundays we train for 4 hours. Go to a club and watch and if you are really into it, have fun! I love it!

There is a sticky section in the schutzhund forum and it talks about all this go check it out.

 

[tonyb]

Thanx for the info. I've found a couple clubs but some seem to be gsd only. I gotta call them ACDSee wich ones aren't breed specific. He's 13 weeks now so still pretty young.

 

[performanceknls]

Most breed club are not breed specific they just might have more GSD or all GSD dogs at the moment. We mostly have GSD and Malinios at our club then my pitties.

 

[tonyb]

I found a club near by that is not breed specific , what age would you recommend starting at ?

 

[performanceknls]

I start as 12 weeks a soon as they get their shots. Of course you are not going to be doing serious bite work for a while but you can start the foundation of Obed and prey drive as early as 6 weeks. I just started with my 4 month old pup but that is only because I got her just last week. The earlier the better so you do not give the pup bad habits that is counter productive in sports work.