May 19, 2011
I just got a GSD pup and would like to train him in Schutzhund. Where do you think I should start?
Full Question:
Mr.Frawley,Hi my name is Jack and I have been looking through your site and it is full of excellent information but I'm not sure what I'm looking for. I just brought a German Shepherd pup, he is now 10 weeks old. He was 8 1/2 weeks old when I purchased him and brought him home. He comes from a very good working line.
I want to train him in Schutzhund, like his parents. I have looked through your site and read some of your articles on training but I don't know where to start.
In your opinion what books or videos should I get? What age should I start trying to train him? What should I start with first? Sorry for all the questions but I'm really interested in trying to train him in schutzhund. I would really like to see if he will train as well as his parents have.
Thank You for your time and I look forward to your response. Have a wonderful day.
Jack
Ed's Answer:
I recommend that you go to my web site and read the article I wrote on my philosophy of dog training. I think you will get some good ideas there.
Your training should start today. You have more to learn than your dog.
I would recommend that you get the DVD I recently finished titled HOW TO RAISE A WORKING PUPPY. It is 75 minutes long. If you go to the link you will be able to read the description of the chapters in the DVD. I have bred over 340 litters of working puppies in the past 30 years and Cindy (my partner) has been breeding and competing in dog sports at a national level for 20 years.
There are 2 training videos I recommend people get to start the protection training process.
Training Drive Focus and Grip
Preparing Your Dog for the Helper
I produced both tapes based on the training of Bernhard Flinks. He is a German police K9 handler and top Schutzhund competitor.
The beauty of this training program is the handler does all of the foundation work in protection training himself. With young dogs this can start at 8 weeks and go to about 12 to 13 months of age. Older dogs receive the exact same training as young dogs they just proceed through the program a quicker. These videos teach handlers how to do prey drive work with their own dog through drive exercises. Dogs learn the foundation of the exercises that they will need to know when they meet the helper for the first time. I compare this to a father teaching a child karate. He is not really fighting with his children, he is teaching them the moves to use in a fight.
I recommend starting with "Training DRIVE - FOCUS and GRIP" It is one of my best training videos. It's the first is a series of tapes done with Bernard. It is the foundation of Bernard's training program. It teaches handlers how to build a relationship of trust and understanding with the dog. Bernard is the only instructor I have ever seen that places so much emphasis on building a bond between the handler and dog.
The Drive and Focus video teaches you how to build drive in your dog. Every dog inherits a genetic level of drive, this varies from dog to dog. The training in this tape shows how to bring your dog up to its own genetic level of drive. The tape then teaches the dog to show self control while in drive. If you think of it when a dog shows self control when he is in drive this is in effect working under extreme distraction and that's the foundation of obedience training.
Every dog MUST learn to control it's drive if it is to become a competitive Schutzhund dog or a Police Service dog or a Personal Protection dog or a Competition Obedience dog. The later videos in this series will train the dog that heeling, sit, down and come are drive commands and not compulsion commands.
Through this training we show how to work at building a calm solid grip from day one. A solid grip shows a clear mind. We teach the dog to be comfortable in maintaining the calm grip in the presence of the handler. If a dog cant have a solid grip in the presence of his handler he has a problem with the handler. We show how to address this issue. We also teach the dog in the first steps of the OUT command.
It takes 3 to 5 weeks to work through the training in this video. When the dog has finished this work he is ready to move into the training in the second video. (Preparing Your Dog for the Helper)
There will be a continuing series of about 10 tapes with Bernhard - they will walk you through the process. These videos have all been filmed its just a matter of getting them edited. The next release will take up where these tapes leaves you.
The announcement of new videos being released is always done on the table of contents of my web site.
When I sell a puppy we give out puppy customers my DVD Your Puppy 8 Weeks to 8 Months. Many of the concepts in this DVD get people off to the right start. This information is different that the Raising a working puppy.
I also recommend my 4 hour DVD Basic Dog Obedience.
With these DVDs you will have enough information to get you through the first year of your dog's life – maybe a few months longer.
Your training should start today. You have more to learn than your dog.
I would recommend that you get the DVD I recently finished titled HOW TO RAISE A WORKING PUPPY. It is 75 minutes long. If you go to the link you will be able to read the description of the chapters in the DVD. I have bred over 340 litters of working puppies in the past 30 years and Cindy (my partner) has been breeding and competing in dog sports at a national level for 20 years.
There are 2 training videos I recommend people get to start the protection training process.
Training Drive Focus and Grip
Preparing Your Dog for the Helper
I produced both tapes based on the training of Bernhard Flinks. He is a German police K9 handler and top Schutzhund competitor.
The beauty of this training program is the handler does all of the foundation work in protection training himself. With young dogs this can start at 8 weeks and go to about 12 to 13 months of age. Older dogs receive the exact same training as young dogs they just proceed through the program a quicker. These videos teach handlers how to do prey drive work with their own dog through drive exercises. Dogs learn the foundation of the exercises that they will need to know when they meet the helper for the first time. I compare this to a father teaching a child karate. He is not really fighting with his children, he is teaching them the moves to use in a fight.
I recommend starting with "Training DRIVE - FOCUS and GRIP" It is one of my best training videos. It's the first is a series of tapes done with Bernard. It is the foundation of Bernard's training program. It teaches handlers how to build a relationship of trust and understanding with the dog. Bernard is the only instructor I have ever seen that places so much emphasis on building a bond between the handler and dog.
The Drive and Focus video teaches you how to build drive in your dog. Every dog inherits a genetic level of drive, this varies from dog to dog. The training in this tape shows how to bring your dog up to its own genetic level of drive. The tape then teaches the dog to show self control while in drive. If you think of it when a dog shows self control when he is in drive this is in effect working under extreme distraction and that's the foundation of obedience training.
Every dog MUST learn to control it's drive if it is to become a competitive Schutzhund dog or a Police Service dog or a Personal Protection dog or a Competition Obedience dog. The later videos in this series will train the dog that heeling, sit, down and come are drive commands and not compulsion commands.
Through this training we show how to work at building a calm solid grip from day one. A solid grip shows a clear mind. We teach the dog to be comfortable in maintaining the calm grip in the presence of the handler. If a dog cant have a solid grip in the presence of his handler he has a problem with the handler. We show how to address this issue. We also teach the dog in the first steps of the OUT command.
It takes 3 to 5 weeks to work through the training in this video. When the dog has finished this work he is ready to move into the training in the second video. (Preparing Your Dog for the Helper)
There will be a continuing series of about 10 tapes with Bernhard - they will walk you through the process. These videos have all been filmed its just a matter of getting them edited. The next release will take up where these tapes leaves you.
The announcement of new videos being released is always done on the table of contents of my web site.
When I sell a puppy we give out puppy customers my DVD Your Puppy 8 Weeks to 8 Months. Many of the concepts in this DVD get people off to the right start. This information is different that the Raising a working puppy.
I also recommend my 4 hour DVD Basic Dog Obedience.
With these DVDs you will have enough information to get you through the first year of your dog's life – maybe a few months longer.
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