May 19, 2011
I would like to train my new pup in Schutzhund and Pers. Protection. Can this be done? I get different answers from different people.
Full Question:
Hello,I just ordered two of your videos, "Bite Training for Puppies" and "The First Steps of Bite Training," and I'm eagerly awaiting their arrival. I have a question that I have posted on the message boards and asked several trainers about all with varying responses.
First of all I have a Belgian Malinois pup age four months. I want to eventually train him for personal protection since I own a retail business. I also like the idea of competing in a sport such as Schutzhund or French ring? Can I do both? How do I go about this? I'm going to see yet another trainer named Francis Metcalf. I hear nothing but good things about him. I hope he can point me in the right direction. In the meantime do you have any advice to offer me?
Thank you in advance,
Amanda
Ed's Answer:
It does not need to matter what your future plans are with your dog, you still have to take the dog through bite development. Police service dogs, personal protection dogs, Schutzhund dogs, Ring Sport dogs, and KNPV dogs ALL GO THROUGH bite development as young dogs.
If you expect to compete at a high level of competition in Schutzhund you should focus your training on GRIP development . You can start that work with my training tape titled BUILDING DRIVE FOCUS AND GRIP with Bernhard Flinks.
If you just want to compete at a club level and not a national level you do not need to focus in on your early training. In my opinion this is a mistake.
Once the young dog goes through that stage of work, then it's training will change according to the job it must perform. After bite development, the difference between sport work and personal protection work is only the skills or exercises that the dog must learn and the environment they learn and perform in.
Some dogs cannot deal with the stress of working in varying environments, but they can work in the same environment (a Schutzhund sport field) and do reasonably well.
Usually the more serious work is not going to become a factor until after the dog is 12 to 14 months old. So you don't have anything to worry about until them.
So those people who told you something different than this - need more experience training dogs or don't understand what they are talking about. You may want to consider The First Steps of Defense. It is the video that shows how to move a dog from bite development into the more serious work.
All dogs that are going into more specialized training (Police Service Work, Schutzhund Work or Personal Protection Work) need to go through this phase of training before moving on. Most of the time defensive work does not start until a dog is 12 months (on excellent dogs) to 18 months (on normal dogs).
If you expect to compete at a high level of competition in Schutzhund you should focus your training on GRIP development . You can start that work with my training tape titled BUILDING DRIVE FOCUS AND GRIP with Bernhard Flinks.
If you just want to compete at a club level and not a national level you do not need to focus in on your early training. In my opinion this is a mistake.
Once the young dog goes through that stage of work, then it's training will change according to the job it must perform. After bite development, the difference between sport work and personal protection work is only the skills or exercises that the dog must learn and the environment they learn and perform in.
Some dogs cannot deal with the stress of working in varying environments, but they can work in the same environment (a Schutzhund sport field) and do reasonably well.
Usually the more serious work is not going to become a factor until after the dog is 12 to 14 months old. So you don't have anything to worry about until them.
So those people who told you something different than this - need more experience training dogs or don't understand what they are talking about. You may want to consider The First Steps of Defense. It is the video that shows how to move a dog from bite development into the more serious work.
All dogs that are going into more specialized training (Police Service Work, Schutzhund Work or Personal Protection Work) need to go through this phase of training before moving on. Most of the time defensive work does not start until a dog is 12 months (on excellent dogs) to 18 months (on normal dogs).
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