We saw our first demo on Aug 30 at the Alaska State Fairgrounds. While it was impressive I can't get past the fear of it. I talked to the guys that wear the pads to get their take on it. They love it. They demoed puppy training as well as adult dog exercises. I was actully uncomfortable with it. Maybe because they were not in police uniforms. I'm high lighting the "Dog Day" events in the next Alaska Dog News and can talk about the Lure coursing, agility and weight pulling but this one is a tough one. I dont want this to look like someone can train this on their own. Any ideas how to approach the description of schutzhund for an article to the general public.
Linda Henning- publisher
I would start by outlining the sport and it's history. Then go on about how much training, handler control, and time this sport requires.
Maybe have an interview with one of the trainers that was present at the fair and have him talk about the importance of training with an experienced trainer, do your homework about the sport and the type of dog it requires, make sure you are ready for the commitment of training and owning a dog of this caliber.
I would have a very strong emphasis on the fact that these dogs are highly trained and are not "attack" dogs in the usual sense. Handlers must have more control over their dogs than the average owner and dogs must have a higher level of training than the average house pet. The dogs must know what to bite and when to bite, and be able to stop a bite at the command of the handler.
I would focus on just information and impress upon the public the importance of proper training and the knowledge that this sport requires. Also, have a contact person that they can call or email if they have any questions regarding the sport or clubs in the area.
Also, if you do have a fear of it maybe you should educate yourself about the sport and get some more exposure to it so that you can deliver the information with an unbiased angle.
It depends on how important it is to you to be able to deliver an educated article.
Linda,
From your post, I would ask that you do not publish anything about SchH - you have too many preconceived notions about what the sport is ( despite not having any factual basis to back up those fears ) and you would simply do the sport a disservice by mentioning it at all.
Please, leave it be.
Thanks for coming to board to better educate yourself and admitting that you don't quite understand the sport. Too many people would just write down their perception without delving further into the sport. It is not uncommon for lay people to misinterpret what the sport is about and I think it is great that you want to ensure that you properly explain what the sport is about :-)
To follow up on what Niomi said I would consider contacting a couple of the big schutzhund organizations and speak with them and explain that you are writing an article for the general public describing what the sport of Schutzhund is about.
Do not worry and of course you might since you do not know me. Fear was the wrong word to use. "Uncomfortable" is more like it, when I came home and looked at my Dane mix who I had discussed as a possible student with one of the trainers. I don't write about anything when I don't feel I have a good understanding and I recognize I do not in this area. The worst thing I could do is misrepresent a canine sport.
At the risk of a thread hijack, what would constitute a good public demo for Schutzhund.
The club I currently belong to did one earlier this year. We will likely get invited back for next year. Audience is general upper income suburban. Time slot is about an hour.
So, with an eye towards next year ...
1) Linda, what made you uncomfortable with what you saw?
2) What aspects should be featured? How should they be presented?
3) What about a 'Meet the Dogs' session? (Selected dogs only )
I'm thinking of something like, "From Puppy To Podium" with a bit about why we do it, how the dogs are selected and trained,and some work by the experienced dogs -- tracking, obedience and protection.
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