We are heading in the DVG direction with some nice young dogs. Most of the people are new and have had little or no dog experience.
The Dogs, at first, are taught to carry the sleeve. In fact they are taught to be possessive of it. While the club has several sleeve I have donated ONE OF my Frabo young adult sleeves to them because I like the bite bar and feel it is a good sleeve for most bite work development. I like the of the way it is made there is a reduced risk in injury on a dog with a helper who may be learning himself and this sleeve held up to military dogs on base. Little has changed about it over the last 12-13 years and this tells me others agree with me on this.
The debate about what sleeve to use in when is settled and determined by my opinion of the dog’s level and his need to advance to other sleeves for bite development. The club has puppy tugs, sleeves and other bite development equipment with a cash reserve to get more when/if needed. The dog comes first so dressing up and playing the part will always be secondary to the needs that training presents.
If the dog drops the sleeve you will be told to pull the dog away to eliminate sleeve chewing as it is not helpful to the dogs training and damages equipment. The out command is taught latter in the training once the dog progresses enough in prey drives. This is to minimize any conflict the dog may have with a correction and/or handler error while building the prey drive as a fun activity.
Demonstrations will be given with my dog Iltza a GSD puppy I have selected to compete with in this sport. At 10 weeks she is learning focus, attention, tracking box and does burlap sack work without a tieback.
I sent several months in training with one of the top schutzhund trainers ever and then stayed on an extra month and focus in bite work (normal day would be 30 –40 bites from many different dogs and levels of training) and I have worked in the helper capacity for several schutzhund and police k9s in trial and in field practice.
I hope to be able to break away from business enough to get DVG helper certifications this year. NO dog will get more then acclimation to the stick and progressive but minimal defensive hits until its prey is developed to a high level and its bite is full and secure. The club has a padded scloss stick, a longer hard stick for zipping air, a popper whip and a gun for blanks.
When we teach dogs to negotiate the meter jump it is progressive starting with a low section and gradually building the height to 3 inches the one-meter requirement. We do this in order to catch and bad jump habits like kicking off the jump board or tipping with back feet. You will learn about the two ways dogs jump (as in their natural style)
Regardless of your dog’s jumping ability, you dog will be allowed to jump only ONE WAY and then trotted far ahead and AROUND the jump to attempt another one way jump. The reason behind this: Dog’s are creatures of habit if the dog learn he or she can jump over a jump and back again WITHOUT something to retrieve it may cost you in the long run when the dog fails to find his retrieve article at some point.
I helped a trainer named Jeff Linds get his dog Beau to a schutzhund I while in school. This technique saved him as the dog jumped over but could not find his dumbbell, (Jeff tossed it wide by accident as many do because of nerves in testing.) Beau looked what seemed like forever as Jeff stood still and quite knowing the dog had been never allowed to return over the jump the other way without his retrieve article. Even as Beau looked up and started to load some about his job he continied to look. Finally he found it turned ran sideways to the jump (wide toss remember) jumped over the jump but dropped it jumped back over the jump and retrived it and retuned for a perfect sit front to the crowds dismay.
Yet another ability about retrieving and jumping can be found with a Giant Schnauzer named Jack who was an excellent narcotics dog and received his training from his owner and I personally instructed his owner while he was being trained. Jack would demonstrate top obedience and he was able to retrieve a shop broom over the A-frame and a scoop shovel over the high jump. Oh and the dumbbells required for schutzhund. Jack and still works the streets in Iowa.
So count on jumping only one way until we mix the retrieve work.
If you train as I have instruct in the free materials most dogs can achieve proficiency in all the BH requirements under 12 week…It is dependant on your training commitment and the lessons are not long. Training short and correct each day will get you there faster then hours of training each day as some think they need. Train right and you will need less time then you think.
While I enjoy seminars I am a very busy guy with training commitments and clients with deadlines. Though I can and have made from time to time commitments to seminars I see little point in training with others who disrespect me even when I have given them solutions to their training problems. Though not all are disrespectful I see no point in dragging mud on the surface of what is still only a hobby of mine. Life is too short and I am very involved in some large projects.
All members a re welcomed to ask question and call me if they have training problems. You are required to use a kennel and unless your dog has a need to be n the field you are asked to take the dog to a secured and cool area. While some people will see more then one dog on the field some of the reasons would be to stimulate younger or weaker dogs about the game being played since dogs do learn by association. We try to create a relaxed and fun environment that your dog will be eventually excited to come to each training session.
All members have schutzhund rulebooks, but are reminded that they must learn to break their training into small parts to master and thus the rulebooks are used as a reference but the individual sections will be separated and trained. Going though the requirements is not helpful unless you want to pattern train. I hold the philosophy that your dog should be good enough not to need pattern training to look good. It always goes back to the basics and so we spend a lot of time on the basics. Get them right and all advanced work should fall into place much easier.
What is the reasoning behind this?
We don’t visit other clubs very often but I encourage all members to train where and how they really think is best. I don’t get up tight about other methods of training and if you have a method you like and I know it I will work with you on it despite my own feeling about the method. These schutzhund clubs is about improving the dog, the dog/owner relationship and improving the breed of that dog. (If he/she is good enough.) While we will strive to bring out the best the dog not all dogs can be national winners. If your dog has the drives to do the work and you have the commitment to the training you can go far here.
I do not/did not comment about other clubs specifically save to mention they do exist. I don’t believe in slamming other clubs and if I have, in some way, I hope my apologies are accepted. I am not certain where I have mentioned any specific club or people but it is perhaps honorable to ratify my statements and intentions without harm to another’s integrity. I will be happy if any club does a good job and promotes a good sport naturally, as I am a true fan of dogs.
A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down. - Robert Benchley
In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semi-human. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog. - Edward Hoagland
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