My husband and I were planning on training our 6 month old female GSD for Schutzhund. A few weeks ago, someone mentioned NAPD to my husband, and now he wants to have her trained to compete in NAPD instead. I've searched the internet and have found some information on NAPD, but not a lot. Do any of you have any thoughts on this? I like the idea of real-life scenarios compared to the protection phase of Schutzhund, but I'm not sure we should switch gears and jump into something we know very little about. By the way, I've never trained a dog for any kind of protection work before, so technically I don't know much about Schutzhund either...certainly nothing first hand <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> If any of you can provide some insight into NAPD or give me any advice, I would appreciate hearing from you. I am completely new to this so all information will be appreciated! Thanks.

Melissa

MSpindler,

Here is the web site for NAPD http://www.napdweb.org/index.htm . The web site has some descriptions of some past trials so you can get an idea of what they are doing. The good news is NAPD is a fun trial. The obedience is very basic. Sits, downs, recalls, heeling, all close and distance, both voice and/or hand commands. The trials vary every time as to protection secenarios. They aren't totaly realistic, but they are challenging. They use a wide varity of distractions leaf blowers, buckets of water, dummy bite suits, dolls, bites going in to cars, bites comming out of cars, wadeing pools, call offs, passive bites, just about anything they can think of. In comparison to Sch, NAPD does not do tracking, no retrieving, there are occasionaly obsticals that need to be jumped to get to a bad guy, but no consistant obstacales. The dogs are scored for making a bite or doing the call off. The secenarios are timed, if the bite isn't made in time the dog scores a 0. In schutzhund there is an exercise where the dog is "driven", holds on to a sleeve and the helper runs with the dog doing stick hits, in NAPD they look for the dog to control the agitator. They prize dogs that hit harder and can maintain control over the agitator when they get them. In some scenarios the agitator is attempting to get to something if the dog is on they do not move towards the item, if the dog comes off they move to the item. If they get it the dog gets a 0. One thing awarded at every trial is a bad guy's choice award. They are looking for the dog that hits the hardest. Usually a dog that has 0ed at something. Unlike Sch, the obedience also varies evry time. The exercises perfomed vary and the distractions during obedience vary. They have had people in bite suits shake the handlers hand over the dog, playing football, hoses squirting water (they really like water), throwing tennis balls, anything they can think of.

The bad news is that there isn't anything very close to you that you could compete in consistantly. The nearsest club is in Lansing, MI. Next will be a club they are starting in Texas. Most of the clubs are in California, with a club in AZ, and a club starting in Nevada. There is some talk of a club in Utah starting. If you have a group interested in starting a club contact the NAPD national office. The more the merrier (it would give an excuse too travel more). The nearest thing to you that is similar would be K-9 Pro Sports trials. They have a web site too but I don't have the address handy.

Thanks for the info. I read the scenarios on the website and it sounds like a lot of fun! The website I was looking at before must be an old version of the website you listed. This one was at http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Field/1511/local.htm and it had a local club listed in Pasadena, Maryland. Maybe that club no longer exists. The person who told us about NAPD is from that area and he said that they had a club, so now I'm confused about that. Even if there isn't one here yet, Mercy is only 6 months old. Maybe by the time she's a little older they will have formed a club in our area.

I'll check out the other two sports you mentioned. From what I've read and what I'm hearing, I'd much rather participate in one of these than Schutzhund, and it sounds like the dog would love it too.

Thanks!

Melissa

Does anyone like SchH anymore? I don't want to win by default!

Sorry, Vince. I'm not trying to knock Schutzhund. I've never competed in it, but some of these other sports seem a little less routine. I'm looking for something unpredictable...I like to be different <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Vince,

Come over to the DARK SIDE, we have fun trials, they make you think!!!!
On second thought...........

That's okay, Vince, we'll always have the American Show Shepherd (sic) people to continually remind us SchH folks that WE are the original DARK SIDE, that bitin' dogs are vicious dogs and thank God none of their American Show Shepherds (sic) will be found on a Schutzhund field, being beaten half to death (sic) by some stick-wielding psycho (sic). There's plenty of DARK SIDE to go around here, folks! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I just checked out the NAPD site. You are right it is more real. Real stupid that is. LOL. It sounded pretty cool. Might even consider it after my SchH3.

Melissa
If you want I can put you in touch with some folks from your area that are getting a new organization going?
I can tell you this much the chances of getting the NAPD back east here are slim and none. I was involved a lot a couple of years ago with the NAPD. I decoyed there trials and I competed with my dog. I even got a club going here in PA and we put on trials. My friends in MD did the same. Stuff happened and as far as I am concerned they shot themselves in the foot with the people out here in the east.

Doug