I would take a 14 year old as a beginning ring decoy only because it takes a while to get good at it. We don't put satans helper dog out there for them to work so I don't see a problem. I would put my kid out there the dogs they work on would never bite in the face, and quite honestly I wouldn't work your dog if it bit in the face either, I have a policy of not allowing myself to be any uglier than I already am. Although it would make a cool scar. HA

I think like with all things it depends on the kid which = depends on the parent. Go to the fair and watch young kids handling 2000lb bulls. Or little girls going over 3 foot jumps on a 1200lb horse. Its all on the parents and coaching..period. And in dogs I beleive like in horses and other things the younger the child the older the dog should be. 11 year old kids don't need to learn on a 6th month old puppy. They need a dog who can help teach them. In horses parents spend big bucks for the "been there done that" horse so their child can work on their riding/handling not on training a horse. I think kids who can handle it should get a good early start in obedience and tracking but bite work could be practiced years at home but out in in public a kid should have some minimum age 14-15?? Before competing and then just like a learners permit for driving they should have to meet some guidelines of hours put in and basic skill tests before any competition is allowed. Derek

I agree that there are many teenagers that could undoubtedly handle a dog in SchH, and the young handlers in Europe prove this point over and over again.
But there are many differences that separates the U.S. from the rest of the world, and one of those is our legal system. How many of you here don't think that if a child/ teen was badly bitten in training at a local club, that a lawsuit would not result?

So would all your club officers, the owner of the training field, the helpers and training director - would all of these people be fine with being sued for a serious dog bite injury on a child/ teenager?

I guess thats why a lot of kids don't get to play football as well.

Jeff:
Average number of kids who die playing football at High School level every year is between 9 and 11 every year ( long term, little known fact ).
Average pay out per event for above via law suit - $380 k. A less well known fact...

Well I'm only 17 and live in Australia, though I've never done any protection training( schutzhund banned anyway Come again?

Steven

Well I don't have any experience doing anything like schutzhund or bite work with my dogs, that's all. I don't even have the oppurtunity because schutzhund is banned anyway.

Megan or Anybody....Why is it banned???? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

It is banned in australia <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> . As far as I know legislation has been passed that any dog trained to bite has to be desexed and declared dangerous. The RSPCA and German shepherd Clubs (show people)support this too.

Megan,Megan, Megan... as a participant at a schutzhund club in Melbourne (Australia) I sincerely regret your remarks. Schutzhund IS NOT illegal! There is actually a legal precedent whereby a local council tried to declare a rottweiler a dangerous dog - the gentleman concerned took the case to the administrative appeals tribunal (may now have changed it's name to VCAT) and won - the judge concerned found that training in schutzhund did not make the dog dangerous. Follow the link to http://www.machtzucht.net.au/AUSC%20Press%20Release.htm for a brief description. As you will see...this was as long ago as 1998.
Regardless of what state legislation could be interpreted as meaning there ARE a number of schutzhund clubs nationally (well actually only VIC, NSW, QLD)
that regularly train, trial and compete without being harrassed, charged, or convicted of ANY criminal offence by ANY municipal, state or federal law enforcement agency. I should know - in Victoria we have had 3 trials in the last 2 months without any dramas at all. "schutzhund is illegal and dangerous" - that's the emotive and deceptive cry that the GSDCA want you (and others) to believe - since they are not interested in schutzhund they don't want anybody else to be either. Did you know that as an affiliate of the WUSV (world union of german shepherd national bodies or clubs) the GSDCA is supposed to SUPPORT and ENCOURAGE schutzhund - not pretend it's illegal and try and ruin a perfectly legitimate hobby for Australian Schutzhund enthusiasts???

The practical rub is that if you are interested in schutzhund and you live near Melbourne, Syndey, Brisbane or the Gold Coast (there is also another club somewhere on the NSW coast - can't remember which city though)let me know and I will give you contact details for someone at a club so that you can go and train!! Sound good??
So don't get despondent - we are out there!!