Hello everyone,
I'm a new member to the board. I have some questions which I would like to ask. I'm getting close to retirement from my current job/profession and am looking at a second career.. for my second career I want to do something which I will enjoy. A couple of years ago we purchased a GSD/Husky mix puppy while stationed in the U.K. Tan in color, with one blue eye and one brown.. A real good looking dog. We named him Dakota.

As he got older he quickly proved to us how smart he is.. we were able to house train him very quickly and now we have him very well obedience trained and he can do many tricks via verbal commands and hand signals from a distance. My wife and I trained him ourselves. I found that I totally enjoyed training and working with him. After doing some research I found several sites which offer courses in becoming a "Certified Dog trainer" One such place is http://www.tarheelcanine.com
which offers a Dog trainers training program.

I also found this site and have since ordered some of Ed Frawley's training videos.

I have thought about many different ideas:
- Breeding then training GSD's in basic obedience for sale
- Training protection dogs

My questions are:
1. Has anyone here done this? How easy would this be to get going?
2. Is it even a realistic idea?
3. Am I starting to late in life to even try something like this?

Does anyone out there have any suggestions, input from experience, anytthing would be great. Thanks.
Dave

Tarheel Canine has an excellent reputation. Triple Crown out of Texas and Tom Rose are good schools to consider, also. I would not even consider any other school. Most certifications are junk.

A good education is important, but, nothing replaces experience and there is no better "certification" than a happy well trained dog at your side in addition to dogsport titles in AKC, Schutzhund, etc.

The selling of trained dogs is a small market....Especially PP trained dogs. And very hard to get into without the experience behind you in the working dog world. You should focus on the pet world and specialize....possibly behavioral solutions for dominant and aggressive behavior.

Then, move into breeding and PP training when you have the right experience and background. You should find a good Schutzhund Club to join.

Just some quick thoughts....I hope it helps.

 Quote: Dave Rowe

3. Am I starting to late in life to even try something like this?

Remember, old dogs can learn new tricks, too!

Dave,

I also once considered attending Tarheel but have since changed directions. I would recommend Triple Crown, in Texas. I will be attending there in February 09.

1.) I am starting my own business finally after working with dogs for almost 12 years. It is not easy, even for something as "simple" as behavior modification and obedience training. Though IMO this will depend on where you live/the kind of competition you have/client base. I have spent the last 10 months (moved 10 months ago) building a reputation before attempting to make myself a business. I've spent a lot of time doing things for free to get solid references and still don't have as many as I'd like.

2.)To be perfectly honest, no. Not yet, at least.

How many dogs have you owned/trained? Is Dakota your first? What makes you wish to breed? I always tend to discourage people from breeding. A lot of people want to breed dogs, for various reasons. Most of which are not of benefit to the breeds in question or the dogs produced. I am sure some breeders here will chime in on this one to give you more information as I am not a breeder, though I have it planned in my future.

You say protection training - are you thinking personal protection or sport like ringsport or Schutzhund? Have you ever owned a high drive full throttle working dog?

I would recommend volunteering at local shelters, kennels, and rescues to gain experience just handling various dogs and move up from there. Triple Crown or other academy (like Tom Rose School or Tarheel) would also be something to consider.

Working with a smart, good natured dog is one thing. Handling dogs bred for work is another It's never too late to start but taking into consideration your potential clients and their dogs I think it is in everyone's best interest to start small and build up on your experiences.

Regarding training dogs, my thinking: 5, 10, 15 years are going to go by no matter what you do. Might as well spend those years doing something you enjoy and reaching a certain goal at the end of it. Goal-wise, you could be somewhere you'd like to be.

I would advise to skip on the breeding of GSDs. There are tons of "breeders" of GSDs out there, and tons of GSDs in shelters because of it. Breeding should be a career. Lots of study and research, knowledge of lines (which lines and why, for what purpose. GSDs need a purpose, a job), bettering of the breed which is why the research and experience is needed. I've often contemplated breeding my beloved breed of choice, the GSD, but I don't want to risk putting puppies out there, to homes I'll never be sure about, just to satisfy my desire to breed them, something I've wanted to do since childhood. (Not saying this pertains to you.) I would rather leave that to the professionals whom I trust to better the breed I love so much. The future of the GSD depends on it.

 Quote: sandy moore

I would advise to skip on the breeding of GSDs. There are tons of "breeders" of GSDs out there, and tons of GSDs in shelters because of it. Breeding should be a career. Lots of study and research, knowledge of lines (which lines and why, for what purpose. GSDs need a purpose, a job), bettering of the breed which is why the research and experience is needed. I've often contemplated breeding my beloved breed of choice, the GSD, but I don't want to risk putting puppies out there, to homes I'll never be sure about, just to satisfy my desire to breed them, something I've wanted to do since childhood. (Not saying this pertains to you.) I would rather leave that to the professionals whom I trust to better the breed I love so much. The future of the GSD depends on it.

Sandy is correct. However, if your are truly committed, and it is a real passion, and you are willing to put in the upfront investment of time(Years!) and hard work in training to develop a good reputation in the working dog world before you breed, and you want to truly contribute to the betterment of the breed...Why not? Follow your dream.

If it is just part of your business plan to sell obedience and protection trained dogs....Absolutely not! I'll repeat myself, Sandy is correct.

I recently raised a litter of rescue dogs, I didn't breed them but rather got a pregnant female.

Meaning I put NO time into the research, selection, testing, training, certification etc. of the parents nor money into their purchase/import (all of which you SHOULD do if you are a reputable breeder). I can tell you that in spite of that, raising a litter is *unbelievably* expensive and time consuming.

It would be almost impossible to raise a litter properly if you have ANY other job, including a training business. It takes SO MUCH TIME and money. And you are not guaranteed to sell all of the pups. Finding homes and screening puppy customers is hard work too.

That said, having a well behaved dog is only the first step to becoming a dog trainer.

In my personal opinion, someone who can train a German shepherd (an intelligent, driven, attentive breed) can NOT necessarily train a hound (an independent, stubborn breed). I like to ask trainers what kinds of dogs they have worked with and what titles they have put on their dogs. I don't think I have ever asked what their certifications are, but I do ask what certifications their DOGS have. I also ask how MANY dogs they have worked with - if only their own dog, or only a few, then I won't have as much confidence in their ability to work with my individual dog.

In my opinion you could start by offering to help friends and family train their dogs, and get a feel for the different breeds. Terriers, for instance, can be stubborn and dominant, whereas Shelties can be nervous and very soft. You need to get experience working with different types of dogs.

Also learn as much as you can about forms of aggression and problem behaviours and how to deal with them.