Hi,
I was reading the "Why" or "Why Not" Schutzhund discussion and posted in there. I was told it would be better to start my own discussion since that one is old. Here is what I posted with a couple of edits:

Hi everyone,

This is my first post, I just wanted to say thank you in advance to all of you that have knowledge and take the time to reply.

My puppy is 9 weeks old and I am trying like heck not to mess him him up. My research started with basic obedience and then I happened upon Schutzhund training. I never heard of it before but that is probably because this is my first gsd.

I will order some of the dvds here once I receive the 8 weeks-8 months and pack structure dvds, I want to watch those first.

I have already visited a local club and they seemed like a pretty tight knit group, friendly to me too. The trainer told me to make everything fun at home (I think she was trying to tell me not to over-correct him for various things like nipping/biting, etc) until he was ready for training.

What would be considered too rough for training? While there I observed that they yank the leashes really hard to make the dogs move faster...she explained that was due to the time, they have to be fast. I saw a couple of smacks on the nose for not giving up the dumbell. I didn't think it was too rough but I just want to be sure. The lady in charge seemed very concerned over the dogs. She got mad at one guy for letting his dog jump too early over a barrier, she was afraid the dog was going to get hurt (hitting his hind legs on the wood). She got up and showed the guy how to stop that and the dog responded right away.

I have a 3 year old and 10 year old (children) and plan on involving them even if it means they just come and watch. I was nervous about the bite training because of the kids and the fact that I have another dog but was told this training doesn't affect the fact that they are still good family pets.

Any advice, tips are welcome. Thanks for reading I know this was long.

I'll tell you something that I've seen a lot in my training years - having two young children on the training field means that you're going to have to concentrate on them, not what's happening on the field. And you'll miss a lot.
Plus there is the possibly of danger here - dogs and very small children don't mix.

You'll get a lot more out of training if you can leave your children home with a spouse or babysitter.
Believe me on this one.

okay, good advice. I wasn't really thinking of the other dogs, duhh. I guess they can get involved later once they get older too.

 Quote:

The trainer told me to make everything fun at home (I think she was trying to tell me not to over-correct him for various things like nipping/biting, etc) until he was ready for training.

"Until he was ready for training" -- I wouldn't even then. That stuff goes away on its own in time. Let pups be pups. Control them with a leash and redirection.

 Quote:

What would be considered too rough for training? While there I observed that they yank the leashes really hard to make the dogs move faster...she explained that was due to the time, they have to be fast. I saw a couple of smacks on the nose for not giving up the dumbell. I didn't think it was too rough but I just want to be sure. The lady in charge seemed very concerned over the dogs. She got mad at one guy for letting his dog jump too early over a barrier, she was afraid the dog was going to get hurt (hitting his hind legs on the wood). She got up and showed the guy how to stop that and the dog responded right away.

It really depends. Trainers range from soft to extremely hard. Of course, they have the kind of dogs that can take that kind of training... but you will find clubs ranging anywhere from 100% motivational training (which is what I strive for, although don't have access to a decoy that would be willing to work with me on that, so we'll see how long the 100% motivational stuff lasts ) to pure compulsion with no rewards.

I'm not going to say which one is right or wrong, it is up to the handler to decide what the best way is for them and their dog, but I will tell you to not "do it because thats what the trainer with 20 years experience said." Visit lots of clubs, watch lots of different trainers, go to seminars, read up on this forum and other sites, and reach your own conclusion as to what is best for your dog. If you aren't comfortable with something, then post the question on this forum, you'll get plenty of opinions and alternative solutions

Thank you

If you're in the Norfolk area I know of only one club out that way and let's just say careful what you wish!