I am using the same title I used in raising multiple dogs. I started training my GSD's when they were puppies last year they were aprox. 6 months old and showed real possibilities with prey drive and bag training. They began sleve training in the fall for about 3 weeks of lessons which they excelled at. I was working with them at home so they saw our professional trainer a total of 3 times. My female never graduated to the big sleeve but my male who is more aggressive took to sleeve training as a duck to water. My trainer went down on the ground, used a bamboo rod to provoke him and he never let go. I have very confident dogs. I have been working with them since on thier obedience as the weather change did not permit me to travel and work my dogs as I would have liked to. Still I kept up with thier training as best as I could. I am not a trainer and have no experience with this sort of thing so I am depending on my professional trainer to guide me through what I need to do at home as well as with him in the field. I have not seen my trainer for 10 months now due to his schedule and the winter months and was wondering if this is going to be a problem when we do beginto train again or if we train again. I put them back on the bag and they are demonstrating the same high prey drive but they are adults now if you condider 16 months adults. I don't want to persue this kind of training if this is going to be dangerous. I need to make a decision based on how often they need to be worked in order to establish a level of dog understanding. Please understand I have no experience in advancing on my own. I will not take chances with these dogs. I live in the city with kids and people around us and because of recent dog attacks I feel a deeper need to be responsible for thier actions. My professional trainer seems to be distracted and I will deal with this as it goes but they already learned the bite. So far so good they seemed to have forgotten some of the early training but I am nervous about proceeding and then going through another season of delay and what the consquences could be. If any. They don't have weak nerves They are very socilized, they are ok with children except for not realizing thier size they love me . see and respect me as alpha and are great dogs What do you think should I continue with bite training or constrate on bark and hold and tracking.

Just something for you to think about, but let me preface this by saying I will need to reread your post (for a 3rd time). If I read it correctly, I think you should stop the bitework immediately. First a person who only works your dogs 3-4 times in a year concerns me. One of the most dangerous things is an untrained or partially trained dog. A dog that has been taught to bite, but not trained to bite in a training program (SCH/IPO/KNPV, etc) is a liability. First you have to state your training objectives, is it SCH or IPO, etc? If it is SCH I would start looking at different clubs, just go and watch and see how they train the dogs and puppies in their club. I would get some of Ed's tapes (and books) and work on socialization and basic home OB as well as other foundation excerises (tracking, etc). If you aren't near a training club and have to go to an outside trainer, please check with references on how your "trainer" is doing with other clients. When I first got interested in dog sports, I wasn't near a SCH club and went to a trainer who was a supposed expert on SCH training. Well I found out after learning all the wrong things and paying a lot of $$ for someone to ruin my dog. Just be careful, get some training tapes and read as much as you can and go to some seminars. I am (personally) very cautious when people start bite work with their dogs. I don't think bite work should be attempted by anyone unless they are qualified and the dog is in a "serious" training program. It is much better to have a dog who has great OB under distractions/proofing instead of having a dog with great bitework potential that has shady OB.
Regard
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Brandon

Thanks Richard and BC I think if I continue training for bite work I may have to explore some GSD clubs. I have contacted some of the K9 officers in my local police dept. and they invited me to observe or possibly help to work with my dogs. I have been using the training course teaching them jumps, steps, jumping through car doors, tunnels etc. I have to agree with BC cautioning me about the bite work. I'm going to hold off until I can find a regular partner or club that will insure a consistant routine for future bite work. As I said because I'm new at this and I love my dogs I felt I would be putting them at risk as well as a person if I continue with my present trainer. I have done everything right so far and have worked very hard managing three German Shepherds I don't want to screw this up. Thanks again!

Nancy:

Good luck with your training and I hope you find a good trainer or club to train with, so please keep us posted. I hope I wasn't sounding harsh, but I just wanted to raise your awarness to exercise a little bit of (extra) caution with your dogs and training. Like I said, get a couple of Ed's tapes/books and if you get the chance, go to a couple of seminars. For a period of about 2 1/2 years I didn't have a dog, but I still went to training twice a month and went to 3-4 seminars a year. You can (and will) learn a lot just by watching other people handle their dogs and if you don't bring your dogs with you, you will end up paying more attention at the seminar/class. There are a ton of things you can do in the interium such as, heavy socialization, exposure to new places and situations (drives to the supermarket, dry cleaner, bank, etc), tracking exercises (boxes and straight lines will help get you started) and everything from basic home manners, to focus and competetive OB exercises. I guarantee you will tire out before the dogs do, they will have a good time and you will increase your bonding with them and most of all, you will be doing yourself, your dogs and the breed a favor by putting yourself out there with happy well behaved dogs. With all the negative press about "guard or attack dog" and unscrupulous backyard breeders, you will also be helping the image of the breed as well (responsible ownership, etc). Like I said, take your time and exercise a lot of caution when you find someone (or a club) to help you in your bitework down the road. Just because a guy/gal shows up with a sleeve and reed/whip doesn't mean they know what they are doing. Also, before you start your bitework, you should have your dogs tested to find out if they possess the drives, nerves and capabilities to do bitework safely. Training a dog to do bite work is like giving your 16 year old kid the brand new family Mercedes Benz the day after he gets his/her drivers license and letting them go out to the big city with a car load of friends. You can guarantee that the car is going to come back with some nicks and scratches in it, perhaps a dented bumper and there will be McDonalds wrappers and sunflower seeds all over the back seat as well. Also, check out the questions and answer section of this site. There are a bunch of questions from people who are having questions and training problems that Ed has answered. I'm not sure where the link is, but if you go to the home page and look on the left hand side of your screen you should see a section for "Q&A." I hope I've helped you a bit, if you need anything further feel free to drop email me as well.
Good Luck,
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Brandon