Hi, everybody. This is my first attempt at posting anything and I hope it works. I am not too technologically advanced. Anyway, I found the leerburg site and was going through the catalog and I can not find the little nine dollar booklet about what to feed your dog. Does anybody know what it is called and where I could get it? Also, here are a few of my many other questions: Does anyone have an opinion on whether a novice should get a male or a female for Schutzhund training? I was once advised to get a male but only once and many sources seem to recommend a female for a beginner. Also, I am five feet tall and weigh about 105 lb so I am thinking that maybe a female will be a little smaller and easier to control... But I have heard they can be moody and difficult sometimes. Anyway, I plan to get a female. I will have my puppy the first week of February, the litter was just born. I have been doing some reading on the site and it seems that a person should do their own bite work for the first 12 months. Does that mean that I shouldn't take my puppy to the Schutzhund club for a whole year? I was looking forward to that... Also, once I train my dog and it is biting the sleeve and all that, will the dog actually protect me if I need it to, or will it simply learn to bite the sleeve? Any info on anything would be appreciated because I have never done Schutzhund before and so I don't know a whole lot. Sometimes I think I know less now than before I started researching because people's opinions always conflict and it is hard to tell who is right. Anyway, I want to lear as much as I can before my puppy gets here in February. Thanks for reading my very long post! Jennie <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

http://www.leerburg.com/935.htm

That should help you on your way.

The book is http://www.leerburg.com/935.htm

There seems to be some positives and negatives either way for the sex of your first dog. It has to do some with your personality and handling style. Bitches are generally softer and a little more willing to please. Males leave more room for handler error and tend to be able to take unfair corrections and bad timing a little better. But, these are not hard and fast rules. There may be a better female in a litter for a beginner than there is a male, or vice versa. I like males, but I am a naturally strong and pushy type of person. I also am uh... big boned LOL.. so the weight issue isn't there.

You certainly can still take your dog to club, in fact I highly recommend that you do, so that your puppy is exposed to all the normal things that go on there from an early age, but working your dog in bitework doesn't have to happen. There is much to be done in OB and Tracking while your pup is growing.

SchH training does not = personal protection. It has to do with additional training and also a genetic aspect as well.

Welcome to the world of Schutzhund! You will never know it all, and be prepared to be confused by people who think they do. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Stick to your guns, and read, watch, and listen. You will be fine!

Best of luck with your new puppy! Check out the search feature here on the board. You can find a lot of info.

Deanna

Deanna-- a very nice message!

Thanks!! I thought that the main reason for the Schutzhund club was because it is impossible to train a dog in protection without the helper. Tracking, obedience, you can teach by yourself, (well provided you know how...) but you can't do that with protection. But maybe the pup would still get something out of the club, huh? I am disappointed to find out that Schutzhund is not for training a dog in personal protection. I thought that was the whole point? What kind of training is it for that? After all, that was my idea in the first place, though I think Schutzhund would be so interesting and challenging, but if it doesn't teach the dog to protect me and I don't plan on breeding the dog then would Schutzhund be kind of pointless?? How do I teach the dog to protect me? (Shouldn't it have some kind of instinctive will to protect me after it is bonded to me?) Is there some other program to follow to teach the dog to protect me??? (I so wanted to do Schutzhund...) Sigh... Jennie :rolleyes:

I am disappointed to find out that Schutzhund is not for training a dog in personal protection. I thought that was the whole point? What kind of training is it for that? After all, that was my idea in the first place, though I think Schutzhund would be so interesting and challenging, but if it doesn't teach the dog to protect me and I don't plan on breeding the dog then would Schutzhund be kind of pointless?? How do I teach the dog to protect me? (Shouldn't it have some kind of instinctive will to protect me after it is bonded to me?) Jennie, I believe that Schutzhund was designed to be a temperament test for breeding the German Shepherd. There are many dogs doing Schutzhund today that view the *SPORT* of Schutzhund as a game and would never protect the owner in a real life situation. Just because a dog has bonded to you, does NOT mean it will protect you. If you want a dog to protect you, then you first have to find a dog that has the right Temperament, Drive, and Genetics for the work.

Schutzhund is a good dog sport, good exercise,
and a good place to start, but if you want a PPD, then your dog would need additional training
outside of the sport of Schutzhund.

You can train for Schutzhund in a way that will pave the way for great personal protection work.

I feel strongly though that the genetics of the dog you choose will have more of an impact on his real protective capabilities than the type of training you choose will.

Don't discount Schutzhund as a good start to protection work. If you have access to a good helper and are clear about your goals you can train a very serious dog who can do SchH.

Thanks!! Have you read my post on the question about Czech bloodlines?? I also sent you a pm just because I thought you seemed knowledgeable and wanted to get your opinion. Oh, also, someone asked me about the kennel name for the parents and I have heard that the kennel name is part of the dog's name so if that is true then maybe this will mean something to you. The dam's full name is Flame z Danaru and the sire's full name is Gaston z Juranovej Doliny. Means squat to me but I just figured that if both parents are working dogs and the breeder breeds strictly working dogs then shouldn't the pups also be working dogs... I am optimistic about the Czech dog being a good dog for protection. What do you think? I have put off positng the kennel's name that I am buying the pup at because I am so afraid that someone will have a really bad experience or something; it would really ruin my day especially now because the litter is finally born but here goes: I am buying the pup from Von Zoeller Kennels. I hope somebody has something good to say. At any rate, many of their pups are said to excel in Schutzhund and some go to police departments, etc., though I think they have just one or two dogs that they breed specifically for that purpose, for being police dogs, that are not really sold to the general public. Anyway, I am just so glad that people are offering so much information; I sure need it! Thanks. Jennie