How many Schutzhund participants have dogs in a home environment? It seems to me that a properly trained dog with an "off/on switch" would be safe in the home with family (kids). With that being said, would a dog who is not stable in a home environment really be a suitable schutzhund candidate as if they cannot show control in the house then maybe not have control in the field of competition? I realize that many people train/ breed dog for working environments, but don't most working environment require the dog to be stable around non-combatants (for lack of a better word).

Depends on what goes on in your house now, doesn't it? If a person has five screaming, poorly behaved children with equally ill-behaved friends runnning in and out constantly, that's a heck of a distraction. It's a lot more distraction than a dog will see on the SchH field, and that's just one example...

And Steve, exactly how do you train a dog to have an "off/on switch"? I must have missed that class in all my previous training, I'd be interested in how you train that.

My SAR/Schutzhund dog spends most of his time outside but does come in the house often. It's very important to me that he be social with my grand kids, SAR victims, etc. He's very high drive but has no trouble (now) turning his switch off. I've worked hard to accomplish this but I still think it's as much or more of a genetic thing than taught. JMHO because my JRT has NEVER learned to relax.

I think he's reffering to on-watch/gett'm, off-out. I've heard it described that way before. I don't know "exactly" what he means, but that MIGHT be what he means.

My dog is on all the time...lol

I consider my dog a working dog, and lives in the house. Half of K9 officers I know in my town consider thier dogs a working dog and a family pet that mingles with the family/ plays with thier kids etc., the other half have to keep thier dogs away from everyone in thier home. I suppose it depends on the dog.

I think the on/off switch is genetic personally. I have a Mal bitch who has the greatest on/off switch I ever saw. She can sit on my knee next to the field like a lover, but when it is her "turn" she would goes nuts.. BUT, this is a dog who will never be competitive, never be an outstanding dog, she is just "o-k" and would probably get thru a club trial.

I think it depends what you want in a working dog.

I like mine to be intense, crazy, totally retarded, the kind of dog that I could never have in the house without my cats and belongings being consumed/tore up.

This said, there most certainly are the odd one who could do it. We had a Leerburg bitch years ago who was great int he house and a little firecracker ont he field, BUT there was still a little conflict there, she had gotten in trouble at home from time to time and it showed on the field. And of course there was the fact that the kids could never run around with any form of toy in their hands without getting their whole hand taken off.. hmm, so I guess she wasn't that great in the house after all LOL

I do believe there are dogs that can be both house and exceptional working dogs, but I think they are more the exception rather than the rule.