Schutzhund training is insane. I love how the dog is all business, and once he is given the command to stop he returns to a happy dog wagging his tail.
You mentioned in another post that you train Lynx in German. Are you Schutzhund certified? I ask because I am considering getting my certification as a dog trainer and am looking into which discipline to study. Jay and I decided instead of buying a house in the city, we are buying some land in the country and are starting our own dog rescue.
Aww... he is only a puppy! <-- 2 years old --> he is still in training (which is why I slipped the sleeve <-- this is his reward). I saw them work this dog before I got to work him. And he was all prey drive. So he has crazy drive for the sleeve and that was his focus, not me. Sure accidents DO happen, but the chances on this dog were slim, I thought. He'll probably get more serious as he matures. Right now it is all fun and games for him.
Jessica
This was police dog training, so it was a bit different. Though because of my Schutzhund background I was VERY comfortable doing this. I just copied what they did. Instead of driving the dog after the catch, I just kinda fought/played with him a bit (like I saw them do). He was just a puppy though. I would have loved to have seen the older dogs at work, but we were on a time limit and couldn't stay much longer. So we just saw the "puppies" at work (or "young adults" if you prefer).
I may not be that experienced (again, with the not having titled a dog yet), but I have been involved with the sport since October of 2004. I have done quite a few catches on German Shepherds, Malinois', a Rottweiler and a Boxer. And I prefer to catch the German Shepherds and Malinois' <-- they make me look good and are much lighter in weight, lol. I am not yet certified, but I am working on getting my decoy certification. I haven't had much time, or rather...made the time, to do some serious training (physically <-- ideally, you should be in tip top shape!), perhaps next year I will get my "basic" level cert. And then maybe my "club" level if I work at it.
Schutzhund is a great sport to get into because it teaches control on your dog. And it is a lot of fun. Also, with such high driven dogs...it is a great way to relieve any frustration. To many people's surprise, it is a great way to teach bite inhibition --> by making it very black and white for the dog and giving them something they CAN bite. Also, assuming you have achieved total control over your dog, you can call him or her off in a potiental dangerous sitatution. And the dog also becomes a better house dog for it too.
You meet people who are involved in the sport who come from various dog training backgrounds. So it is definitely something worth looking into. As life would have it though...you have your good trainers and your bad trainers. So if you want to get involved with it, check out a few clubs (if possible). And see what each has to offer. You can learn from both the good and bad trainers though --> what to do and NOT do with a dog, lol.
Brad
It's really a lot of fun. After that first bite, you'll be craving more!
You know, I really liked this dog. I told the police officers that I was going to "steal" him, lol.
I am really picky about my German Shepherds, but I love the working lines. And this really is a beautiful GSD. He is a bit mouthy on the bite, but that can be fixed. And maybe it was also my fault for not driving him hard enough, or there lack of.
Comments
That is AMAZING.
Schutzhund training is insane. I love how the dog is all business, and once he is given the command to stop he returns to a happy dog wagging his tail.
You mentioned in another post that you train Lynx in German. Are you Schutzhund certified? I ask because I am considering getting my certification as a dog trainer and am looking into which discipline to study. Jay and I decided instead of buying a house in the city, we are buying some land in the country and are starting our own dog rescue.
It looks like you are having a blast in Japan.
I am very jealous.
Rachael
Aww... he is only a puppy! <-- 2 years old --> he is still in training (which is why I slipped the sleeve <-- this is his reward). I saw them work this dog before I got to work him. And he was all prey drive. So he has crazy drive for the sleeve and that was his focus, not me. Sure accidents DO happen, but the chances on this dog were slim, I thought. He'll probably get more serious as he matures. Right now it is all fun and games for him.
Jessica
This was police dog training, so it was a bit different. Though because of my Schutzhund background I was VERY comfortable doing this. I just copied what they did. Instead of driving the dog after the catch, I just kinda fought/played with him a bit (like I saw them do). He was just a puppy though. I would have loved to have seen the older dogs at work, but we were on a time limit and couldn't stay much longer. So we just saw the "puppies" at work (or "young adults" if you prefer).
I may not be that experienced (again, with the not having titled a dog yet), but I have been involved with the sport since October of 2004. I have done quite a few catches on German Shepherds, Malinois', a Rottweiler and a Boxer. And I prefer to catch the German Shepherds and Malinois' <-- they make me look good and are much lighter in weight, lol. I am not yet certified, but I am working on getting my decoy certification. I haven't had much time, or rather...made the time, to do some serious training (physically <-- ideally, you should be in tip top shape!), perhaps next year I will get my "basic" level cert. And then maybe my "club" level if I work at it.
Schutzhund is a great sport to get into because it teaches control on your dog. And it is a lot of fun. Also, with such high driven dogs...it is a great way to relieve any frustration. To many people's surprise, it is a great way to teach bite inhibition --> by making it very black and white for the dog and giving them something they CAN bite. Also, assuming you have achieved total control over your dog, you can call him or her off in a potiental dangerous sitatution. And the dog also becomes a better house dog for it too.
You meet people who are involved in the sport who come from various dog training backgrounds. So it is definitely something worth looking into. As life would have it though...you have your good trainers and your bad trainers. So if you want to get involved with it, check out a few clubs (if possible). And see what each has to offer. You can learn from both the good and bad trainers though --> what to do and NOT do with a dog, lol.
Brad
It's really a lot of fun. After that first bite, you'll be craving more!
You know, I really liked this dog. I told the police officers that I was going to "steal" him, lol.
I am really picky about my German Shepherds, but I love the working lines. And this really is a beautiful GSD. He is a bit mouthy on the bite, but that can be fixed. And maybe it was also my fault for not driving him hard enough, or there lack of.