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New to schutzhund

950 views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  Jburt 
#1 ·
Hello all,
I'm brand new to all of this. Owned dogs my whole life, always wanted a GSD and doing some homework.ive found a few good breeders and am looking to get a pup in spring. I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a good place,book videos anything to get me started into learning more about training. I've been reading up on here as well as talking to a few people about attending some training sessions. Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance!
 
#2 ·
Purely Positive Training by Sheila Boothe and Traing in Drive by Gottfried Dildei. The problem you will have is that you will not be able to discern what a good breeder is because of your lack of experience. I would definitely stay away from highline dogs and you have to be able to determine what lines are highlines (showlines) and what dogs are working lines. Do not buy a dog out of the classified ads. Educate yourself and find some schH clubs in your area and visit as many as possible.
How do you know the people you are referring to are good breeders?
 
#3 ·
I agree, visit clubs and see the different lines. You may see some dogs that it comes naturally to, and seek out those handlers for more info on the breeding/pedigrees. There are clubs that certain lines dominate, so it would be a good idea to visit as many as possible so your perception isn't skewed.

I also like both books suggested, and Sheila's has a great puppy foundation chapter.

Showlines can do IPO, but the handler needs to give extra effort to bring out the dogs attributes. They will definitely teach a newbie how to get it right so the 2nd dog the newb gets will benefit from all that learning!
 
#4 ·
You can find a couple clubs around Cincinnati, but I don't know much about them. There is a very strong club in Columbus, too.

I would echo Jane's recommendation of trying out several clubs if you get the chance. Each club will have its own feel, its own culture. Find one your comfortable at b/c if you stick with it you will be spending a lot of time with those folks.

The best training videos I've used are Michael Ellis. His videos teach you a training system you can use to train your dog. They are pricey, but I found them extremely valuable. Also, the agility people have figured out a ton of training techniques to channel extremely high drive dogs using positive methods. I would recommend looking into some agility books. IMO, doing some low level, low impact AGL with you pup is a great way to strengthen your dog/handler bond, learn to communicate with your pup, and build confidence in your pup.

Good luck!
 
#5 ·
Awesome thanks for the info. Also I've visited one breeder in Franklin who is the president of the local Schutzhund club and been breeding and competing since the 90s. I was recommended to her through a few members on here and I went and visited the parents as well as other dogs she competes with. There is another breeder I'm visiting this week as well
 
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