[jazzking1971]

Thanks Mick.

First of all the club doesn't have a TD and the guy that I think should be the TD (feurhaus) reads these boards and hasn't addressed this thread even though I know he's read it several times. I also know the other helper (mikoman) has been reading this thread and has not given input. Perhaps they will now that I've called them out.

The guys that I train with on the side are guys that are well respected in the local schH community. The main helpers knows them and wanted two of them to train with our club. In fact the training helper I worked with the most was introduced to me by the main helper and he was called out to the rottie club to work his dog because he didn't trust the other helper enough to do it. The other guy I train with is another more experienced guy that the main helper from the rott club has worked with before. He allows him to work his dog.

When I talk about guys that have titled dogs I'm talking guys that have title 23 dogs between two people, rotties, mals and GSDs. There is only one dog in the rottie club that has a BH and that dog almost failed according to the handler.

While I am new to schH I am not new to dogs, I know enough about OB that commands must be executed. I see dogs in our club where the handler says "fido come here, sitz... c'mon sitz, come, fido..here..sitz, here...ahhh fiiiiiido!!!! c'mon!!! platz and then the handler looks at the helper and says let's just get on with it" This is the dog with a BH. I watch his OB and for example I notice when he heels the dog is a good 18" from the handler. Incorrect FCI about faces etc... I maybe green to schutzhund but I know enough to know the rules and what the judges wants to see. I train my own dog with this perspective in mind.

Getting stung by the whip... well, it very well could have been intentional. He's not exactly what I would call I nice guy and he mentioned my shorts twice before we even started the session. Maybe you've heard of Wayne Walcott and maybe you haven't but he's well respected in these parts as a helper for his "black magic". This guy was the TD for the most prominent schH club in the area and he's helped title 100s of dogs. He told me today, "I haven't seen his tracking but schH1 on that dog in two months." He didn't know the age of the dog nor does he know he doesn't have his BH.

Why do I think my dog is ready for the BH? Because his behavior has been generalized in highly public places. Heeling around a group of four people is nothing compared to heeling around a mall with 100s of people. His down under distraction is stellar...again proofed in high distraction areas including while other protection work was going on the training field. Personally I don't have issues with performance. I am a jazz musician and have been in front of 1000s of people, in several countries for the past 20 years. I don't have nerves issues in front of people unless somebody is threatening me.


Thank you to everybody for helping me work through my concerns.