How to Evaluate a Good ScH trainer

[ptremaine]

I'm almost clueless about how to go about evaluating local trainers who all claim to train for ScH and or protection work.

First of all, my dog, who's just turning 2 yrs this week, will need to be properly and accurately evaluated first. No point in working with a soft dog or one who isn't ready or never will be. I can deal with the truth too, so that's not the issue. I can't deal with the broad and overly general claims made by various trainers I've contacted, all supposedly able to get a dog through to ScH III successfully. Asking for references is a tad like asking if I can peek into their bank accounts it seems judging by reactions.

Today I was supposed to go to a trainer's facility, namely a few open fields and a warehouse converted for indoor use, and have my dog evaluated. However....something in my lengthy conversation raised a red flag. That was, this guy proposed simply tying my girl to a fixed object, then having a helper appear to attack me. This was in response to my honest statement that I have no clue how my girl's defensive drives are - she's highly prey drive motivated, but that could be the extent of it for her. She will property/perimeter defend/bark, but won't even woof a little at a bell or knock on the door. She's also quite approachable by anyone. Trainer Guy was bragging how anyone coming within 2 feet of him triggered his girl [a Ger. Shep.] to become snarling and showing very defensive displays. Ooooookaaaaaaayy....

What should I look for in a good trainer or club? I live in Northern Baltimore County MD and all the ScH clubs are a distance from me. I'll drive but what can I expect and what should I look for in my dog...?

Help advice/opinions very much appreciated. Thanks! :D

Payton

[GenHannibal]

The best way to evaluate a Training Club & Training Director is to go to trials. There you will see the results of the training. It will also give you an opportunity to ask others attending the trial about the various clubs in the area. "Trainer Guy" sounded like someone you should most likely avoid. In regards to your dog and knowing if she is good for Schutzhund, only way to know is to test her reactions to certain stimulants. One would be a guy with a puppy tug or puppy sleeve and teasing her with it, NOT attacking you. Most dogs start out with prey drive and are gradually worked to bring out the defense. My Sch III male is very friendly with people, but gave the decoys a run for their money.:D Check out some of the club websites and see where they are holding trials. If you do a search on this website I believe there is a list. Clubs such as DVG, ARV, USRC, & USA have a master list of their training clubs listed. They also list where and when the trials will be. Good luck!

[TrinityRun]

Originally posted by ptremaine
Asking for references is a tad like asking if I can peek into their bank accounts it seems judging by reactions. >

That should be your first indicator. A good trainer has nothing to hide.

<Today I was supposed to go to a trainer's facility, namely a few open fields and a warehouse converted for indoor use, and have my dog evaluated. However....something in my lengthy conversation raised a red flag. That was, this guy proposed simply tying my girl to a fixed object, then having a helper appear to attack me. This was in response to my honest statement that I have no clue how my girl's defensive drives are - she's highly prey drive motivated, but that could be the extent of it for her.

You trusted your instincts. That's super! You cannot test a dog's defense drives by attacking you. That's garbage. You keep searching and if you are at a loss for clubs in your area - email me.

[Ramon]

It sounds like your instincts are already pretty good. In addition to the good advice you've already been given, I've got some other tips.
Look at the way they train in obedience and tracking. Is it organized or are people just standing around talking? Are beginning handlers getting good, constructive help from an experienced trainer, or are they on their own?
Look at the way they train in protection. Listen to what the helper says to the handlers. Does he give them enough input? Does his advice make good sense? How well do you think he "reads" a dog? My helper seems to have ESP sometimes because he can often tell us what a dog is going to do before the dog actually does it, and he's right just about every time. Every training session is another learning experience for all of us.
Are the members' working dog philosophies and attitude to your breed compatible with yours? Some clubs are only for show GSD's. Most of those clubs will not let another breed in, but there's also the all-breed clubs that should be show GSD-only clubs. Their members only like to talk about their show dogs and they are only in it for the breeding. They don't care if their dogs actually don't have the nerve to be real working dogs. In fact, they don't even like strong protection dogs. Going through the motions to get a Schutzhund III is all they want, and so their training is designed for weak nerve dogs. In my club, we tease each other about our respetive breeds, but we generally respect any dog that can do the work. We will train an unfortunate member's "soft" dog, but the dog we all want is one that's capable of competing at the top of the sport. Whether or not the dog gets there, of course, is up to the handler.