Schutzhund: Age Factor

[Stu]

I have a 1 yr old male that I am training for his CD. I am however very interested in Sch training. If after he gets his CD(maybe even a CDX) I want to train him in sch would it be too late? Would he be too old?
Will the training done for the AKC obedience titles be an obstacle to overcome in order to train for sch?
He comes from a strong sch background and I use his drive for a tennis ball to do most of his training right now. Any advice would be appreciated.

[nick teifke]

I think some people may say its too hard to mix the two but a good dog and a good trainer should be able to do it. You are already laying some good foundation in the obediance part of SchH which most people do before bitework anyways.
Tracking is not real hard to teach for a high food drive dog, which a good portion of rotties are.
The only thing I might be concerned about is you may have missed out on some of the crucial bitework foundation as a younger pup. But Im no expert, Im sure if he comes from a good backround and is high in drive, a good handler and a good helper should be able to work him.
Best of luck and keep us updated.

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nick teifke
nteifke@dog.com
www.angelfire.com/wi/1strottie
icq# - 28884141

[Orville Story]

Schutzhund demands alot of foundation work. At one your boy is at the prime time to start the foundation if you want to do Schutzhund. I would do this work first before doing the CD. A Schutzhund I dog will have no problem doing a CD, CDX, or TD. You must of course be very patient if you plan to do both. Putting in 12 to 18 months of work before you even think about competiting.
If you do only the CD then your dog can be ready in 4 to 6 months. I would not take a dog working on Schutzhund training into an AKC obedience ring until his training is complete. The Stand for exam can be misunderstood by a dog in the middle of Schutzhund training. You can come back and do the Schutzhund work later but it becomes more difficult. That is just not a easy one to answer alot depends on your dog, and how good a trainer you are.

[German Vanegas]

Nick is right, again.

If your dog already shows that willingness to please its handler and is very obedient, the obedience part of shcH won't be a problem at all. The tracking part is very sporty, it's not air scent tracking neither hard surface tracking, but is a tracking on natural surface, such as grass, after a laid-out line for the dog to sniff and follow. The technique is using tidbits of food and, as Nick said it, using the dog's high drive on food to follow through. For the protection part is desirable to have had puppy bite imprinting games, which are exploited using the dog's inherited prey drive. This early puppy bite training goes throughout different stages, increasing the dog's biting confidence, good grip control and comfort, sharpness to react to the prey, and so forth. When the dog is old enough the techniques will develop into getting the dog to commit to bite the helper's sleeved protected arm. If the dog has defense drive, it can be evolved into a more intense courageous dog, more than willing to confront the helper. Although, a dog high in prey drive will bite the sleeve every time too, after all the routine is so highly rehearsed and choreographed that the dog may as well take it as a game. Schutzhund is a great dog sport, is brings out the true working abilities and utility of a dog, opening the door to explore more advanced trials, tasks and service.

[Stu]

Thanks for the advice. I am in the process of looking for a sch club in my area. Besides asking about how many dogs they have titled and to what level, are there any ways for me to know if the training director and helper really know what they are doing? Are there some pretty specific warning flags to look for?

[nick teifke]

There are alot of warning signs of a bad club, just as there are lot of bad clubs. I think the main thing is use your common sense. If you dont feel right there or they are not helpful, then just walk away. Also avoid clubs that dont focus on all the aspects of SchH equally.
If you ask around enough you can usually get some good recommondations for a club in your area.
Good luck with your search, you will know what club is the right one for you. Only problem is, depending on your location, it may not be reasonable to attend it.

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nick teifke
nteifke@dog.com
www.angelfire.com/wi/1strottie
icq# - 28884141