Role of Helper

[Stu]

I understand that a helper is integral to the successful training of a sch dog. But what about during actual compettion?
Is the helper supposed to be there to bring out the best in a dog? Or is the helper there in an attempt to push a dog beyond its limits and see if it will shut down or behave in a non-satisfactory manner? Does he try to prove your dog 'unworthy'? Does a handler at a competiton see the helper in an adverserial role... or as someone that will help show their dog off to the best of its ability?

[Stu]

Is a handler allowed to talk with the helper before the competition? Can they go over a particular dog, kind of planning what to expect...or is that going a bit too far? Or does that not even matter, since each dog is expected to perform in the relatively same manner?

[German Vanegas]

Unlike other competition protection trials, in the sport of schutzhund the helper is not there to attempt to put the dog into avoidance or push the dog to the limit. In a schutzhund trial the helper performs exactly within the same parameters as performed in all previous rehearsed drills, in which the dog is used to and knows before hand so well that it becomes a game, more than anything, for most schutzhund dogs because they know what to expect by repetitive focused training.

However, in other competition protection trials the helper does try to put the dog into avoidance and does push the dog to its limit. Those trials have quite different format and rules. Some dogs make it, some don't have what it takes for the real working world, although these latter type could do well in sport trials such as schutzhund.

[This message has been edited by German Vanegas (edited August 09, 1999).]

[Orville Story]

The level of competition will have alot to do with how much pressure a helper will put on a dog. At a local club trial the pressure may be normal to easy, however at a national or international shows the helper may put intense pressure on the dog. For this reason you must prepare for different levels of competition in different ways. If you are training for the highest levels the helpers that you train with must also put extreme pressure on your dogs. If you are training for club level trials then the trianing can be done with less pressure. The helpers that put the most pressure on dogs do this by the intense confrontation prior to the actual bite. The way they stare into the dogs eyes, approach running very frontal and hard, the way they raise the stick right before the bite. These helpers are there to seperate the truly courageous dogs from the ones that are sometimes courageous.

If you see a score of 265 at a National level trial that would mean much more than a score of 290 at a club level trial.