# Getting started in IGP



## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

What is the best way to get a dog involved in IGP? Is it necessary to join a dog club? How difficult is it to get accepted into a club or training group? What is the best age for a dog to start? What is the oldest age? How do you know if your dog has the right temperament? How do you find a club?

If you do IGP, how did you get started? How long have you been doing that? How successful are you and your dogs? What titles have you earned? How far do you travel to train? How many days/hours a week do you train with a club? At home?


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

_What is the best way to get a dog involved in IGP?_ - Find a club

_Is it necessary to join a dog club? _ - necessary? No. Advisable to new people. YES. I'm not a member of a club but I was for the first several year. If you don't find a club, then find a really good trainer to work with, make sure you work the dog in all kinds of environments, and find a good helper. The helper and the trainer may not be the same person.

*How difficult is it to get accepted into a club or training group?* - depends on the club. Go, be helpful, work hard, don't waste their time.

_What is the best age for a dog to start?_ - In which phase? I start obedience and tracking at 8 weeks. I've held off protection with Faren until she's matured and it's making a huge difference. I think starting protection to young, even though its' all prey, creates conflict.

_What is the oldest age?_ - age for what? To start? We all start somewhere. I would say a green dog could be 2-3 years.

_How do you know if your dog has the right temperament?_ - Test the drives. Prey, defense, hunt.

_How do you find a club?_ - recommendations, organizations websites.

_If you do IGP, how did you get started? _- my agility trainer was the local club's TD.

_How long have you been doing that? _ - 6 years

_How successful are you and your dogs? _ - Seger was 4th at regionals with a 282 against world level competitors. It was pretty cool. Unfortunately retired early due to grass allergies. Faren is just starting.

_What titles have you earned?_ IPO3, AD, SG, KKL

_How far do you travel to train? _ 3 hours each way, alternating weekends between protection trainer and ob/tracking trainer.

_How many days/hours a week do you train with a club? At home?_ 1 day at training. When I'm getting ready for a trial - every day. I've been slacking this summer with Faren. She could be ready for her BH. So far this summer she's done really well holding the couch down.


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

LuvShepherds said:


> What is the best way to get a dog involved in IGP?
> Find a club and/or a good mentor.
> 
> Is it necessary to join a dog club?
> ...


All my answers are in red.


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## Jchrest (Jun 5, 2019)

This may slightly OT, but what about those that have no interest in clubs or titles? Pros and cons to personal in home training for PP? I don’t leave my house often, and if I tried to bring any of my dogs to a club, they would probably react poorly because I’m freaking out in my head being around people. I do agility at home with one of mine, and we love it, but there isn’t too much area for danger in that, aside from injuries to the dog if the course isn’t setup right and they are landing poorly/on poor surfaces. 

Protection work has always interested me, I just don’t want to be around people to learn it.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Jchrest said:


> This may slightly OT, but what about those that have no interest in clubs or titles? Pros and cons to personal in home training for PP? I don’t leave my house often, and if I tried to bring any of my dogs to a club, they would probably react poorly because I’m freaking out in my head being around people. I do agility at home with one of mine, and we love it, but there isn’t too much area for danger in that, aside from injuries to the dog if the course isn’t setup right and they are landing poorly/on poor surfaces.
> 
> Protection work has always interested me, I just don’t want to be around people to learn it.


You can't teach protection work alone, shouldn't do it without experience and no offence but if your dogs react to your emotional state they are not good candidates.


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## Jchrest (Jun 5, 2019)

Sabis mom said:


> Jchrest said:
> 
> 
> > This may slightly OT, but what about those that have no interest in clubs or titles? Pros and cons to personal in home training for PP? I don’t leave my house often, and if I tried to bring any of my dogs to a club, they would probably react poorly because I’m freaking out in my head being around people. I do agility at home with one of mine, and we love it, but there isn’t too much area for danger in that, aside from injuries to the dog if the course isn’t setup right and they are landing poorly/on poor surfaces.
> ...


None taken. I just know some of us can’t handle the people aspect of clubs. I wouldn’t train any of mine, they don’t have the proper temperament for it at all. Lyka is too old and too fear aggressive, Crios is a spaz that loves agility, but would lick a decoy to death, Floki won’t even play tug and is a couch potato, and Seiran, well, we’re just hoping she still pulls through the poisoning unscathed. But PP has always been super interesting and I love to watch.


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

Sabis mom said:


> You can't teach protection work alone, shouldn't do it without experience and no offence but if your dogs react to your emotional state they are not good candidates.


You can do the basics alone, but to truly push a dog you need a decoy. It can cause a lot of conflict to do both. If only ever working in prey, you can get away with it a lot more. 



Jchrest said:


> This may slightly OT, but what about those that have no interest in clubs or titles? Pros and cons to personal in home training for PP? I don’t leave my house often, and if I tried to bring any of my dogs to a club, they would probably react poorly because I’m freaking out in my head being around people. I do agility at home with one of mine, and we love it, but there isn’t too much area for danger in that, aside from injuries to the dog if the course isn’t setup right and they are landing poorly/on poor surfaces.
> 
> Protection work has always interested me, I just don’t want to be around people to learn it.



Haha I don't blame you for that. I wouldn't do it without an experienced decoy. You can find decoys for hire and have them come to you. It's a more expensive option, but possible. My club is a mish-mosh of people. We have some who just do PP stuff, some who do PSA, WDA, IPO, Ring and just OB. I try and stay as well rounded as I can. Why I'm certified in three sports, and probably going to work on a fourth. I like the "sport" approach for a few reasons. One of those is the liability aspect.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Jchrest said:


> None taken. I just know some of us can’t handle the people aspect of clubs. I wouldn’t train any of mine, they don’t have the proper temperament for it at all. Lyka is too old and too fear aggressive, Crios is a spaz that loves agility, but would lick a decoy to death, Floki won’t even play tug and is a couch potato, and Seiran, well, we’re just hoping she still pulls through the poisoning unscathed. But PP has always been super interesting and I love to watch.


Sabi was very laid back, very friendly and very quiet. My boss thought she just needed obedience when I took her in for an assessment. Until she thought he was a threat to me. She showed really high defense at a very young age. She was about 4 months old and would step up and advance on people if they got close to me in an aggressive manner. I had two small kids and was concerned, so I took her in for an assessment. She was a sweet, friendly, outgoing but quiet girl until she saw a threat. She took to training like she was born to it but never showed the flash and noise you see in sport. 
PP needs to be taught properly to tap the right drives and enforce the right responses. But the initial assessment is key. Above all else a protection dog needs to be clear headed and display a natural ability to discern a threat.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

LuvShepherds said:


> What is the best way to get a dog involved in IGP? Is it necessary to join a dog club? How difficult is it to get accepted into a club or training group? How do you find a club?



You will need either a club or a good training group. You contact them, express a strong interest (most clubs do get tired of tire kickers) and then go out and watch. If you have a puppy or dog, they will probably invite you out to have that pup/dog tested. Some may make you come out without the pup/dog to see how dedicated you are. Watch and listen. Ask questions when appropriate, but mostly watch and listen. Don't watch for a bit and take off. Expect to spend the day. 



Some clubs, like the one I belong to, are VERY open to new people. They have multiple helpers and the time to work with new people. Some clubs will take on new people who show a very strong interest. And then there are clubs who want only a few select highly competitive people. 



Go the USCA, GSDCA or DVG America web sites and look up their clubs. You may have to travel a bit. I currently drive a bit over an hour. The closest my club has ever been was behind my house. 







> What is the best age for a dog to start? What is the oldest age? How do you know if your dog has the right temperament?


I started with a 7 year old dog. I put the BH on her and attempted an FH. I messed with her and then another dog that wasn't suitable before getting my first dog. If your goal is to title, it is easiest to start with a puppy or dog 3 or under. The older the dog, though, the more likely many of its drive will have been squashed a bit especially if the dog was just a house pet. 



The first dog I titled started at 7 weeks with obedience and tracking, but didn't start bitework until she was almost 2.5. She made SchH3 when she was 5, but then had to be retired due to back issues. I wish I had been able to start her in bitework earlier and had a longer working career. 



First, they must have the genetics to want to do this. Best to work with a puppy/dog that has a very open temperament, confident in all situations, no sound sensitivities, likes to chase a ball or play tug, good food drive (I prefer pups that want to eat my fingers along with the food), likes to push you to engage with them. Some of this can be created/brought out, but that can be harder for a new person or even an experienced person who wants only to train one way. If you think your pup/dog shows potential than take it to the club you have chosen and get it tested. 




> If you do IGP, how did you get started? How long have you been doing that? How successful are you and your dogs? What titles have you earned? How far do you travel to train? How many days/hours a week do you train with a club? At home?


I started in AKC obedience and got very bored with it. I also didn't care for the "do what ever it takes for points" attitudes I was seeing at the time. Tara's parents were titled and, of course, I had read about SchH and loved what it tested and the reason for it. I continue, despite the (my opinion) "sport" that is now IGP because I love working my dogs and IGP is still the most available. 
I joined my first SchH club in January 1992. I have titled 7 dogs (I consider a title to be SchH/IPO/IGP), working on my 8th. I have done 8 BH, 3X member of the USCA SchH3/IPO3 club and hopefully will add a forth here soon. I have put a SchH1 or 3 dogs and LB currently has her IPO2. All dogs have been handler/owner/trained from puppies and 5 were bred by me. I have also done two AWD1, and FH1 and FH2. I have done 2 regionals, taken high in trial many times and would like to do Nationals just once. I also have a USCA gold sports medal.

I currently travel 47 miles (an hour give or take) to train. I go twice per week (both weekend days) because of work, but used to go 3-5 times per week. I have hosted a club before too, but my normal driving time has been 35-65 minutes. 

The club I belong to is an all day thing both days. At home I try to train 2-3 more times per week though lately I have been struggling to get that done. Tracking needs to be done at least 3 if not 5-7 days per week as should obedience (especially with young dogs). The training may increase if I have a trial goal and how often will depend on when I need the dog to peak. Conditioning needs to be in there too. How much time I spend depends a lot on the age of the dog and what I am working on. 

Other than running blinds at home and maybe some other back tie stuff I might do, bitework is always at club. I found my dogs really did progress best on 3X per week, but life doesn't always allow that.


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