# New to it all!



## Mikey (Nov 18, 2012)

Hello,

I recently brough home a 12 week old puppy (she is now 13 weeks). And so far she is amazing, she doesn't really get into too much puppy trouble and is a very quick learner. I have never had a GSD so these traits are new to me.

I would like to get her started in training schutzhund and have been speaking with a local club. I am in Germany and only speak english so of course there is a language barrier so i want to make sure i show up somewhat knowledgable and know what to expect. 

Will they evaluate my dog? Their site says its puppy training/socializing until the dog is six months. Then they can move on to another class. 
I have been correcting my dog not to bite my hands etc. I have since read this is wrong. 

This is their website: Home

The class is 35 euro one time fee (roughly 48usd) until the dog is 6 months old. And then the other classes are 92 euro (roughly 125usd) a year for the other classes. And thats meeting twice a week. Is this reasonable? Seems cheap after reading here. 

Anything else I should be worried about? Thank you for your help!


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## mbussinger166 (Sep 10, 2013)

Beautiful Puppy!!!

Classes over here in the states run a lot higher. Beginner puppy schools run anywhere from $100.00 to several hundred dollars for a 5 or 6 week class that meets once a week for an hour. Price sounds good.


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## BoTaBe (May 2, 2013)

Have you contacted any SV-OG?
I live in Germany, too. The club you mentioned (HSV Kaiserslautern) seems nice. 
But with a GSD you could also consider training in an SV club (although some of them are very "old school" and I wouldn't go there, but it depends completely on the club! Some are good, others aren't)!

I just googled and there's the SV OG Kaiserslautern:
Home - Verein für "Deutsche Schäferhunde"

Or you could just look for other clube here (just enter the PLZ):
Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (SV) e.V.: OG suchen

(I'm in an SV OG and I pay about 60€/year and can train up to 3 times a week [Schutzhund, we do Agility somewhere else]...)

Have fun! 

Edit: Just looked for OGs that begin with 67 (PLZ-wise) and it came up with:
OG - Bad Dürkheim e.V. LG10 Michael Gunzelmann, 67159 Friedelsheim 
OG - Donnersberg LG10 Roswitha Geib, 67727 Lohnsfeld 
OG - Eisenberg-Kerzenheim e.V. LG10 Norbert Klabunde, 67269 Grünstadt 
OG - Erfenbach LG10 Reiner Kiefhaber, 67659 Kaiserslautern 
OG - Gimbsheim e.V. LG10 Thomas Heiser, 67578 Gimbsheim 
OG - Grünstadt/Pfalz LG10 Claus Steinbock, 67269 Grünstadt 
OG - Guntersblum e.V. LG10 Anja Blödel, 67583 Guntersblum 
OG - Hassloch e.V. LG10 Robert Blunz, 67454 Haßloch 
OG - Hefersweiler e.V. LG10 Rainer Ackner, 67701 Schallodenbach 
OG - Hochstadt und Umgeb. e.V. LG10 Hans-Peter Schreieck, 67480 Edenkoben 

OG - Iggelheim/Pfalz LG10 Heinz Graß, 67459 Böhl-Iggelheim 
OG - Kaiserslautern LG10 Hans-Jürgen Rubel, 67657 Kaiserslautern 
OG - Kallstadt/Weinstr. LG10 Dieter Müller, 67169 Kallstadt 
OG - Kirchheim/Weinstr. LG10 Franziska Engel, 67281 Kirchheim 
OG - Lauterecken/Pf. LG10 Volker Deesler, 67744 Wiesweiler 
OG - Ludwigshafen/Rhein LG10 Karl Dreher, 67112 Mutterstadt 
OG - Maxdorf e. V. LG10 Uwe Matheis, 67133 Maxdorf 
OG - Maxdorf und Umgeb. e.V. LG10 Werner Schmelzer jun., 67134 Birkenheide 
OG - Mehlingen LG10 Günther Knieriemen, 67659 Kaiserslautern 
OG - Mörsch/Pfalz Frankenthal e.V. LG10 Peter Trümper, 67069 Ludwigshafen 


OG - Mutterstadt/Pfalz e.V. LG10 Helga Küstermann, 67112 Mutterstadt 
OG - Neustadt a.d. Weinstr. e. V. LG10 Jürgen Jung, 67475 Weidenthal 
OG - Oggersheim 2001 e.V. LG10 Alfred Tobisch, 67061 Ludwigshafen 
OG - Olsbrücken und Umgebung e.V. LG10 Wolfgang Welzel, 67737 Olsbrücken 
OG - Otterbach e. V. LG10  Peter Wildberger, 67735 Mehlbach 
OG - Otterberg und Umgebung LG10 Volker Marhofer, 67722 Winnweiler 
OG - Rockenhausen e.V. LG10 Klaus Rodrian, 67806 Rockenhausen 
OG - Rödersheim-Gronau e.V. LG10 Christoph Kunz, 67126 Hochdorf-Assenheim 
OG - Römerberg LG10 Edgar Abele, 67360 Lingenfeld 
OG - Speyer/Dudenhofen e.V. LG10 Wilhelm Münch, 67346 Speyer

OG - Studernheim LG10 Hubert Mieger, 67227 Frankenthal 
OG - Trippstadt e.V., Sitz Trippstadt LG10 Hans-Joachim Stein, 67705 Trippstadt 
OG - Waldfischbach-Burgalben u. Umg. LG10 Evi Mosler, 67716 Heltersberg 
OG - Weidenthal/Pfalz e.V. LG10 Michael Kampmann, 67475 Weidenthal 
OG - Weilerbach e.V. LG10 Dieter Gramsch, 67685 Weilerbach 
OG - Weisenheim am Sand LG10 Dieter Adam, 67256 Weisenheim 
OG - Westhofen b. Worms e.V. LG10 Stefan Jüllich, 67593 Westhofen 
OG - Winnweiler e.V. LG10 Peter Haas, 67722 Winnweiler 
OG - Worms e.V. LG10 Reinhard Westhäuser, 67551 Worms 
OG - Reilingen e.V. LG12 Rudolf Ohlinger, 67069 Ludwigshafen 

Just in case you're interested!


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

The whole Schutzund club thing is set up very differently here - but those prices sound more than reasonable to me. 

Every club and every trainer has their own philosophy of training, and their own ideas on how puppies should be started out. Reading a bunch of stuff on the internet and getting feedback from a bunch of strangers could cause nothing but major confusion to a newbie. Best thing to do is to join a club, and follow your trainer's program. Don't worry about what your pup knows or doesn't know - much better to start with a blank slate and stick to one program, then to try and get ahead, teach the wrong things, and then try to 'fix' them later. 

The one thing that you can start doing is letting your puppy be a puppy - easy on the obedience, no corrections for biting (redirect to a toy - always have puppy tugs and toys on hand for redirection). Easy on corrections overall - you want your pup to grow up full of confidence, feeling and believing that she can do no wrong, and everything she does is the right thing! Don't correct her for jumping on people (so you need to keep her on leash and prevent her from jumping on people that she isn't supposed to jump on), let her pull on leash (she is still young, you should be able to hold her fine, no prong until she is about six months old - but your club may have specific ways of introducing and using the prong). 

Develop a relationship with you, work on engagement, make yourself the funnest, best, most exciting thing in the world, and above all, enjoy her!


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## erfunhouse (Jun 8, 2013)

I think those are great prices here! I am looking at $400 and up for club dues yearly in So Cal. I"m also having a hard time dealing with corrections :/ I do understand that no one learns by pure positive...you have to correct a wrong action, but I'm a bit soft on it, so finding someone who will work with me will be interesting. I have a trainer that I am hoping to start with this coming week, but we'll see how willing he is to work with me not bend us to his rules. There are many ways to one end...and I am hoping he can be more of a guide/trainer than a hard leader.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

There should not be any corrections on a puppy - Sabo is still only six months old? Lots of positive foundation work to be put in place before corrections are needed or useful. If the trainer is using corrections on a new pup that is just starting out - well, I'd go somewhere else. 

Corrections come in AFTER the dog has internalized and understood the exercises and the commands. This takes months of work, and a certain level of maturity from the dog.


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## erfunhouse (Jun 8, 2013)

I'm not saying I'm giving corrections!!! No no no! I agree too early!!! That's like grounding a 2yr old! No- I mean in reading ahead and prepping and planning I am having a hard time with the THOUGHT of corrections! (And I'm a strict mom to my human kids lol) 


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## Mikey (Nov 18, 2012)

I have been spending at minimum an hour a day training her. I have been correcting her when she does something wrong. I guess I need to start taking her ASAP before I get her all confused. Thank you all!


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

An hour a day all at once? Puppies don't have that kind of attention span. 10 - 15 minute sessions are plenty, and it should be play play play! They shouldn't even know that this is training, they should all think of it as fun times.  

Just ease up on everything, have fun with her, make her believe she is the best and most awesome pup in the world, manage her environment to keep her safe - as in, instead of correcting her for getting into the garbage, keep the garbage somewhere where she can't get into it, supervise, and redirect. 

Take your time, better to start her off right from the very beginning.


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## Mikey (Nov 18, 2012)

All at once, she seemed to love it. When I grab the treat pouch she gets so excited.


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