# Do you let your Sch dogs play with your "pet" dogs?



## Shaolin (Jun 16, 2012)

So, I've been doing a lot of Sch research recently as this is something I would like to try with my next GSD pup.

One thing that I came across that no one seemed to agree on is if Sch dogs can play/interact with the non-Sch dogs in the house.

When I was in SAR training, the head trainer stated that neither of his dogs had ever interracted with one another outside of the occasional 'pass and sniff', but past that, nothing. Another one of the group members that I really respected had her own personal pack of I think six dogs. She said they all played with one another constantly and all lived inside. Both the head trainer's dogs and the other members' dogs performed their jobs without an issue.

There was another dog in our house while we were training and they had full access to one another and got along famously. The one dog was well over 10, so they weren't rough housing, but they would play in the backyard together. I never had any issue with Finn and training; it was like he understood that it was time for "work". His entire demeanour changed from being a goofball to being truly aloof and just not caring about anyone or anything around him except for me.

So, do you allow your dogs to interract with one another, or are they only allowed to have an accidental 'pass and sniff', but stay sequestered until it's training/trial time?


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

My schH dog is with my companion dog almost 24/7 unless we are out training together. They usually walk with one another as well.

Never had an issue with either dog in training (even if the other dog is present) with focus or performing.

Both of my dogs could care less about any other dog... when we are training, Zefra my "schH dog" is so focused it's scary.. hard to distract her which is great for me being a semi-new handler... lol.

My dogs are companions first and working partners second.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

look at it this way. There are some police dogs who go home and are just another dog that are a part of the family. They play with the other dog(s), possibly have a cat for a friend at home too. 

I know if you get in touch with Cheryl Goede on The German Shepherd Dog Community on FB, she's got a couple dogs who are training. Havok (GSD) and Khaos(malinois). From pictures she posts, Havok is always playing with the other dogs when he's not "working".

Depends on who you ask really.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

I think it depends on the dog and the lifestyle and training goals for the handler as well.

If I had a dog and wanted to be the TOP trainer and be on the world team, then the way I raised that dog may look slightly different.. 

For me, schutzhund is a hobby - one that I devote myself too 100% but it is just still a hobby for me.. I have other interests and do other things with my dogs.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Yes, my SchH dog is not crated at home and neither is my pet. They are together all day but don't usually interact except for maybe 5 minutes of playing outside when I first get home and they are amped up. They are very good together, just not directly interacting with each other so I've never worried that they like each other more than me or don't have energy left to work.


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## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

My Schutzhund dog is my pet dog...he sleeps in my room, snuggles on the couch, and trains daily with me. He also plays, snuggles, lounges with several of our other dogs and our kittens.


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

Other than female to female aggression, my dogs in training are pets and live together....at one point, I had 3 titled females who lived together fine, and one male. Rough play is not allowed in the house, but they would be allowed to run together at the farm where my horse is kept...a couple of times a week I would take 3 - 4 dogs out in a back hayfield and let them run while I went around the perimeter of the field..or just run around in a front field. One female would always have a male companion and right now, I have two older titled dogs and 2 cats free in the house. My male could go to training, and even trial with a female in heat in the truck with him and still concentrate on the work when it came time to get on the field....

Dogs are companions first, and working dogs second....work is only a part of their life day to day.

Lee


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I am like the rest, except, like Lee mentions, females that HATE each other. Elena and Vala hang in he house together, sleep on my bed together and get to run and play together outside. Both dogs, though, push me for attention in the house or out on our runs and both are entirely dog neutral. 

Deja used to run and play with Donovan. Now she is an "only" dog when she is out with me. Oddly, now that she doesn't have a buddy to play with I am having a few more issues with her being dog focused in training. 

Nike ran with a group as did Treue. When it was time to work it was all about me. 

I have met world level competitors that allow dog interaction and others who don't just like some whose competition dogs are also house dog and other have only kennel dogs.


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## DinoBlue (Apr 11, 2007)

Eyra hangs out with the other two house dogs all day long and no issues at all. They don't really play all that much, the odd wrestling match but that's it. At training or on a search she could care less about other dogs. 

Olek is allowed to be free in the house with the other dogs when we are home and he is not particularly interested in them. The odd sniff but that's it. At training he has no interest in any of the other dogs, he is completely focused on the task at hand.


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## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

All three are schutzhund dogs and also companion dogs (companions first and foremost mind you), but they all play together, and they all are in public playing with other dogs frequently


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## Shaolin (Jun 16, 2012)

Thanks for all the responses. 

Yes. First and foremost any dog in our home, regardless of whether they were acquired for working or not, are loved companions. You never know if, in the end, they just don't have it or they get injured in a way where they are not workable anymore. 

Sch would truly be just a hobby. If we do well at trials and make it further, then bully for us, but I'm not going into Sch with the thought of being Best Sch Dog Ever. I'm just doing it for the fun and the education. I'm sure in the early stages I'll have to reel both of them in greatly just to get the idea in her head of, "Yes, he's a blast, but look, I'm even better..." but I'm sure with a good, solid start in a good club, we will be fine.

I felt like I was in the minority of people who didn't want to keep their animals separated unless there's a problem, but now I realize I'm in the majority. Thank you!!!


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

I don't have Schutzhund dogs but I have MANY dogs. 

When I got Tazer, my previous Cocker, as a puppy I also had a puppy foster-failure. At the time I was starting obedience training with my oldest GSD so the two puppies spent alot of time together and not alot of one-on-one time with me.

They became a pair - we called them an old married couple.  They cared more for each other than they did for me. Tazer eventually found his calling - Lure Coursing - and started branching out and being away from Winnie more. That started getting him bonded with me more. Winnie was never a dog for ANY sports so she just stayed at home.

As long as the dogs have equal (or more) one-on-one time with you as they have with each other it shouldn't cause a problem.


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## gsdw/me (May 17, 2011)

Audi and I train and trial in IPO (we are pretty new to it but, have earned a couple of titles) he lives and plays with a miniature poodle a Kitty and Taschka our soon to be 1 year old female GSD who is also training in the sport. He is truly a part of our pack and I would have it no other way. It does not seem to have affected his work in any negative way.


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## TrickyShepherd (Aug 15, 2011)

Other then my two females wanting to kill each other... yes. My dogs are companions first. Duke and Storm, or Duke and Zira... Storm does occasionally come out by herself. Zira and Storm are okay with walking by each other, and can be inside together for about 20 minutes without conflict... but we just don't risk it. We do crate and rotate with them.

There are certain dogs outside of my own that they do play well with. Unfortunately, no one lives close by, so it's rare that they get to run around with them. The dogs don't care though... they just want to be around us.


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