# Why Schutzhund?



## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Why do we have to put the dogs through that? 

The guy I was working with yesterday didn't listen to what I had to say, he simply did it "his way" and it didn't work well for my male. 

So why Schutzhund? Only because somebody said that it is what Shepherds are made for? Why do we have to put them through Schutzdienst to get them evaluated and titled. Isn't there a different way? 

With the wrong people it's so easy to mess up a dog, doesn't matter how much drive and hardness they have, you can mess up any dog, one way or another so WHY do we put them through that?

Why do you do it?


----------



## AvaLaRue (Apr 4, 2010)

I will not do Schutzhund with Ava at all. To me...it looks so violant and I dont want anyone flicking a whip or a beat stick at my dog. 

Maybe that's what GSD's are "made for" or whatever...but not this girl's GSD!!! I plan on doing agility with Ava and therapy if she'll be good with it.

I don't have a problem with anyone else that does Schutzhund with their dogs. If that's what people choose for their dogs then that's fine. I just personally don't want that for mine.


----------



## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

Same here, I think to each his own. I would like to do some tracking, of course obedience, and a little agility with Jake. Maybe if I had a puppy who had the drive for it I would consider it, but unless the dog is going to use the skills I don't see why. I do find it interesting to read about and learn the many uses it has with police, military etc.


----------



## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I don't have the dedication it takes for schutzhund

I also don't think schutzhund is the be all-end all to prove a dog is breed worthy and/or a fine example of the breed.

I admire schutzhund and enjoy watching it, just don't have the dedication for it.

My preferences are tracking, obedience, herding, ..


----------



## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

There's always herding for breed evaluation ... as well as host of other activities we can do with our dogs - for fun, for a challenge and for general confidence building. If a dog is not suitable for SchH for whatever reason, then I would definitely try something else. A GSD's quality of life would not suffer or be any less just because he/she does not get to train in schutzhund.


----------



## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

I'd love to try herding. I think they'd do actually well at herding. My helper had sheeps himself and Yukon and Indra were highly interested in the sheeps. One day we did some bitework and Yukon was more interested in the sheeps than in the bitework itself.


----------



## CainGSD (Nov 15, 2003)

I train in Schutzhund because I love the bond it has nutured for me and my dogs. Both dogs I have worked in the sport have enjoyed the training. I did have an experience with someone during a bite work training session. This person was a judge scheduled to work a trial happening the next day. He came onto the field while I was working with my male and helper and I had to stand up for my dog and tell him thank you for his "help" but I was not going to allow that to continue. I feel I am my dog's protector and it is my responsibility to determine what is in their best interest.

Schutzhund works for me and my dog but it definitely not for all people or all shepherds.


----------



## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I love doing it, my dog loves doing it, and I like being with the people in my club (I'd go out even if my dog was sick or injured, it's not *just* about me and my dog).

I don't breed so I don't have to worry about "breed worthiness" or feeling obligated to do something. If something makes me or my dog uncomfortable we would not be doing it, period. I guess we are lucky in that each week I see progress and the dog's desire to be there and to work. I don't think it should be all that difficult or complicated when the dog is "there" mentally and physically.

We also do rally obedience, dock diving, lure coursing, conformation, and agility.


----------



## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

We participate in the sport..primarily because my husband is an excellent helper, and LOVES the sport.
It's great bonding time for ours dogs with us....
I don't think all GSD dogs have the "desire" for the sport, and should not be "made" to participate.
There are many other activities owners can do with their dogs....finding the one that BOTH handler and dog enjoys...should be the one pursued.
Schutzhund is not the "be all" for this breed, however...to some of us...it IS part of our criteria...and we enjoy doing it.
The most important thing is...have fun with your dogs.
JMO


----------



## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

I don't do schutzhund any longer and I don't think you have to do it really. I think its a choice. I did it for 3 years well actually more My female really loved it. It does create a bond between the handler and the dog that I think I wouldn't have had if I didn't do schutzhund. And I learned how to train with a ball and just had a lot of fun with it. I really enjoyed it. I bought my female with every intention of doing schutzhund and probably for over 2 years drove 2 hours to get there. I am really proud of Rorie because when she was just a young dog herself she trained a new helper. No one ever messed her up she does work different for different people. And also I have just come to the conclusion that even though I was not in the sport for 300 years it is my dog and I know her. And 2 clubs later actually 3 because I quit 1 twice I have come to the conclusion that I am just not a club person. I have tried to find a private trainer but wasn't able to find one. So now we do something different and we enjoy it. I really don't have the time and energy to devote to schutzhund anymore either


----------



## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

I have never viewed SchH as having to put my dogs through something, and I know for certain my dogs do not view it that way. They LOVE it. No matter how many other venues we also participate in, or how many walkies and romps and swims in the pond and doggy play sessions and fetch and frisbee and cuddles on the couch they get during the week, hands down their favorite day of the week is SchH club day. If anything, they view it as "why do you have to put us through these non club days.. isn't it Saturday yet?"

We do have one dog, Nara, who doesn't share this outlook and thus she was retired from SchH at a little over a year old when it became apparent that she did not have the temperament to enjoy it, nevermind do well. With her it would have been unfair to continue, so we stopped. But the others would probably riot if we stopped.

With the right dog, it is not a matter of putting the dog through anything. They love this work. Certainly that doesn't mean that every single minute of every single training session is 100% fun or stress free. But then that couldn't be said about any training venue, or life itself. Overwhelmingly though it is enjoyable, and those stressful moments are the minority (and when approaching SchH from a breedworthiness test standpoint, an integral part of the evaluation of the dog).

Not every dog is cut out for SchH. For those who are, it is an immensely fun and rewarding activity. Some dogs love it and do well. Other dogs may not do particularly well and may not really be suited for good performance, or even able to achieve a title, but they can still have a lot of fun giving it a try. There are plenty of dogs whose temperament is not suited for enjoying the work, and in that case the only appropriate option is to find something else entirely to do with that dog, or just let it be a pet. It would be unfair to force a dog who didn't enjoy the work to do it, but for those who do enjoy it there is nothing unfair about it.

Likewise, many people do not have the temperament for SchH, regardless of whether or not their dogs do. And that's fine too. This should be fun for dog and handler, and if either isn't enjoying it then again, find something else to do.

I think if someone is having to ask "why put the dogs through this", then that person needs to seriously sit back and honestly ask "is my dog cut out for this?" and "am I cut out for this?" If the answer to either is no, then the only right choice is to find something else to do. If the answer is yes, and this question is just brought on by a single event or a bad day, then take a breather, regroup and when ready jump back in. We've all had bad days, days when things didn't go as planned, and occasions when we've asked ourselves why the heck we did X or allowed Y to happen in training, and those can make us question the whole thing for a moment. But in the grand scheme of things, unless those situations are the norm and the bad outnumbers the good, it's just part of life.


----------



## VaBeachFamily (Apr 12, 2005)

I agree... I do Schutzhund, and not only has it closed the gap between my pup and I, but it gives him something to do, something he really enjoys!!! It is fun, and it does take dedication.


----------



## SchHGSD (Dec 20, 2001)

Great post! This is WHY. 

My new puppy is 11 weeks old. He has been to club 3 times. He already gets excited when he sees his crate in the van and rushes to get in, because he is having fun. 

In my experience, this never changes. If it does, and I have a dog NOT wanting to jump into their crate on their own, then I re-evaluate the dog's career. 

Also, in terms of bad work, I protect my dogs. I can be quite a b+tch about it. Doesn't mean I don't push my dogs, or stress them occasionally, but I have do have knowledge of my dogs that the helper/TD do not have. If I feel something is not for them, I stick with my intuition.



Chris Wild said:


> I have never viewed SchH as having to put my dogs through something, and I know for certain my dogs do not view it that way. They LOVE it. No matter how many other venues we also participate in, or how many walkies and romps and swims in the pond and doggy play sessions and fetch and frisbee and cuddles on the couch they get during the week, hands down their favorite day of the week is SchH club day. If anything, they view it as "why do you have to put us through these non club days.. isn't it Saturday yet?"
> 
> We do have one dog, Nara, who doesn't share this outlook and thus she was retired from SchH at a little over a year old when it became apparent that she did not have the temperament to enjoy it, nevermind do well. With her it would have been unfair to continue, so we stopped. But the others would probably riot if we stopped.
> 
> ...


----------



## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

:thumbup: on Chris's post. 

I do SchH because my dogs love it. Their entire attitude changes when we approach the field...my normally sedate house dogs become bright eyed, perky, whining, bundles of excitement. 

No it's not always fun. Yes there is stress sometimes. But have you ever seen any athlete train? Training isn't always fun- it can be painful and frustrating. Anytime you reach for any kind of goal there is stress and sometimes you crack under the pressure and sometimes you surmount it. Riding along and only doing what is easy doesn't make your dog reach it's potential. 

And if Schutzhund were easy, everyone would do it and we'd all have SchH3 Champions. But it's not. And Schutzhund is a TEAM sport. It's not just the dog and it's not just the handler. And at the end, when you accomplish your goals you do that together and your bond is stronger for it because you've learned to communicate to achieve those end goals.


----------



## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

This will sound immensely cheezy but I do it because I’ve never had a dog like Jax before. I am literally more excited in the morning for our walk than he is.
He is so intelligent that I can see when he understands something, and knows that I know he gets it, he gets so excited! He loves to learn and explore so much that I thought it would be a big waste not to work with him. (This is not just me being an overly proud mommy; I’ve already identified our other dog as being a lost cause but still appreciate her for just being well behaved )
Schutzhund was the only thing I could find that was challenging enough for Jax, relatively convenient to get to and I enjoyed the company of the club. 
I’ve made it clear to the trainers that I don’t intend to abuse or force Jax into things that he doesn’t want to do and they were more than OK with that. There are some handlers that are quite competitive and will be rougher than I would, push their dogs really hard and they will probably score more points than we will, but I figure it’s not Jax’s fault that I chose this for our sport so why should he have to be “put through” something he doesn’t want to do? 
Everything that he does is his own choice on the field (and the little rodent is well aware of this sometimes ) 
I’m already proud of his beautiful temperament and personality so anything we accomplish after that is just a bonus.


----------



## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

I am not able to get to a great club, so it is difficult to get the entire deal accomplished. I have always still worked the dogs in protection some. It is because they love it. I think it was H. Raiser who said that really should be the motivation for doing the activity. 

The dogs just seem to expand and become "more" of themselves. I think I like nothing more than watching a dog do something that calls out so much of what they were bred to do. I love to watch hunting dogs hunt also. They just come more alive in a way. If a dog loves herding, it is the same there. I do these things because I really like dogs. When they get to do things they love it makes me happy also. Certainly I don't do it for the titles. Maybe someday they will discover the gene that makes me this way! 

On the other side, if there is not this enjoyment by the dog, then there is not that "experience" for the dog or myself. I have had dogs that did not enjoy schutzhund work and I didn't do it with them. It really should not be something you do by pulling the dog through a knot hole, but rather one where you work with the behaviors the dog naturally exhibits. If the dog does not bring that to it, I wouldn't bring the dog so schutzhund. 

Of course, there are not so talented trainers and helpers sometimes. This is unfortunate. If you can get to the right place with the right dog.... waahooo. The dogs will absolutely beg for more. My youngster pulled me through an entire set of lawn furniture to get to the protection training the other day. He loves it and if he catches a glimpse of any of the equipment he is ALIVE with anticipation. If he is being put through something, he doesn't see it that way!


----------



## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

Samba said:


> The dogs just seem to expand and become "more" of themselves. I think I like nothing more than watching a dog do something that calls out so much of what they were bred to do.


I LOVE the way you worded this, Carla! Absolutely so very, very true!


----------



## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

To add to Chris' excellent post, SchH was not designed so every dog could do it. SchH was designed to weed out the dogs that don't enjoy the work or have the drives, courage, soundness and temperament to do the work. 

If a dog doesn't find immense enjoy in what he/she is doing then the handler needs to find something more suitable.


----------



## atravis (Sep 24, 2008)

Modern schutzhund, in the grand scheme of things, is but a drop in the water for this breed.

The test was originally created to evaluate potential breeding stock... if any dog was incapable of passing it, it was not bred. A Shepherd was supposed to be versatile and capable... any dog who could not handle the pressure of the test simply was not breed worthy.

In many instances, the trials of "modern" schutzhund are much less stressful. It has become a sport, and thus has become more standardized. In the vast majority of cases, it is no longer about trying to slip up the individual dog, or feel around and expose his weaknesses. Its about preforming an action, seeing if the dog can handle it, and moving on. 

Many would argue that if a dog cannot handle even this _basic_ test of character, then he is simply not a dog that needs to be contributing to the gene pool.

Others will argue that there are other venues, and that schutzhund doesn't have to be the deciding factor. I believe that, for the most part. That is, after all, the reason why the SV will accept an HGH in substitute of the Sch1 under their system. 

I guess it depends on what you want. If you value the GSD for what it WAS, a solid dog who should be ready and willing to handle ANYTHING you throw at it, regardless of how uncomfortable it makes the dog, then maybe you are more suited to the schutzhund side of things. 
If you prefer the "modern" breed, specialists, "don't have to be a hero" dogs, then maybe things like agility, flyball, rally are more up your alley (rhyme! lol)


----------



## cindy_s (Jun 14, 2009)

I was looking at puppies for a year and a half before I finally got my Cues. I had done AKC with Ruger, and I totally crushed him. Working in a tiny ring was not his thing. I started learning about schutzhund and I was really thrilled watching the dogs work in drive. I was hooked. I had no goals with Cues when I got her. I only thought it might be really nice if she would enjoy schutzhund training. I spent months only socializing her and doing focus training. Really, I don't care what they want to do. I'll do whatever the dogs are drawn to. Competition dog, farm dog or frisbee dog, whatever. I got really lucky. Cues loves all 3 phases of schutzhund. Plus, I found a great club to train at. They are not title driven, but they do title their dogs. There is no time frame to title. You train at your own pace. Cues looks forward to Saturday, and I do as well. There is no heavy pressure on the dogs. I have a high prey and defensive dog, but she is very sensitive at the same time. I know, if I put just one too heavy of a correction on her, she will never be the same. I can work with that, and my club supports me with the type of training I feel she needs. So, I think if you have the right dog, the right expectations, and the right club, schutzhund is great.


----------



## jesusica (Jan 13, 2006)

"A predator, like the German Shepherd, has a pretty miserable existence if he doesn't get the chance to act out his drives...A dog that doesn't have the opportunity to learn and to use his inborn abilities, degenerates and is a pityful (sic) creature."

By far my favorite two lines from Raiser's book.

My dog LOVES LOVES LOVES schutzhund. Training is absolutely the highlight of his day no matter what else we do that day. His tail wags while tracking, he smiles, prances, and wags his tail more during obedience, and he gets a high from fighting the helper and conquering him. He literally leads me to his crate (takes leash in mouth and prances in front of me headed straight for car) in what I can only describe as pure ecstasy when I put that fursaver on him. For me and my dog, the question is more "Why NOT do schutzhund?" I have never even come close to asking the question you are asking.

Just because a dog is a GSD doesn't mean it can handle schutzhund. That's reality, not to mention the entire purpose of schutzhund's origination. :shrug:


----------



## onyxboy (Jun 6, 2010)

I thought about Schutzhund, but my big boy is not the type and thinking going other directions with him such as agility, or tracking. Not every GSD is a Schutzhund so that is why I'm going other directions.


----------



## Bullet (Dec 14, 2000)

Let me start off by saying I really enjoy every aspect of Schutzhund work. I do realize though that not everyone has had the opportunties I have had. For example, I started with good people, so some of the things that have happened to people like having bad helpers, or bad training directors, was somewhat removed from my situation. I actually learned about people and training from seeing some of this bad stuff when I was just getting started. 

Next I was reasonably active/atheletic, so people sought me out to do helper work. Good helpers are hard to find anywhere, so again I was treated pretty good overall. 

So when I formed my club back in 1994, I made sure I used some of my early experiences to help shape the direction of the group. Here are some examples of things I expect all of my club members to adhere to. We treat people (all people) with respect, & the animals/dogs are also treated with that same respect. So that means no crazy over the top kind of training, or attitudes. Ego's get checked at the door when someone comes over to train.

What the above accomplishes is that when someone is training, our club members are working along with the person that is training. We try to get everyone involved at each training session. It might mean that someone watches how a sit in motion is going, or helping out with a track. Protection is a bit different, but I still use folks to help out in different situations.

By keeping everyone involved it creates more of a situation that people enjoy. Not all of our folks have great dogs either, but everyone's dog is special them. Some aren't always the best SchH dogs either, but I still keep these folks involved with the club by helping them a little more with say tracking. I would like to think that's some of the respect I spoke of earlier.

To sum up, I suppose I'm saying that given a chance, schutzhund can become more than a sport, it becomes a lifestyle.

Al Govednik


----------



## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

> I think if someone is having to ask "why put the dogs through this", then that person needs to seriously sit back and honestly ask "is my dog cut out for this?" and "am I cut out for this?" If the answer to either is no, then the only right choice is to find something else to do. If the answer is yes, and this question is just brought on by a single event or a bad day, then take a breather, regroup and when ready jump back in. *We've all had bad days, days when things didn't go as planned, and occasions when we've asked ourselves why the heck we did X or allowed Y to happen in training, and those can make us question the whole thing for a moment. *But in the grand scheme of things, unless those situations are the norm and the bad outnumbers the good, it's just part of life.


I am glad I am not the only one that has those days. I know I want to continue with Indra. i am not sure about Yukon, maybe I should retire him completely from Schutzhund and just keep up with the obedience. 

Indra loves doing it already and she loves to work, so I guess she would deeply miss that kind of work.

I am hoping to find a good club in New York State once we get there.


----------



## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

I totally admire the sport and think it's amazing to see a trained dog and their owner working as one.

I do not participate as I am not very educated with schutzhund and know it takes ALOT of time & dedication. And also not every dog or owner is cut out for it.


----------



## Hunther's Dad (Mar 13, 2010)

To me, there is no other sport that compares with Schutzhund. I have been fortunate enough to have three dogs that have the drive for the sport. Schutzhund, in my opinion, lets a dog be "more of a dog" than anything else I've found. The dog gets to use his nose, his teeth, and his brain. I love the challenge of training a dog to do the obedience exercises (well, not _every_ day :rofl, watching a dog figure out where a track leads, and the "suspect apprehension" of the protection phase.

And anyone who earns a Schutzhund title has every right to call themselves a "dog trainer." Taking a dog that knows nothing, all the way to a SchH I title, can be incredibly hard sometimes. The tracking, the obedience, and the protection phases all have many things that can go wrong, and keep a person from succeeding.


----------



## Hunther's Dad (Mar 13, 2010)

jesusica said:


> "A predator, like the German Shepherd, has a pretty miserable existence if he doesn't get the chance to act out his drives...A dog that doesn't have the opportunity to learn and to use his inborn abilities, degenerates and is a pityful (sic) creature."
> 
> By far my favorite two lines from Raiser's book.
> 
> ...


I have a video that somebody shot of me and my dog doing the protection phase. When I forget to turn the sound off before I watch it, all three of mine spark up and start whining, circling, etc.


----------



## Ausdembruch gsd (May 29, 2010)

it's actually simple. If you buy a GSD from untitled liniage, how can you know what you're getting? There is a lady here in WI that sells American Shepherds she guarantees not to bite!!! She went to Germany and bought Schutzhund rejects that would not bite and over the years mixed them with American lines. Now the vets I meet around here are saying they're seeing timidity and fear biting. Quite a few bad Shepherds. So if you're not breeding, no real reason why you must, although there are reasons you should do the sport.But when you're buying a dog, you'll do well to see the titles from the parents. We don't breed untitled dogs and all our titles are H.O.T. RK9WORK!


----------



## Miss Molly May (Feb 19, 2010)

love to watch and admire the hard work and dedication of both the owner and the pup but its not for Molly and I. We rather do weekly activities like camping, swimming, fishing(she even get fresh pickerel when I catch some), fetch,boating...


----------



## Josiebear (Oct 16, 2006)

While i love watching other people's dogs do it. I personally wouldn't. After all why do something that you and your dog might not enjoy?. German Shepherds are not ONLY made for shutzhunds. They are a herding breed also and can do many tasks that is the one thing i admire about this breed. 

I am sure i get judged for not taking Josie to one but hey, my dog my decision. If i want her to do other tasks that's my business . Josie is content going on our hikes and camping we also do our usual training and definately has a ball drive which works in advantage for obedience training.


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

90% of the GSD owners I know do nothing with their dogs, they are family companions or they may do some obedience classes. (These are dogs that I know locally, not the people I know who train)
SchH clubs are far and few between in most locations, so you know that odds are very few train in the sport.
Especially with the statistic that they are the #3 most popular breed registered with AKC.


----------



## Sarah'sSita (Oct 27, 2001)

hen I started at SchH with Nandi, one club member said "not doing schutzhund would be a great disservice to him-it is truly what he was bred for". I don't do it to show that my dogs are "breedworthy" they are not (Nandi is nuetered) and Pele has only 1 testicle, but I am out there trying to have my dogs bring forth whats in them. SchH is not violent! it challenges all the drives that are in each dog. It teaches them self control in the face of pressure. I would like to try herding but time and money make it even more prohibitive than schutzhund.
Schutzhund does have value as promoting breed worthiness. If those desired traits are not kept in our GSDs they will no longer be GSDs eventually.


----------



## Xeph (Jun 19, 2005)

I only like "parts" of it (Read, the protection part). I find that to be the most fun. Overall I like tracking with my dog, but not by myself. Waiting for tracks to age is boring.

I also cannot remember any of the patterns for the performance. I tried for well over a year, with various techniques, to remember all the patterns, but I just couldn't retain the information. It was too much.

I also do not have a thick enough skin to deal with most Schutzhund people. "Their way" is usually not "my way", and I often end up feeling badly about myself or my dog, even if they did not mean to make me feel that way.

My husband is pretty interested in the sport, though, after having handled Strauss during a little bit of bitework, and he is MUCH more suited to it than I am. I'd certainly encourage him to play Schutzhund with our dogs (American AND German) if he so chose


----------



## Toffifay (Feb 10, 2007)

I never thought I would be interested in Schutzhund or Personal Protection Training until I got Toffee. I was looking for a good all around trainer, when I got my GSD @ 11 months old with ZERO training! 

The trainer I decided to use was also a Sch., Police K-9 and PPD trainer besides being an all around "pet" obedience trainer. After working with him in obedience for several months we decided do to a temperament evaluation on my dog to see if she could handle the protection training. She passed the test with flying colors and a light switched on in her that I had never seen! 

I have never looked back and my dog's best days are on the training field! Like Chris Wild said in a previous post...it doesn't matter if it is hiking on trails, chasing bunnies and deer, swimming in the ocean or eating a giant, juicy steak...her favorite days are Schutzhund days!

I love seeing any dog doing what it does BEST! The finest retriever searching for a duck, a kick-ass border collie driving a stubborn cow into the pen, a hyper active German Shorthaired Pointer coming to a point like a statue at a hidden pheasant, a Newfoundland stoically and steadily swimming in frigid waters towing a boat with a rope to safety and my German Shepherd Dog waiting like a coiled spring for the cue to charge and take down her prey...lol..the guy in the suit! 

I drive farther than I want to, spend more time than I have and more money than I should..... for my dog...because it's what she lives for!


----------



## lesslis (Sep 23, 2007)

Great discussion. 

I've seen both ends i think. My first GSD did not have the temperament when I did and my 10month old GSD has the greatest temperament for it, and loves it but I'm frustrated. I think because he learns so much faster then me:help:. The bond and trust it builds is remarkable.


----------



## Rylee (Mar 14, 2011)

I definitely agree with you on this.. I love the bonding time and although Rylee is still very young, I am already preparing her in several ways. She sees the other dogs while they are working, the distractions, her confidence in herself is fa nominal and our closeness bc of the age I brought her home. We already do recall, work with a buggy whip with her sack (burlap) tied on the end and she has an awesome drive... I think it is awesome if your dog enjoys it but each to his own.. and I do understand others concerns, so it truly is what you prefer to do with your dog and anything to them is enjoyable as long as you are part of it!


----------



## gagsd (Apr 24, 2003)

Bullet said:


> Here are some examples of things I expect all of my club members to adhere to. We treat people (all people) with respect, & the animals/dogs are also treated with that same respect. So that means no crazy over the top kind of training, or attitudes. Ego's get checked at the door when someone comes over to train.
> 
> What the above accomplishes is that when someone is training, our club members are working along with the person that is training. We try to get everyone involved at each training session. It might mean that someone watches how a sit in motion is going, or helping out with a track. Protection is a bit different, but I still use folks to help out in different situations.
> 
> ...


This!


----------



## gagsd (Apr 24, 2003)

And as an aside, herding can be very demanding on a dog if you are actually working stock and not having your dog trot along trained sheep out for a walk. 

It is physically and mentally stressful and demanding, the potential for injury is there. Just try working an obstinate ewe, an angry ram, or especially a snarky goat. I have heard of Aussies injured and killed by cattle.
And no matter the natural ability of your dog, you must have control..... for some dogs that can be adding a lot of stress.
But with the RIGHT dog.... they enjoy every minute of it and come back for more.


----------



## Hunther's Dad (Mar 13, 2010)

CainGSD said:


> I train in Schutzhund because I love the bond it has nutured for me and my dogs. Both dogs I have worked in the sport have enjoyed the training. I did have an experience with someone during a bite work training session. This person was a judge scheduled to work a trial happening the next day. He came onto the field while I was working with my male and helper and *I had to stand up for my dog and tell him thank you for his "help" but I was not going to allow that to continue. I feel I am my dog's protector and it is my responsibility to determine what is in their best interest.*
> 
> Schutzhund works for me and my dog but it definitely not for all people or all shepherds.


Good for you! After having been involved in Schutzhund for a few years (as well as any other endeavor, for that matter) I've found that it's important to be able to tell who has 25 years of experience, and who has one year of experience repeated 25 times. 

There are a couple of "big name," veteran helpers in this sport who are not getting anywhere near my dogs.


----------



## 4TheDawgies (Apr 2, 2011)

Chris Wild said:


> I have never viewed SchH as having to put my dogs through something, and I know for certain my dogs do not view it that way. They LOVE it. No matter how many other venues we also participate in, or how many walkies and romps and swims in the pond and doggy play sessions and fetch and frisbee and cuddles on the couch they get during the week, hands down their favorite day of the week is SchH club day. If anything, they view it as "why do you have to put us through these non club days.. isn't it Saturday yet?"
> 
> We do have one dog, Nara, who doesn't share this outlook and thus she was retired from SchH at a little over a year old when it became apparent that she did not have the temperament to enjoy it, nevermind do well. With her it would have been unfair to continue, so we stopped. But the others would probably riot if we stopped.
> 
> ...





JKlatsky said:


> :thumbup: on Chris's post.
> 
> I do SchH because my dogs love it. Their entire attitude changes when we approach the field...my normally sedate house dogs become bright eyed, perky, whining, bundles of excitement.
> 
> ...





Samba said:


> I am not able to get to a great club, so it is difficult to get the entire deal accomplished. I have always still worked the dogs in protection some. It is because they love it. I think it was H. Raiser who said that really should be the motivation for doing the activity.
> 
> The dogs just seem to expand and become "more" of themselves. I think I like nothing more than watching a dog do something that calls out so much of what they were bred to do. I love to watch hunting dogs hunt also. They just come more alive in a way. If a dog loves herding, it is the same there. I do these things because I really like dogs. When they get to do things they love it makes me happy also. Certainly I don't do it for the titles. Maybe someday they will discover the gene that makes me this way!
> 
> ...



All three of these posts encompass everything and why I train in Schutzhund!!! Really great posts guys! :thumbup: I really have nothing more to add you all said it for me!


----------



## Wolfie907 (Jan 14, 2011)

Wolfie's , grandparents and great grand P's have S2 and S3 on their pedigrees, but she's our family companion, not a K9 police dog or Red Cross rescue.

I'm sure she's capable, but I don't have the time, and she's our pet. It's like when I meet others who tell me their GSD is personal protection trained...and I think, essentially that means will attack on command, the protection part is instinct and how much they love their family.

Neat if you have an S1,2 or 3 and congrats if you worked with them to achieve that status, but for majority of people living in suburbia wouldn't say it's necessary.


----------

