# Starting



## Stuckey (Feb 1, 2020)

so I’d really like to learn schutzund but don’t know how. I’d like you to either give me tips on how, or tell me if I can’t do it without a trainer (which I can’t afford). my dog is about 7 months old. I think that Schutzund is really cool (which probably is not good grounds for learning it).


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## Katsugsd (Jul 7, 2018)

Where are you located? Your best bet would be to join a club. Sure there are club fees, but they're much less than a private trainer would be. You could probably find YouTube videos on how to start obedience and tracking, but protection will require someone other than yourself who is knowledgeable with safely working your dog.


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## Stuckey (Feb 1, 2020)

I’m in bourbon county, Kansas. I don’t think their is a club around here. Besides, I’d like to handle the dog. Thanks anyway.


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## Squidwardp (Oct 15, 2019)

Before COVID 19 led to shelter in place orders around SW Ohio, N. Kentucky, I went to two training sessions with a local club. "Local" for me means about 35 miles away. . . 

The club members were very patient with me and my pup, who was then just over 7 months old. They let me "work" the dog, gave me lots of hands on tips, and gave me some drills to work on at home.
The two sessions I attended focused on obedience and bite work. The older dogs were doing it at a graduate school level, my pup was more at a pre-K working up to elementary school level. 
So older dogs were going at a decoy with a sleeve, finding him in a blind, holding him in place with barking, then grabbing the sleeve on command, releasing on oiut command, etc.
My dog was last to rotate through, but we got a lot of time and attention. 

For my pup, they mostly wanted to see if she would go after a burlap sack, similar to ragwork, which she definitely would. I have heard that bite work with a sleeve is best done with trainers, not say, you and your dog or you, your spouse and your dog, for example. Ragwork should be all right to do on your own, though I'm a novice, so others could weigh in. 

There is also the nosework or tracking section of this forum, which seems to have some good tips and things you can work on at home during this enforced isolation. 

As to agility portions, they did not encourage that for pup of her age, and I wouldn't have wanted her to do it. Potentially tough on joints, hips, etc. of young pup. Wait until growth plates are mature. 

If you did find a club, just make sure you have a good crate and a way to keep your dog safe and comfortable in hotter weather.
That was not a factor in Ohio in February, but if we resumed in May? June? it would be. 

Different takes on prong collars on this forum, and I was not a huge fan going in. But the trainers I met said flat out, get one. The Sprenger brand is a good one. Prongs a bit more rounded off, and seems well made overall.


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

I think you misinterpreted a bit. You will always be the one handling your dog in schutzhund. The club is there to teach you how to do it, guide you in training your dog, and provides equipment for wto use on training days like the jump. If you knew what you were doing, you could train obedience on your own. The bitework requires other people’s help for a lot reasons. Your reason is a perfectly fine one for entering the sport, and I’d encourage you to try.


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## Squidwardp (Oct 15, 2019)

In my sessions, the trainers made clear I was to be the dog's partner. I was always the one handling the leash, except when the trainers were literally showing me something they wanted me to do, they might take the leash for a moment or two. Does Kansas City have a club and is that close enough? Except the bite work, the rest you could and probably would want to work on your own a lot.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Stuckey said:


> I’m in bourbon county, Kansas. I don’t think their is a club around here. Besides, I’d like to handle the dog. Thanks anyway.


Nope. Nothing there. I have family there. 

Ryan white is in KC. Good helper. Trains often with Beth Bradley in NJ so he's an option for you. 

Beth is going to do some video sessions. Dave Kroyer is only 10/month and has so much knowledge. That would be affordable and you can do a lot of your obedience, secondary ob, and tracking


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## Stuckey (Feb 1, 2020)

Bearshandler said:


> think you misinterpreted a bit. You will always be the one handling your dog in schutzhund. The club is there to teach you how to do it, guide you in training your dog, and provides equipment for wto use on training days like the jump. If you knew what you were doing, you could train obedience on your own. The bitework requires other people’s help for a lot reasons. Your reason is a perfectly fine one for entering the sport, and I’d encourage you to try.


Okay thank you!


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## Stuckey (Feb 1, 2020)

Squidwardp said:


> Does Kansas City have a club and is that close enough?


No it’s not close enough. And sorry I didn’t reply a lot sooner, I’ve been very busy. We are probably not going to do Schutzhund, just thought it would be fun for us, not a necessary thing for us.

Thank You!!!!


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

The closest club I saw there was Webb city, but I assume that is too far.


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## Stuckey (Feb 1, 2020)

Bearshandler said:


> The closest club I saw there was Webb city, but I assume that is too far.


Yes but thanks anyway.


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