# Picking Up Puppy This Weekend And Have A Schutzhund Future Kids Question



## whorneff310 (Feb 5, 2013)

Hello, 

I am picking up my GSD puppy this weekend. It is from a reputable AKC and GSDC breeder. Both parents were imported from Europe with champion pedigrees and the sire is a champion Schutzhund (Sch3 KKL1 LIFE). Both have excellent temperaments, hips and elbows.

My primary reason for getting a GSD is for family protection and companionship. After reading through the forum we decided to get the puppy 2-3 years before we have our first child in order to devote the time to proper training and socialization. My sister who lives down the block has kids that are 4,3,2 years of age as well as a newborn baby. I have an Australian shepherd and and a Chihuahua. Additionally, I teach martial arts classes for kids and was planning on bringing the puppy to work to be around as many kids as possible early on. 

If I were to start Schutzhund training, would that make the dog more dangerous to be around kids when I have them? I wanted to participate in Schutzhund because I do truly want a dog that will attack if someone were to break and the house and harm my family while I am away. However, I don't want to make the dog more likely to harm my child. I didn't want to put off getting a puppy until I had kids who were 6 or 7 becuase I want the added security now and through my wife's pregnancy vs later on. Thanks for your time

William


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

If the dog has a solid temperament, then no - the SchH dog is expected to behave accordingly in social situations. Don't really expect him to want to go greet everyone once he hits adulthood, but he should at least tolerate social interactions. 

Someone posted a picture of their dog doing bitework in schH, then more photos of the dog playing fetch with a little boy. Hopefully someone can find it!


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## meldleistikow (Oct 24, 2011)

I am new to Schutzhund, my pup is only 15 months, but he is great with kids. I have seen older schutzhund dogs that are also great with kids, even when they were not raised in the home with them. 

As long as you get a dog with a solid temperament and do a lot of socialization, I don't think that you will have any issues.


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## whorneff310 (Feb 5, 2013)

Great, I am going to start with normal obedience training. I have a few books on order from amazon as well. At what age do you usually start the Schutzhund training?


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

When I was first interested in Schutzhund I went to watch a club practice. As I sat on the sidelines and watched the dogs worked a man came over to talk to me with his dog. She sat next to me on the ground, then crawled into my lap and started licking my face. I laughed and played with her and we talked for a bit about the sport. He excused himself, saying it was their turn on the field.

I was amazed at the change in that dog. She went from fun and friendly to COMPLETE seriousness and all work. If I had not met her beforehand I don't know if I would have been comfortable approaching her after watching her work.

When she came off the field she was still 'running high' (as I call it) but after about 5 minutes she was back to the dog I met before.

Dogs that have the correct temperament and training know when to turn it on and off.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

Find a club near you and start training with them as soon as you can. Go there before you get your dog so they tell you what to start doing from day one. DO NOT TRAIN THIS BY YOURSELF!!! There are some good books about the subject out there, but many of them use very outdated methods for training certain things.

Where are you located?


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## meldleistikow (Oct 24, 2011)

I started training as soon as I got my pup. It is really fun to see him progress and how much fun he has. His tail is always wagging, especially in protection work . My dog is also a big cuddly dog. I just had him at the pet store the other day and he loves people to give him a good rub down. This could change as he gets older though. My other GSD could care less if strangers pet her. Even though he is cuddly, he has a ferocious bark when people go by the yard.


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## whorneff310 (Feb 5, 2013)

wow great stories thanks guys. I am located in Bergen county NJ. The only thing I could find was actual training courses vs clubs


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## Witz (Feb 28, 2011)

Given you have selected a puppy that comes from lines in which they have proven their ability to be successfully trained in Schutzhund, does not mean your pup will be suited for that level of training. Your intentions should have been expressed to the breeder and they should have selected a pup that shows some of the characteristics to do the training. Puppies can vary on whether they will be able, driven and capable of the long road ahead that is Schutzhund. It is very important to get guidence as your first pup/dog it is as much a learning experience for you as it is the dog. There are some real challenges knowing how to balance being a good pet as well as the drives and behaviors needed to do the sport.
Dogs/pups with solid nerve, socialized properly and are trained in Schutzhund there should be no issues with the ability to be with kids or people. The thing to remember that the basis of all Schutzhund training is channeling a dogs energy towards a great outlet with purpose and most importantly the essence of the sport is focused on obedience and control of the dogs actions which to the dog is all a big game of play.
Check out Michael Ellis' video's.

Good luck


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## whorneff310 (Feb 5, 2013)

Witz said:


> Given you have selected a puppy that comes from lines in which they have proven their ability to be successfully trained in Schutzhund, does not mean your pup will be suited for that level of training. Your intentions should have been expressed to the breeder and they should have selected a pup that shows some of the characteristics to do the training. Puppies can vary on whether they will be able, driven and capable of the long road ahead that is Schutzhund. It is very important to get guidence as your first pup/dog it is as much a learning experience for you as it is the dog. There are some real challenges knowing how to balance being a good pet as well as the drives and behaviors needed to do the sport.
> Dogs/pups with solid nerve, socialized properly and are trained in Schutzhund there should be no issues with the ability to be with kids or people. The thing to remember that the basis of all Schutzhund training is channeling a dogs energy towards a great outlet with purpose and most importantly the essence of the sport is focused on obedience and control of the dogs actions which to the dog is all a big game of play.
> Check out Michael Ellis' video's.
> 
> Good luck



Witz thanks for the info. All the breeder had said was that both of the two males left would be good for schutzhund. If you were looking at the two male puppies and their interactions with eachother and with the litter, what would you be looking for. One is more laid back but friendly, and curious. The other is more rambunctious.


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## huntergreen (Jun 28, 2012)

whorneff310 said:


> wow great stories thanks guys. I am located in Bergen county NJ. The only thing I could find was actual training courses vs clubs


hello from sussex nj. seems like the closest shutzhund clubs are in hunterdon county and long island. both a couple hours drive and i don't want to deal with the cross bronx express or the lie unless my wife forces me. there is a gsd club that meets in mahwah.


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## whorneff310 (Feb 5, 2013)

huntergreen said:


> hello from sussex nj. seems like the closest shutzhund clubs are in hunterdon county and long island. both a couple hours drive and i don't want to deal with the cross bronx express or the lie unless my wife forces me. there is a gsd club that meets in mahwah.



Hello neighbor. Mahwah is right next to me. Do you have any info on this club. I couldn't find it. Thanks a lot


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## huntergreen (Jun 28, 2012)

google north jersey gsd club. did you attend ramapo college ? in oakland?


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## whorneff310 (Feb 5, 2013)

huntergreen said:


> google north jersey gsd club. did you attend ramapo college ? in oakland?


thanks, no I went to college in nyc


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## Witz (Feb 28, 2011)

whorneff310 said:


> Witz thanks for the info. All the breeder had said was that both of the two males left would be good for schutzhund. If you were looking at the two male puppies and their interactions with eachother and with the litter, what would you be looking for. One is more laid back but friendly, and curious. The other is more rambunctious.


As I said in my first post if your desire is to really engage in Sch., the time, money and learning can be quite involved. It is difficult to assess a pup from a distance and only a snapshot of time. I would certainly say that the more outgoing energetic pup would possibly be the preferred one, but the more friendly curious one could have all the abilities also. A good breeder will help with the match. The first order of business is to get a good pet in your case, with the possible ability to participate in the sport. The next step is to, as others have mentioned, is to find a club in your area. Try to find a couple of clubs to compare the people and the main trainer/helper and interview them. I was very lucky to find a very good trainer. My first dog was who I learned with and made many mistakes. Every dog after that does better as the handler learning is much more solid in terms of what to do and what to look for. So much info, of which a whole lot can be learned from this forum.


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

whorneff310 said:


> I wanted to participate in Schutzhund because I do truly want a dog that will attack if someone were to break and the house and harm my family while I am away.


Uh, Schutzhund will NOT teach that. Schutzhund is a SPORT, a game for the dogs. Teaching a dog to bite a sleeve when presented is VERY different from teaching a dog to attack someone.

If you truly want a dog that WILL attack someone if they break into your home then you want to do Personal Protection. That is completely different from Schutzhund.


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## whorneff310 (Feb 5, 2013)

Lauri & The Gang said:


> Uh, Schutzhund will NOT teach that. Schutzhund is a SPORT, a game for the dogs. Teaching a dog to bite a sleeve when presented is VERY different from teaching a dog to attack someone.
> 
> If you truly want a dog that WILL attack someone if they break into your home then you want to do Personal Protection. That is completely different from Schutzhund.


Uh sorry for the misunderstanding. Thanks


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

and the personal protection training may not be a good fit with a dog who you want to be a companion dog good with kids, neighbors etc.

Most dogs are a deterrent to low grade criminals....a really serious criminal will just shoot the dog.....at least that is what LEO I know say...

Schutzhund training is obedience training overall. If you have a stable dog with enough drive you can train wtih a club and that is where you will learn and understand what is said here. I have known of dogs with little to no training and the right instincts and well bred who have done natural holds on people walking into the house unannounced.

If the breeder is active in the sport, and titles dogs, she/he should be able to guide you to the right pup, the right trainer and more knowledge about training. If the breeder does not know these things, it is less likely that your pup will be sucessful or suitable.

Lee


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## huntergreen (Jun 28, 2012)

none of my gsd had pp training and i have no doubt no one was breaking into our house with out shooting the dog. kyra had to be told it wa ok for some one to come in the house and stayed ever watchful until she was satisfied the person, either friend or repairman, posed no threat. she was ever alert when my wife or daughters were home. imho, the gsd that doesn't protect their family in these situations are a rare.


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## phgsd (Jun 6, 2004)

Hi from Warren County  
All of my GSD's have been great with kids, except for the first, but she was not stable in general. 

Here is Kessy with a random kid she met on a hike...she is very sweet with kids, she tones down her usual exuberance and is very gentle. She can have a group of kids run up and surround her, crowd her, and she is happy to greet each with a kiss. 

And she's an accomplished Schh/herding dog.











If you ever have an interest in GSD sheepherding, you'd be welcome to pay us a visit. Most Schh clubs will be an hour or more away. Our herding group/farm is right in Knowlton, one of only 2 clubs in the US that train in the German style


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I love that photo!! I wish I was closer to your herding club....would love to get into it.


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

working with Meghan for obedience would also be a good thing! 

the herding would be a good way to go as well!

Lee


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## Renofan2 (Aug 27, 2010)

If you are interested in Schutzhund - contact Beth Bradley. She is located in Denville, NJ area and train's on Sunday's. I work in Parsippany and train with her group occassionally. Cheryl


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## W.Oliver (Aug 26, 2007)

A good GSD can deal with both a bad guy, and dress-up tea party.


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## whorneff310 (Feb 5, 2013)

I just want to thank you for the helpful responses guys. I am a complete newbie. From reading through the forums it seemed like I was stuck with either having a great protective Schutzhund...or personal protection dog rather who I would always have to be afraid around kids. Or I would have a GSD who would not protect my family. From the responses I got it's give me some encouragement that a well socialized obedience trained GSD will be able to protect my family without doing the ppd work. I know that you never really know until it's tested. I just didn't want to wind up getting a GSD that didn't protect against intruders but harmed my kids. I am also going to check out the clubs you guys have suggested. I really appreciate the help.

William


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