# Evaluating puppy for Schutzund



## Wickedace_GSD (May 30, 2021)

Hi All.
I took my 14 week old pup to a trainer who specializes in training dogs for police/military and is a certified decoy to get an evaluation on him. He comes from Czech working bloodlines and the breeder is the President of a Schutzund club (Sire and Dam both Schutzund Titled)

Maybe I am being a little too critical, but I was not overly impressed with how he did with the rag work. He was biting and holding firmly and calmly and would re-bite with the release of leash pressure but he did not bark at all. The trainer said he would like to see him be a little more vocal but said that is something they can bring out in him. He also became somewhat disengaged towards the end. I suppose I was expecting him to go nuts for the rag, and while he did bite and hold, I did not feel there was a high level of motivation. I have never really done rag work at home in a way to frustrate him. I will usually just move side to side / forward and back, but he is able to grab it within a few seconds. Are there any drills I can do with him to build drive for the rag or is this developed over time?

Thank you.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

The breeder of my female does flirt pole exercises with all her pups before they go to their new homes to evaluate their potential. Here's my pup at 8 weeks! This should give you a good idea of how it's done!


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## Rionel (Jun 17, 2020)

How long have you had your pup? Maybe he's still connecting dots in his new surroundings?


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## Wickedace_GSD (May 30, 2021)

Rionel said:


> How long have you had your pup? Maybe he's still connecting dots in his new surroundings?


Since he was 8 weeks.


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## Rionel (Jun 17, 2020)

Take this with a grain of salt because I don't Schutzhund, but I would hold my evaluation of his performance until he's been with the trainer another time ( it sounds like this was his first eval by the trainer?) . There are others here that do what you're wanting and can offer more pertinent answers, but in general, if he displays more drive when you're with him at home, he might warm up to the trainer next session. It could be a bit of confusion if you've already ingrained some obedience into him. He might feel like he's supposed to yield to a new person challenging him for a rag/tug etc... You'll have to update us as he progresses.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

He's a baby. You need to teach him what he's supposed to do.

You test the grip. He grips and is calm. Check. Then teach him to bark using a ball. Some dogs have higher prey and don't bark automatically. I taught my girl to bark for her bowl of food. After he's done teething, test his grip again and put him up until he's 9-10 months old to let him mature. Work on barking, driving building, obedience and tracking. I do all of that with food and a ball.


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## Katsugsd (Jul 7, 2018)

What Jax said. There's a reason it's called drive work with puppies. You build that intensity in some dogs and cement behaviors. You teach the dog to bark (they bark out of frustration and you reward) to make the object move. Call it a win that he's chasing the rag and biting it. My boy did not bark when he first started either, but boy does he bark now (and it's an issue we're working on for secondary OB). Our helper says he's so loud it hurts his ears during the bark and hold. Are you close enough to the breeder to go to their club?


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

Had a problem with my pup not barking at first, either! It takes time to all come together, and he's very much a baby, as other posters have said1


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## Muskeg (Jun 15, 2012)

You can do a lot of that getting ready for helper work at home. Build up frustration for anything- toy, food, whatever s/he likes, and then mark and reward the barking. You'll get there. As long as the pup engaged with the helper, and showed a good grip and hold with the rag, you should be able to progress just fine.

Work on following the hand for food, basic positions, beginning tracking, your yes/no markers, and building drive for the toy at home. Then let him mature. I will wait until 10 months, I think, to work my pup with the helper again. Because I want her to get something out it--- and all that foundation I lay at home. Exposure to different people and place is also helpful. Work your pup in different environments (taking a step back with the training you are doing- one step at a time) so she is used to working in a new place, with people watching/dogs barking and all that.


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## JunoVonNarnia (Apr 8, 2020)

Anecdotally, when my pup was about 6 months, we were told she is no good for IGP by an experienced trainer. Fast forward 10 months, I am a member of an IGP club and my pup is doing well. Better than some other dogs who have been at it longer than we have.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

where I train we do 'zig zags' with flirtpole and burlap to begin....helper
coming into the puppy as the pup barks, every bark gets a reward of movement. Helper will reset if the pup is higher in threshold.
It is all done in prey(yet the zig zag triggers a bit of defense or we do peek a bo to get the engagement if the pup isn't super prey drivien, and the pup learns, the bark is where the power is to engage. The grip is always rewarded after the pup counters if the grip is shallow, so pup learns to bite deep.


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