# Preparation for Schutzhund/IPO



## Omar Little (Feb 24, 2013)

Hello - I am a few (5?) months out from getting my first GSD pup. I want to get started in Schuthund/IPO when the time is right and I'm trying to prepare myself. I have been meeting with a local club, watching training sessions and I went to my first trial this weekend (SO COOL!). I will continue to do that and ask as many questions as I can. My question though is more related to what I should do with my pup to get myself (and him) prepared for IPO training? Like from the day I get him home (and leading up to that point), where do I start and what do I do? Puppy classes, local obedience and dog training, etc? Or could local training classes (a step above petsmart) do more harm then good when it comes to IPO? I'm sure there's things you can do at home to start the training as well. I'll be looking for lots of videos and maybe books over the next few months on that. They need to make a "Starting in Schutzhund for Dummies" book...

I see a lot of people ask when a good time to start official training and have learned that there is no straight forward answer to that question.


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

In blue,  I can help with that a little bit!

.

Try checking out some of the Leerburg/Micheal Ellis videos on starting puppies.

Leerburg Dog Training | Puppy Training DVDs

A book that breaks the OB down into easily understood steps is:

Schutzhund Obedience : Training in Drive: Sheila Booth, Gottfried Dildei: 9780966302028: Amazon.com: Books


(I got the best results going with trainers involved in protection sports...)




Omar Little said:


> Hello - I am a few (5?) months out from getting my first GSD pup. I want to get started in Schuthund/IPO when the time is right and I'm trying to prepare myself. I have been meeting with a local club, watching training sessions and I went to my first trial this weekend (SO COOL!). I will continue to do that and ask as many questions as I can. My question though is more related to what I should do with my pup to get myself (and him) prepared for IPO training? Like from the day I get him home (and leading up to that point), where do I start and what do I do? Puppy classes, local obedience and dog training, etc? Or could local training classes (a step above petsmart) do more harm then good when it comes to IPO? I'm sure there's things you can do at home to start the training as well. I'll be looking for lots of videos and maybe books over the next few months on that. They need to make a "Starting in Schutzhund for Dummies" book...
> 
> I see a lot of people ask when a good time to start official training and have learned that there is no straight forward answer to that question.


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

I agree with Gwen, schH obedience is not the same as pet ob. I would either start with a club right when you get the puppy or at least a trainer that has experience in protection sports. Besides the others mentioned, I would also look into Ivan Balabanov dvd's.


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## Zahnburg (Nov 13, 2009)

You are well ahead of the curve by checking out and learning about the sport BEFORE getting a puppy. 

To answer your question; to me the most important thing to do with a young puppy is to play. They must learn how to interact in play with the handler. If you have a puppy that will play vigorously with the handler everything else will fall into place when he is a little older. 

And no, I would not suggest puppy classes or local training for your IPO prospect. What you are looking to get from the dog in IPO is much different from the average pet owner that these sorts of classes are geared towards.


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

:thumbup:


(as an aside, even for our basic all breed OB class the trainer was involved in, helper for, SchH and the techniques he used for basic OB seem to be good for all breeds. I know this is a generalization, good and bad apples in all spectrums, but it's been my experience that a trainer involved in protection sports is _usually_ better at reading dogs and if a good communicator makes for a good instructor in OB?)




mycobraracr said:


> I agree with Gwen, schH obedience is not the same as pet ob. I would either start with a club right when you get the puppy or at least a trainer that has experience in protection sports. Besides the others mentioned, I would also look into Ivan Balabanov dvd's.


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## Omar Little (Feb 24, 2013)

Good suggestions, thanks!


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## gsdlover91 (Jul 21, 2012)

Socialize, socialize, and socialize some more. Seriously, socialization is SO important for IPO! You want your dog to be exposed to all kinds of people/dogs/stimuli/situations etc.


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## Zahnburg (Nov 13, 2009)

gsdlover91 said:


> Socialize, socialize, and socialize some more. Seriously, socialization is SO important for IPO! You want your dog to be exposed to all kinds of people/dogs/stimuli/situations etc.


0

To play devil's advocate for just a moment. At the bare minimum what does the dog need to be familiar with for IPO? The kennel, the crate in the car and the field.


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## gsdlover91 (Jul 21, 2012)

Zahnburg said:


> 0
> 
> To play devil's advocate for just a moment. At the bare minimum what does the dog need to be familiar with for IPO? The kennel, the crate in the car and the field.


At the bare minimum, true. But, a dog exposed to many different situations and things can help so that the dog is confident in new/unfamiliar situations, and places such as the IPO field. Not always the case, and not all dogs need socialization/exposure i guess, genetics plays a huge part, but it certainly doesn't hurt.


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## Zahnburg (Nov 13, 2009)

gsdlover91 said:


> but it certainly doesn't hurt.


Of course it doesn't.


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## G-burg (Nov 10, 2002)

Omar Little said:


> I will continue to do that and ask as many questions as I can. My question though is more related to what I should do with my pup to get myself (and him) prepared for IPO training?


Let him or her be a puppy first and foremost!! Have fun together, let the pup see the world and in the process create a strong bond/relationship with one another..

You can also do some puppy imprinting with food to teach a few of the basics, sit, down, focus and come..


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