# Protection/Schutzhund training advice / book recommendations



## Itty bitty Kitty (Dec 26, 2011)

I plan on enrolling my German Shepherd to dog protection class/training. However I am a firm believer in positive reinforcement training. For those of you who have had your dog trained in protection/Schtzhund, how did you find your trainer and make sure their methods were what you were comfortable with?

Are their any good books about dog protection/ schutzhund training that are positive?(For further research of course, I'm not experienced or knowledgeable enough to try that sort of training by myself).

Please tell me I'm not being naive in believing a dog can be trained to protect through positive reinforcement and not through negative? I'd ask my breeder ( also a positive believer and the parents of my future pup all in schutzund training) they are waaaay too far from us.

Any advice or shared wisdom will be appreciated.


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## brandypup (Jan 23, 2012)

I woudl still ask the breeder. They may know of people who know people. 

this is all I have
Dr. P's Protection Dog Training


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## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

I strongly recommend you sit in on the club/training session prior to enrolling. I would also talk to people involved in the sport(s) in your area. Dog sports are a real small world... if you sit back and listen you'll find out who is good to go to. The reason I say this is because while there are many great trainers out there, there are also many who will wreck your dog and hey then they can sell you a pup off their breeding...

If your dog is from a reputable breeder they will likely know who reputable sport people in your area are.

I personally want a TD who will work to build my dog/pup from the ground up in a very positive fashion and has years of experience in sports/law enforcement work/PP/etc. Now the average person just looking to get into Schutzhund/IPO may not need all that... they just may need a TD who has several decades of experience training successfully in the sport in a way that benefits both dogs/handlers. It should be fun for you and the dog, take your time to find the right TD because its harder to untrain mistakes than it is to start right. Granted we all make mistakes with our first sport/working dogs, but you can at least set yourself and the dog up to win and minimize that. 

That said I love the book "Schutzhund Obedience: Training in Drive" by Gottfried/Booth. Its an excellent book on OB. I may not agree with everything or follow it at all by the letter (I clicker train), but I like how it explains working them positively and in drive and the emphasis on proper foundation being so important. Because it really is very important.

I haven't read it, but this tracking book is pretty highly regarded: Amazon.com: Tracking Dog: Theory & Methods (9780914124047): Glen R. Johnson: Books

I read this book and while I don't agree with everything it puts forth (i.e. training methods have changed for the better since this was published!), it is a great overview of the sport as a whole. I like that it pictures many breeds in the book and not just GSD's. http://www.amazon.com/Schutzhund-Theory-Training-Methods-reference/dp/0876057318

Anything with Michael Ellis and Ivan Balbanov is usually pretty popular. Lots of videos and stuff out there. Ivan co-wrote the book Advanced Schutzhund.

Another book: Amazon.com: Schutzhund Top Working Dogs, Training Manual (9780960879823): Dietmar Schellenberg: Books

I love this website: Schutzhund / IPO Training - Learn about this amazing dog sport!
I especially found the parts on shaping the retrieve and shaping to introduce articles very useful.

You might go over to workingdogforum.com and introduce yourself. They would have people who'd know who is in your area and who is good.


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## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

Also I would to add that having a nice sport quality dog and doing Schutzhund/IPO doesn't necesarily mean your dog will protect you in real life. A PPD is a lot different than a sport dog in training and often in drive as well. There are plenty of GSD's out there capable of doing both, but know that cross training in two venues like that will mean you may not score as high with your Schutzhund/IPO. Also, most sport clubs train only in prey drive and in such a way that the dog is 100% on the equipment... lotta sport dogs wouldn't know what to do in a real life scenario. Keep in mind that its MUCH harder to find a good personal protection trainer than it is to find a good Schutzhund/IPO club with a TD/decoy(s) that are capable of cross training dogs or training Schutzhund/IPO in a balanced way that utilizes all the dogs natural drives.


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## Itty bitty Kitty (Dec 26, 2011)

monkeys23 said:


> Also I would to add that having a nice sport quality dog and doing Schutzhund/IPO doesn't necesarily mean your dog will protect you in real life. A PPD is a lot different than a sport dog in training and often in drive as well. There are plenty of GSD's out there capable of doing both, but know that cross training in two venues like that will mean you may not score as high with your Schutzhund/IPO. Also, most sport clubs train only in prey drive and in such a way that the dog is 100% on the equipment... lotta sport dogs wouldn't know what to do in a real life scenario. Keep in mind that its MUCH harder to find a good personal protection trainer than it is to find a good Schutzhund/IPO club with a TD/decoy(s) that are capable of cross training dogs or training Schutzhund/IPO in a balanced way that utilizes all the dogs natural drives.


Yeah, I ended up realizing that after doing more reading. I think for now I should just focus on enjoying my dog as a family pet, as that's what I want most. It would be nice to have a dog that is trained to protect me but I wouldn't want my dog to be a "loaded gun" all the time as some people have described to me. Thanks for your input in links! I'll have to do more thinking about this.


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## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

Lol they aren't a loaded gun at all times. My dogs train in PP and are some of the most social dogs you'll ever meet. They've been to outdoor plays for crying out loud, where they slept through getting tripped over by toddlers and didn't react to the freakily dressed oracle at all. IMO a good sport/working dog is way more trustworthy than the average pet dog, but thats JMO from being lucky enough to have experience with sport/working dogs. There are a LOT of misconceptions about all forms of bitework by the general public.


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## Itty bitty Kitty (Dec 26, 2011)

Ah, well, I guess I've used the term wrong lol. I meant more along the lines where the dog is always working where I'd worry about having too much exceptions for my dog as a weapon instead of a pet. I'd also been told that personal protection training is very expensive and intensive work. I've been advised to get more experience with dog ownership before enrolling in PP since I'm still new. It's still something I'd like to consider some time when I get more experience 

How did you start out?


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