recommendations for a book on training for schutzhund - Page 1

 I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for a book on schutzhund training.  For a beginner.  We are not looking to train a dog to compete just look forward to working with our puppy and seeing  what we are capable of teaching it.  We had trained Labs in the past for hunt/field trials and just enjoyed working with our dogs.  We used a book called Game Dog that went week by week what you should be doing with your dog.  I'm wondering if there is anything similar on the market for schutzhund.  Thank you!

  One I like and gave to all puppy buyers is 


THE  Theory and Methods of Schutzhund  

   by   Susan Barwig   and  Stewart Hilliard

YR

I'd look up a schutzhund club nearby, you learn much quicker doing it hands on and watching others as some concepts are not always easy to grasp in writing. That said, a good on the topic that I enjoyed is Advanced Schutzhund by Ivan Balabanov

Here's the list we give to new members to our club.

 

Schutzhund, Theory & Training Methods

Susan Barwig and Stewart Hilliard

 

Training the Behavior - Tips, Techniques and Theory for the Working Dog Trainer

Gary Patterson

 

Der Schutzhund

Helmut Raiser (translated by Armin Winkler)

 

Training the Competitive Working Dog

Tom Rose and Gary Patterson

 

Tracking - From the Beginning

Gary Patterson

 

Tracking Dog - Theory and Methods

Glen Johnson

 

Advanced Schutzhund

Karen Duet & Ivan Balabanov

The Art of Schutzhund
Nancy Thieret

 

Before and After Getting Your Puppy - The Positive Approach to Raising and Happy, Healthy and Well-Behaved Dog

Ian Dunbar

 

This list is a good start, there are many other helpful books on all aspects of training, behavior and learning theory. The titles above should get your library started. 

 

  Yes, books are great.  but have you ever been to a club to actually watch, or go to a trial ?  Schutzhund is unlike
  any other sport you do with your dog.  It's not for everyone.  Schutzhund is a sport, for dog and handler.  You bond,
  train and hopefully title your dog.  It takes a very long time of training to acquire a small feat.  It's something you
  either like or don't care for at all.  I absolutely LOVE Schutzhund, and my dogs love it too.

  IMO  Schutzhund has to be done first hand.  Books are for extra help, do and don'ts, and have alot of knowledge.
  It's alot of training, very time consuming.  I like both show and workling lines, but have found you should have
  a WL dog to join a club or a very good SL dog.  So many people have come and gone in the clubs, alot of people
  start and quit that's why good clubs are hard to find.  The people that have been in a club for years are not
  forthcoming at the beginning bc they know that most people come a few times and quit.

  It's a 4 x a week training, driving many miles to go to a club.  Getting up and training at 7:00 am for tracking, yes
  even in the rain and snow.  You buy every ball on a rope, collars, leashes, toys etc. etc. etc.
  But you can't learn really just by watching bc every dog is different and the lil tricks you learn to deal with problems
  are just amazing to watch.  Your dog will do something wrong and you repeat the exercise again, and something
  clicks in the dogs mind and he says  " oh, now I get it "     I wouldn't be doing anything else but Schutzhund !

In my experience in the USA training for hunt/field trials is more inviting to newbies and far easier to test the waters without much background.  It also seems like a more organized sport in general with less internal organizational conflict.  I highly recommend that YOU DO NOT EXPECT or have any ASSUMPTIONS about the schutzhund  training environment based on your past experience. 
 

It's a 4 x a week training, driving many miles to go to a club.  Getting up and training at 7:00 am for tracking, yes even in the rain and snow.  

Buy the Barwig and Balabanov  books, read them cover to cover.  Hire a private trainer that can get you started in understanding the sport, training with that person at least twice a week for a year.  If you still like the idea after that, at the end of the year go to a schutzhund  club the trainer recommends and see what happens.  The problem with going to a schutzhund  club right off the bat is that they are filled with people who have a ton superstitious  beliefs about newbies.  If you head off to a club first, you'll go a few times and pretty much never want to go back, without having learned much of anything.  Many things can be learned in half or less the amount of time with intense one-on-one training with a professional who knows schutzhund .
 
If you can't afford a private trainer, club fees and other expenses will likely also be too much anyway.


   If you can't afford
th

Thanks for all the great info!!  Definately not looking at joining any clubs just looking for ideas for having fun in the yard.  I think I'll start with the books on raising the puppy first just to make sure I don't make any training errors in raising a confident puppy!! 

I believe Gary Patterson and shelia Booth wrote a good beginners book....