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Classified: Litter announcement
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Can Schutzhund be family pet???? (39 replies)
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Hello,
I have been an admirer of GSDs for a long time but due to living circumstances I have never been able to own one but this summer my partner and I are moving to a home with a large enough outdoor space to keep a GSD. In my research on the breed I have become very interested in Schutzhund and dog sport and think it is something I would really enjoy with my dog, however I hav been told that schutzhund trained GSDs can become aggresive!! I have two small girls and would hate it if they could not play with the family pet or bring their friends over!! So my question is can a dog that has been trained in Schutzhund be a gentle family pet too??? Any advise is much appreciated!!!
G-D |
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A dog that is clear headed and of solid temperment would be more than capable of being a good schutzhund prospect and a great family companion. |
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absolutely - find a breeder who will work with you in getting the puppy whose parents have a correct temperament, good with children AND is titled in Schutzhund - it is not hard to find :) My dogs live in the house, sleep on the couch, live with 2 chihuahuas and 3 cats, horses, sheep, other dogs and are good with kids too :) They are also strong working dogs and many-times titled Schh3. It can be done, and in fact IMO getting a pup from Schh titled parents and from a breeder who cares about breeding for correct temperament, normal drives (not crazy lunatic drives) and stable nerve, will certainly increase your chances of getting the best family dog and working dog you could ever hope for :)
molly
Eichenluft Working German Shepherds
http://workinggermanshepherd.com |
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Sure! why not....
And who told you that a schutzhund trained dog becomes aggressive? Obviously a misinformed person.
Though, "some" might feel that the great schutzhund dogs are better off kenneled and not in the house. For me, Schutzhund is a hobby, so they are house dogs too.
Bottom line, the dogs need exercise and training to know how to behave in the house. |
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| Absolutely! Nerves and temperament are the key. Do check out breeders who have produced pups with the solid nerves and very stable temperaments that can be excelent in the sport and the family home as pets. Talk to their pet-puppy buyers, as well as check out the parents. |
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I had working GSDs all my life and they are all as much family members as working dogs. My first female was Schh3, IPO3, FH, 5x LGA (Regional Championships in Germany), once German Championships, twice German youth Championships and 24 times SchH3 altogether and she was a 50/50 house /kennel dog. My female now is SchH3, IPO3, was at the Regionals twice and at the Nationals twice and I do it the same way. She is in the kennel during the day and spends many hours in the evenings and the weekends in the house. There is NO conflict. For some dogs it is even better to know you better and therefore be able to read you much better.
I just interviewed two TOP competitors in Germany who have a similar set up. If you are interested reading the article, here is the link: www.vangoghkennels.com/articles.htm (it is the first one with Horst und Michaela Knoche).
For me it is important to make sure that there is a life after Schutzhund retirement for the dogs and not just sitting out in the kennel by themselfs and watching the young ones going to training. Dogs that have never been exposed to the life in a house it is often very hard to adjust to it. Plus NE winters are long, cold and hard and I do not feel like spending hours and hours outside just so that my dogs have some quality time with me !! lol
The bottom line is that you need to get a dog with a stable temperament and not too dominat. That could cause some problems.
Claudia Romard
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All I can say is "yup" !! |
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Here is a picture of my Mom's grandkids! (I don't have human kids), It was hard to get everyone to look at the camera at once! My niece on the left has been pulling on Sasha since they were 2 years old! Sasha and Taya (my niece) have birthdays only 2 days apart!! Sasha is SchH3, SG, KKL2, OFA Good, she is my rock star! Jager is coming along, with me in grad school fulltime his training is taking a backseat but he is also going to be a rock star!
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.myvideos
Check out the video on my myspace page of Sasha and Jordan heeling around my backyard! YES Schutzhund dogs can be great family dogs!!
If the link doesn't work, and you really want to see it, my page is karimendoza7208 it really is cute!
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Just wanted to share some pics I took of "one of my babies" - not the kid, but the dog Hellequin v Eichenluft Schh3 (multiple times, National level) - and her kid Samantha - this is a family dog, in the house, kids born and raised with her, just super and a perfect example of what a Schutzhund dog can be - both strong working dogs, and great family dogs too.
at the right level to give kisses while heeling -
Quin and Samantha "earlier"
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G D,
Long before you start schutzhund I would hope you raise your new puppy in your home with your children and their friends as a loved member of your family. A properly raised and trained GSD can be both a loved companion and friend, and a fully trained working dog. The answer is yes. |
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Devon and Andy...Andy has absolute German shepherd temperament and is what the Sch dog should be capable of. Molly's pics are ontime too! The German Shepherd must have as much brains as drive to be true shepherd temperament.JMO |
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Yes you can raise with the kids. There are some things you would have to do diffrent thoe. Like not over correcting and things you might think are okay that can cause problimbs in the long run. Like not correcting them for jumping up on you. Our when they have your favorite shoe in there moputh not to correct you need to swap it with some thing of theres that they are aloowed to have. I also would watch the playing ball with them some dogs seem to get a little crazy over a ball and a young child could get hurt. Not meaning there mean its just a drive. These are things you need to talk about with the breeder you buy your pup from. As they have mentioned you want a balanced dog .If you do your home work you will understand .There is a lot of obediance that goes along with teaching a dog to do sport . It is not just a dog on the field bitting some one it takes time and obediance to get them to these levels. Hope this helps and good luck on purchising a puppy. |
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PS IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A SPORT DOG GO TO A SPORT KENNEL .LOOK AT THERE BRAG SHEETS OF ACOMPLISHEMENTS IN THE SPORT. ENY ONE CAN OWN A TITTLED DOG AND BREED IT. NOT EVERY DOG CAN DO THE SPORT AND IT TAKES A EXPERINCED PERSON PICK YOU A PUP THAT CAN. ALSO MAKE SURE YOU Have good hips on both sides sire and dam. this will narrow your chances down on hips beeing good. |
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I also have a 7 and a 2 1/2 year old human child.My previous two GSD were raised with them from puppies.I have a Sch 3 female and a 12 month old male .Previous comments were made about supervision at all times with children but especially the first 1 1/2 years.Set boundries inside the house and when the line is crossed show them it was wrong immediately.You have to see it to react though.That is supervision.Crate train them and their reward is being out behaving and going to the potty when asked too.The minute they get to wild etc.crate them.They learn to appreciate the time they are out as much as you do them being out but you set the rules.Over a period of time you can lengthen the time they are out and maybe supervision.Watching the kids themselves is just as important.The dogs have rules and the children must as well. www.stonehausshepherds.com
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Those are great pictures KariM, and Eichenluft.
Stonehaus and joe make very good points about kids and dogs. I would hope G D learns what is involved before setting out to buy a dog. A mistake could be costly. |
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There are wide differences in temperament and socialization of GSD that become successful Schutzhund dogs. Not all make good family dogs. But the GSDs with correct working temperament as Capt. Von Stephanitz specified do exist and these dogs shown here have it. Hat's off to the folks here who have shown Sch GSDs that have worthy, correct GSD temperament. Molly, you have been producing this kind of temperament for years and have the formula down. Your dog V-Eagle is a perfect example of what a correct GSD should be and his Sch performance is excellent, proving himself to be a top Sch competitor many times and yet a stable sound family pet. He proves the point that one can have their cake and eat it too when it comes to having a very top Sch performer and a great family pet living in the home 24/7.
It always come down for the person wanting to acquire such a GSD to work with an experienced GSD breeder who can reliably produce sound, stable, courageous GSDs with adequate prey drive, balanced with pronounced but sane defense drive. A correct GSD should be a good natural protector with a need to dominate its territory, with good capacity for working, whether it is trained in Sch or not, and it should be relaxed, docile around his family, friends, other family pets and children.
Raising a GSD in a family situation 24/7 enhances the dog's temperament in my view and in no way prevents it from becoming a very strong Sch competitor if it has correct, sound working temperament in the first place. |
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My SchH titled female has also passed thge TDI test. She is fabulous and I trust her implicitly with my kids, a lovely dog to have in my home. |
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Moly you look like you have good junor handler there that is just to cute!!!!! That is what having a german shepherd is about .!!!! |
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Hi Molly
I think that first heeling pic is fabulous, please can I share it with a one of my other lists?
Margaret N-J |
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sure, share the pictures, and if you want more (I have a bunch more) contact me privately. Please include with any forwarded pictures the name and titles of the dog (Hellequin v Eichenluft Schh3,KKl-2,OFA Good,CDX) 7 years old - and the child Samantha Jimenez, 5 years old. I've known this little girl since she was just a thought and a hope - she is a real "ham" for the camera and I got some wonderful pictures of her "working her dog Quin" !
molly |
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I can tell that she's a ham Molly! Very cute!
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At my club, half are family/house pets, half are kennel dogs. Both work just as well in terms of scoring points. Usually the ones with 1-2 dogs raise their dogs at home and integrate them with the family. The people who own many dogs just don't have the space and time to allow the to be house dogs nor socialize their dogs to a high level. As it is schutzhund is such a demanding sport that those who have 5-6 dogs just cannot cope with lengthy daily walks, exposing the dogs to different environments, people etc.
Personally i think the ones kept in the house exhibit more stable social behaviour and have a deeper relationship overall with their handler. However, if the house dogs can sometimes be willful and disobedient on the field if spoilt by the owner or allowed to get away with misdemeanors at home. Conversely, if the owner is too harsh, this can dampen down the working drive. This tends to happen with new inexperienced owners. However, with the right balance, keeping the dog close to you at home can enhance schutzhund performance compared to kenneling IMHO. Training at home becomes an extension of field training and the dog learn to read you better and learn to trust and respect your rules. My dogs live in the house with no problems on the field. Get a crate or an indoor kennel for those puppy years. |
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Absolutley briliant pictures / |
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Molly - I adore that first picture!
And on the the subject I think that most SchH dogs should also be good family dogs. That was The Captains idea I believe.
~Cate |
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Noooooo, really? 
Him being dead or not does not change the original purpose of the breed however.
~Cate |
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Cate
don't get hostile.
Things have changed since Max was vertical. You would have to go back 70+ years to what was Max's idea of a GSD.
Do things have to remain the way of the inventor? I think Fords have come a long way.
I wasn't around during Max's tenure, but I can tell you that the GSD has changed over the short period of my watch.
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Darlin', that wasnt hostility; it was sarcasm about the mildly silly/obvious comment. Sorry about that O.o
I understand that the GSD has changed...but there are some people who do try to keep his vision alive...at least in terms of temperment and nerve. I would never get a SchH dog that couldnt live with me or my family...so if I were to get a GSD...one of those breeders who trials those dogs that live in their home with them or work with their children are the breeders I would go to.
I guess I'm one of those people who feel that the breed would be alot better off if the GSD had remained a little closer to the creators vision. And there are dogs and breeders who meet that in terms of temperment...as a breed they have changed alot but there are still individuals who try to keep that alive.
I dont think (and of coarse this is just me) that breeders should sacrifice the ability to live with the family (because really...what good is a guard dog who is locked in a kennel/crate all night/day) for higher drives and better scores.
~Cate
lol - I tend to think the late 60's were the golden age of cars myself :) |
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Putting the SHow Vs Working lines aside, I think we have to take a step back and look at the future of the breed. Maybe we should ask ourselves if we want to continue the metamorphesis. Two things stand out in my mind today. Shutzhund is the widest known sport for the GSD. It gets the most press and has the biggest influence on breeding. Our trials are judged by fair and unbiased judges, right? They have to judge each entry as an equal and by the same standards. The problem is that not all entries are the same breed and not all breeds are the same. Judges are human and when they see something impressive in a breed, they start to expect that from all dogs. If it isn't present or pronounced, the scores will reflect that. Breeders over the past few decades have been trying to increase some of the drives in their breed to match that of ather breeds. It is inevitable in order to stay at the top of your game. It is evolution. Is this why USA no longer has a "National Championship" and instead has the GSD National?
Judges expect multiple breeds to morph into one super breed.
Breeders are having to match what the judges want.
Handlers are asking breeders to produce this type of dog because 2 points will lose the trial.
I forgot my other points! |
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Molly, those pics are just precious!! |
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Molly you need to send that pic into SchH USA Mag. Certainly deserving of publication!! Adorable! |
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Absolutely yes...if you do your research and go to a breeder like Molly or Shelley or Veronica and or Merlene and they can sell you the pup out of the right litter..Yes yes yes...The book by Susan Barwig and Stewart Hilliard The theory and Method of Schutzhund explains that the pup for schutzhund should possess certain qualities and later be the dog that is a well rounded sport dog with all the wonderful traits that would make it a family pet...
Yes,there are many dogs in the CONTINENT we live in and across the way,,that have produced dogs that give the sport a harse review for being that kind of dog...do not be scared by that kind of talk....
.jpg) Sigi is in training with Ken and Pam White in Whitesboro , Texas.....
.jpg) Yap trained in the Spring Valley club for several years and was a demo dog for a department for 3 years as well as our demo dog for obedience and bitework... My grandson and granddaughter were his biggest fans.
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Beautiful GSDs Yellowrose. Your photos prove the point that it can be done with proper breeding and socialization, because you have done it many times with your GSDs. The first photo is good enough to be published in Dog World. Send it in. This is what a good GSD is all about, true devotion and love. |
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Great Pictures and very darling. |
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This pick is of V Zico vom Merlin IPO 3, kkla and Tripl H Dressa vom Gaudi in training with Mahon a member of our database.....The next pic is the two of these gsd with his 6 yr old daughter... Dressa is a member of his family now and she has never been around small children and was 7 when he purchased her. It is in the breeding and in the handler and the trainer. Next pic taken today .
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Absolutly and most shutzhund dogs are pets unless you keep it in the kennel 24/7.dogs are social animal and we all should know that by now and there is not any dog that wants to live alone. Dogs that live alone can be unhappy dogs.there are always exception to the rule and i am not talking about that here.most dogs want to live with people dogs that live in the house are better competitors.are happier dogs.ever heard of junk yard dog,they live alone and very unhappy dogs.you guys want to see a germanshepherd thjat most people want,go to Jabina Kennel web site and look at the pictures of Jabina Queery Jhon Jabinas kid niow this is a shepherd,this is high competion dog and look how he lives in the house with the family. i can go on and on but look at that picure and as they say a picture is worth 1000 words.those pictures say it all that needs to be said. have a nice one. |
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