German Shepherd dog

my dog elzie vom oak ranch shepherd, was bred with denmark champion Ulko. she had 7 puppies, one of which i get to keep! her name is bolay. bolay is the most determaned puppy i have ever seen, if you scatter kibble over 2' x 2' on our 2.3 acre yard, she will run around, nose to the ground until she finds that square and every last peice is gone! but i need basic advice.  what are good shutzhund clubs around noblesville, in? what is good quality mid-puppy age food? what leashes, and collars should i use? dog shampoo? shes gotta be snazzy! shes gonna be a champ! she is very confident, but she barks like mad at other dogs. even her mom sometimes! any advice you have would work! and instead of feeding her kibble, should i have her on raw diet? shes currently on nutra ultra puppy. we use a nylon collar, leather leash (for training), a nylon leash (just for stuff like walks),and we use human shampoo to bathe her. we went to one shutzhund club (most people will be able to recall it but i forget the name), like a guy who won the american seigar show trains there. but the people didnt seems very friendly. we brought bolay, and they didnt even let us take her out to train a little. any advice would work, and i aready know that you are gonna say that we should stop using human shampoo, trust me, we will!

Her female is actually quite nice.  Was she bred to Karat's Ulko?  I'm not even into showline dogs and I like him:)

I don't know any of the clubs in IN but you should hit a few of them before deciding which one to join.  How old is your pup?  They may not want a pup of that age out on the field yet..especially if all her shots aren't completed.

yES TexasLady, my blood is still boiling from the Windy thread....

First of all,  Head and shoulders is one of the best human shampoos you can bathe you girl in. Gets rid of dead shin and has a conditioner in it already...My vet recommends it for all pups as some have  problems with a derma dryness and it helps as it contains saliycilic acid..

sounds like she is very young , and the barking at her mom and other dogs is just a baby thing at this point...when she barks immediately shake a can with kibble in it or some rocks in a coffee can to get her attention...say   no bark...no bark,,,continue the no bark  when she does it..but the noise factor will get her attention immediately...

You have 2 seconds to react with her and 2 seconds to praise her for her obeying you...

I would be adding some raw liver, small pieces with yougurt in her food and a little extra virgin olive oit...I feed all kibble on the ground anyway...put the liver and yougurt in a bowl as not able to eat off ground.

buy the book   THE THEORY AND METHODS OF SCHUTZHUND  by   Susan Barwig and Hilliard.

start the tracking since she shows good trait there. Follow the chapters in the book.  socialize her and take her everywhere as long as she is old enough to have all her three or four  shots.

I use choke chains on all my pups to adults.  that is a fur saver kind and that allows no dog to drop or get out of a collar for any reason..Take all collars off when dog is in kennel..Kennel your pup two to three hours a day to teach him attention and discipline...Visit several schutzhund clubs and yes, it is normal for them to not appear friendly...been there done that and recently as Old as i am.,took a police chiefs wife to one club in Dallas and they were very snotty and not nice...so it is normal...if you really want to do the sport , just go and get involved and pay no attention to the mouths wagging under the tree on a chair.

Your trainer will be interested in you , if you are interested in the work, and really want to learn.

Good luck..I use 15 foot cotton web training leashes, and one 6 foot leather and a long cotton different  color 15 foot leash for other training...the 33 ft leash also comes in the nylon and is only found thru ordering or at TS.

DKiah i totally agree with you about the shampoo, imagine firstly if that shampoo was to get into his/her eyes! he/her wouldnt be very happy and what about his/her confidence on new experience's! It is also known in the hairdressing trade that head and shoulders is actually one of the harshest shampoo s you can use as it strips the hair of all natural goodness,let alone what it does to the natural oil,folicles and skin.!Yes go for very mild puppy shampoo and avoid head area completely and only shampoo when really necessary,most dirt will brush/comb out when fully dried and grooming is far better for dogs as it gets rid of dirt/tangles and stimulates natural oils to provide a healthy shiny coat.i hope this helps ibolay and good luck with your puppy and training its not easy when your a newcomer to anything!my advice also is research as much as possible,show willing and listen to as much advice as you can,then you decide whats best!

thanks for all the replies, i think most of your advice will work! by the way, bolay was only 8 weeks when we brought her to the club, and they were getting ready for a trial, so that may have been why. im not gonna use head n' soulders for her. ill go to petco and buy some real pet shampoo. shes getting better with barking at dogs, she still does, but when you say no she will stop! (most the time)

Believe it or not, Murphy's Oil Soap is a great shampoo for dogs.

Blitzen, I had forgotten about Murphy's oil soap.I used to use it on everything.!!What dilution do you use for bathing a dog?I rarely bathe just rinse them down and groom.I do use dawns dish liqiud(sp) which is rare.