Can Schutzhund be family pet???? - Page 2

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.

love the pictures molly!

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Moly you look like you have good junor handler there that is just to cute!!!!! That is what having a german shepherd is about .!!!!