Dog Trainers WHO I have NOT been Screwed by!...... - Page 2

I would recommend Shelley also - she's titled lots of dogs for people - and her prices are very reasonable. molly

Thanks Molly. Your check is in the mail. :-D

Cool! Thank you all! I Really appreciate it! August

Shelley, thanks for the info on pricing. That was actually my next question, what if the dog has no potential? It's my female I was thinking of putting a BH title on but she doesn't handle correction well, or at least she didn't when I first got her. She would piddle if I even grabbed her collar and made me wonder if she was abused by the previous owner. Took lots of patience and lots of praise but she seems to be over her issues now. Wouldn't want her to come back a total basket case if she couldn't handle the training. As for sending a dog to Germany, I have in-laws who live over there so I considered that possibility as well. (My sister is married to a native German.) Several years ago I was told the cost was around $7000 to put a SchH title on a dog over in Germany. Is that still an accurate ballpark figure? Sue

If your dog couldn't handle the training, that should be apparent before training even begins. Take your dog to your chosen trainer - one that has been recommended and one you trust - and get an evaluation done before training starts. Don't send your dog off to someone who is just interested in the money, your dog might not get the kind of training you expect or hope she would get. There are "ways" to get any dog to titles - not pleasant for the dog, but there are ways. Be careful who you trust your dog with. If she is not suited for Schutzhund, she might be fine for AKC obedience, agility, or just being a wonderful pet - the trainer you choose should be able to tell you that pretty quick on first evaluation. molly

always depends on where you go in Germany... We charge 2200 Euros for the SchH1/KKL package, which includes BH, AD, one show rating, SchH1, KKL, food and board. Every additional title is 800 Euros each. We offer SchH, IPO, FH titles, KKL and KKL for life. Time line is about as Shelly stated. A dog that has the proper age and maturity to start training in earnest will need about 3-4 months for the SchH1 and KKL, about 6-9 months up to SchH3 in total, with the average being about 7 months. Each dog is worked several times a day. It may take a bit longer depending on availablability of KKLs, which are once a month between March and November. We have access to trials nearly every weekend in the surrounding areas, with two clubs also using the facility in the evenings and weekends (SV and DVG). We do not charge per month, but per title, so if a KKL is full and we have to wait another month or the dog is not quite ready one month and its better to wait for the next date there is no extra charge. In the end the dog always sets the pace. If it takes a bit longer for one, another that takes a bit less time averages it out again. We may also accept problem dogs - too aggressive or difficult, or what other trainers have considered too weak to get titled. Often that is due to the previous training and handling errors, and can be corrected. Such dogs are priced differently and acceptance depends on the individual dog and will be determined after a personal consultation. With limited availability of trials and especially KKLs in the US a dog that ends up needing more time can quickly rack up costs if it has to wait til the next event and training fees are charged per month. No trainer can predict how long a dog will take exactly. But on average an approximate timeline can be worked out with the trainer to match important dates. They are still dogs though and unpredictable things can happen. Better to leave a bit of breathing room in terms of time and send a dog a bit earlier than to miss an important date, especially if availability of events is limited.

D.H. thanks for all the info and pricing as well. I also wondered about the availability of events to title dogs here in the U.S. Guess it would just depend on the location of the trainer. Where I live there certainly isn't much. As I see it, the most important factor in keeping costs to a reasonable level is finding or having the right dog and that probably is a crap shoot at best. You can't know for sure until the dog is old enough and the training starts. If I found the right dog I'd give it a shot, but it really would have to be the right dog. All the "Schutzhund prospect" dogs and puppies on this web site are enough to make a buyer's head spin. I'd be surprised if even 5% of the dogs for sale here ever see a title.

You're right. Its ALWAYS a crap shoot. If it weren't I wouldn't have raised NEAR as many puppies. Happily, a really good working dog can often be identified by 6 mo. SS

I believe the breeders keep the best dogs but I can always hope they'll let a good one slip by someday :-) I'd love to find a solid black like the sire of my longcoat.

triodegirl, contact me privately.