Looking for good handler/trainer in South Florida... - Page 1

Recommendations appreciated - can anyone refer me to a good handler/trainer in South Florida?  Positive training methods only.

Just what kind of training are you seeking for? Schutzhund? Plan obedience? Please explain what you're wanting to do with your dog(s).

Ivan

I was looking into Schutzhund but am not sure if I want to train my dogs to bite, but I like all other aspects of Schutzhund.  I definately want advanced obedience as they have the basics down pat and are great dogs as far as listening to me.  I know that they have potential and they are "hungry" for more than I can teach them. 

I also would like to get them Breed Surveyed but was under the understanding (maybe wrongly) that they need Sch I to get it.  More than anything I guess I need help deciding how to correctly and fully answer your question.  I counted 43 BSP competitors in my females 7 generation line and she is more likely to perform great in Sch. than my male but he has some qualities that I know alot of people are looking for and also has BSP competitors in his lineage.

To start with I would like to find someone extremely knowledgeable about the breed who has been working with them in Sch to evaluate their potential and guide me in the direction they should be trained.  They had private training for basic obedience and the trainer was using her foot to correct them with a side kick to the face so I stopped using her and other local trainers that I tried I was not impressed with.

Here is my male @ 20 months old:

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/pedigree/512283.html

and here is my female @ 19 months old:

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/pedigree/512282.html

and here is a picture of them at 21/20 months old:

Any guidance from you all more experienced and knowledgeable gsd pros is appreciated.  Is my breeding stock good or no?

Also, I want to breed but not with the express end to make money - I love this breed, have bought 25 acres to have room to have a small but top quality breeding program (no more than 3 females ever) but yet will be able to take in and rehabilitate, re-home gsd's in need and hopefully a place of safety for them where they can learn to trust people again.  I also will never sell a dog without a promise that they will bring it back to me  if they can no longer care for it.

Don - Ivan who?  I am a newbie, please remember my ignorance.

Ivan Balabanov---------Ot Vitosha  Do a search and his site will come up.

By the way, we are all ignorant.  By admitting to your ignorance you are already above many others!  Sometimes, it is like my friend Bill said, "Ignorance is Bliss".

and yes you are correct that your dog's need a working title in order to be breed surveyed. 

http://germanshepherddog.com/regulations/breed_survey_regulations.htm

http://germanshepherddog.com/clubs/south_eastern.htm

And I agree with Don.  If you can get in contact with Ivan and he's within a reasonable distance.  Now, mind you some of us crazies drive in excess of one hour or more to train our dogs!  If I lived in that area of Florida, I would try to go to him for advice and a good evaluation of your dogs.  From what I can see your dogs have some very nice stuf behind them and you would do them justice by training them in Schutzhund. 

He's in Plant City, from what I understand.