New Question for thought maybe? - Page 1

You may have to re-read as I haven't had my coffee yet this morning. :) Here goes: I rescued DaKota back in 2000 and have been researching everything about GSDs ever since. I am always learning & enjoying every minute of it. DaKota is getting up there in age now (8 yrs. old) My question is, Are rescues qualified to be titled in ScH? I mean, if my next dog is a rescue & young enough would it be allowed in a training club in Massachusetts? Could it be titled? I would have this next GSD ILPed of course. Would an ILP be excepted? This would be a fun project for me & a young dog only. Just to see where it would lead to. Do these clubs ask for alot of money? How much does this cost? I would want to try to do it all. Bite work, OB, Tracking, Herding, etc.

YES...Yes...&...yes...You can work and title a dog in Schutzhund that isn't a pure breed...Now as far as clubs go...each one has a different criteria for membership...along with different price structures for membership...But if you visit one club and you aren't happy with the way they train or their philosophy on dogs...then go and visit another...You will eventually find one that you enjoy not only their style of training but also the members themselves...The idea is don't give up... Good Luck... ~Bob~

From one Yvette to another, best wishes for you and may you have many happy training days ahead! Many clubs accept all breeds, and even mutts. If any club you visit looks down their nose at you for training a rescue GSD, then do yourself a favor and just leave. Every club has its own politics, personalities, and prices. I hope you are fortunate enough to live in an area where there are choices. Annual dues can run anywhere from $100 to $1000 and everything in between. Some clubs are very serious about training and competing, and some are very laid back. Find a group that best fits your own temperament and your goals. Happy Holidays! Yvette

Thank you Bob for your reply. :) When I first got DaKota (1 1/2 yrs. old) My BF wanted to work her on her bite. At that time He had his GSD mix & supposively trained him with a so called trainer. I did not like what they trained. I felt very badly for BF's dog. Still do. I would want to do it the right way & have a busy, but happy working dog. Someday. :) Could other types of breeds do this too? I just wanted to enclude that I love watching my sister's Bulldog play with a tug. :)

if you will notice, there are a fair amount of trial results posted for "mixed" dogs. many of these dogs are no different than any others except there has been a glitch in the paperwork or they may be waiting on paperwork. ofcourse, there are some who truly are mix-breed dogs. some of the higher competitions do not allow mixed dogs, but certainly you could train and compete with your mixed breed dog on a club level. pjp

OMG! I found one that is about 2 hrs away. They even have Pug dogs doing BH! I didn't think you could do that!? That's a neat thought. I have one of those too! Is a 4 1/2 yr. old to old to do ScH? Both my girl dogs are spayed, rescues & are registered. I can almost feel the fever coming on! :)

The "better" clubs will welcome you and your dog, regardless of the dog's background. Personally, I am thrilled to see "other than gsds" on the field. There have been Corgi's and Poodles who have earned Sch titles. There was even a Scottie that got one!!! (If you have ever met a Scottie, you know why!! If they weren't so short, they would take over the sport!!) Go for it!! There are some VERY good people in the USA clubs in the New England area. Check the USA website and give the regional director, Pia Blackwell, a call. At 4 1/2, the dog might be a bit "inhibited," but you and the dog will still have a grand time.

Go for it. No reason you can't go do some and have fun. Take your sister and her bulldog with too.

Yvette, First of all THANK YOU for caring enough to rescue Dakota and give him a loving home. We all owe you a debt of honor. Training is only limited by the handler and the dog's capabilities. Age does not really matter. If your dog does not have the mental or physical capabilities for one sport - try another. There is no jumping in the BH - have you thought about trying to put one on Dakota? Also to get in the swing and probably cheaper and close to home - try out the AKC Rally program. Intial stages are all done on lead. Also if you went for their regular CD(Companion Dog obedience title)while working up to it you can go to a match and show at the pre-novice level wh/ again is all done on lead. There is just a ton of things you can do with your dogs today depending on your/their interests. Obviously the favorite on this board is Schutzhund but many of us have also done AKC obedience, agility, "dancing" w/ dogs ( forget the right name), flyball and my absolute favorite of all herding(just beware of iconoclasts who try to tell you that there is only one way for GSDs to herd - wrong wrong wrong). When herding w/ GSd was just begining again in this country, I worked my old dog as well as her son. I have a great picture from a national trial of 3 "golden oldies" who all titled that day. My bitch at 12.5 years got her HT, a friend's at 10.5 yrs got her PT and another friend had a 9 year old who got her started title - all on sheep. I later tried working my bitch on ducks feeling it wouldn't take as much energy and she literally turned her back on them and walked over to the sheep pen w/ the very clear message that SHE knew what she wanted to do. So go-have fun- and keep us posted about what you try out. Good luck. Beth

We did the Herding thing (with Sue Sullivan). That is until DaKota sat on the electric fence. :( For the OB classes. She went to 2 classes for the fun & socialization. The classes were hard for us, because all the training facilities here require treat training & I have tried all kinds of treats & DaKota just won't take them. She did get to pass both classes though. I did her training here at my home & got her CGC before we went to classes.