Just getting started, need advice! - Page 1

Hello,

My name I'm interested in getting into Shepherds in the near future.  I've worked with many many different dogs and dog breeds before (I'm a professional trainer by trade), but I would like to specifically like to start working with Shepherds.  I"m pretty familliar with the behavior and training aspects, but as far as breeding, bloodlines, preferences...I'm a little uncertain.  Any advice on where to get started and what to avoid would be excellent.  I'm curious as to what you all think would be the best rout to go with if I'm looking for higher driven working dogs for trials such as Obedience, Agility and Protection Sports. 

I haven't purchased yet, I"m still researching.  I've contacted a few breeders and I've studied everything from Balabanov to Battaglia to Gottfried Dildei.   I would like to know what's out there and what to look out for.  So please feel free to vent to me, lol!  Thanks for any of your time.

Crystal

Start visiting all the schutzhund clubs you can if you want to get a feel for working lines and their drives.  Nothing beats first hand knowledge.

GOOD IDEA....THEN   START THE LOOKING AT PEDIGREES AND DOGS AVAILABLE IN A 100 MILE RANGE.....

Hello,

I started in Schutzhund in the 1989, after hanging out at a Schutzhund Club and going to some Trials and Seminars. All this was helpful in making my decison to get into the Sport.  It is a very demanding Sport but, is also rewarding. My interest was to compete in Trials, not show, so i looked for the bloodlines that would do the work I needed for the Sport.

My first do was a female puppy,she taught me a lot about the demands and heart breaks of the Sport (puppies are a 50/50 chance) but, I do like tacking chances. I really got the Bug so my second dog was a 2 yr. Sch I male I imported all working lines, to compete at a higher level and we did.  My next dog was a son of the male I imported, he also was a  very high drive dog.

We had some bad luck come our way, so we were done before I could even get started.  

I hope this has been helpful! Just look around and ask questions and  you will see where you want to go.  Just make sure you have a Club, Helper & Trainer Director you like to work with, it makes all the difference when you are starting out, I was very lucky.