Protection Trainer Needed!! - Page 1

Hi,

I live in Northwest Indiana and I am looking for a good trainer to have my dog protection trained.  He is a big male arround 100lbs and will be 2yrs in September.  He is already basic obedience trained and I have been working w/him on offleash.  The reason I want to start him in protection already is that he is becomming very protective of his yard / house /car etc.  He has already bitten 2 people in the back of the leg while they were walking / jogging past our home.  I do not want anything like that to happen again to anyone.  So I have to keep him with me at all times.  He does not listen to the rest of the family very well.  If anyone out there could give me some good leads I would appreciate it.  The sooner the better.  I am willing to drive to take him somewhere.  Thanks.

First of all your dog needs obedience, beginner to advanced, before any reputable PP trainer will touch him, especially with bite history. No good trainer will turn on a switch that cannot be turned off, especially if the rest of your family has difficulties controlling him.  I would recommend Jon Naroditsky at www.falawoods.com, you may also want to make this post at www.chicagolandboard.com. We also do PP work at the facility I train for, you may email me privately if you like.

Sounds like you need OB training before you even consider any type of protection training!  If a dog has already shown to bite someone without being threatened, he may not be a very good protection dog after all.  Family protection dogs should be very clear headed, and not fear biters.

If you want to avoid any disaters with this dog in the future you need to find an obedience trainers ASAP and be sure this dog respects your entire family, othewise you may find yourself with a bad situation and lose your dog.  If you can find someone to work OB with you and your dog this will be the best situation.  ~ Kari

First reply posted while I was writing.  Even if you have some OB on your dog, I would not recommend doing bite work any time soon since this dog has already biten people, you are opening yourself up to a lawsuit as well as a death sentence for your dog.

Let me get this right....the dog has bit two innocent passerbys....that is why you want it protection trained.....? Sounds like  adding fuel to fire to me.

Maybe you should work on control and environmental issues first. In the words of Cesar Millan are u sure you are pack leader...?! How well socialized is this dog.

I would NEVER recommend PPD training unless the dog is fully under control plus has no worrying environmental issues.....unless you want to end up rehoming it away as a security/junkyard dog.  

Obedience is not the same as BEING PACK LEADER.

I've seen schutzhund dogs that score 90+ in obedience but are literally a menace - they have little respect for the handler and cannot be brought near other people or dogs without the owner sweating buckets.

On the other hand, i've seen HARD 120lbs rotts who would flunk schutzhund but are under complete control by the owner and are completely social and environmentally sound.

As an "old hand" at dog sport and working lines, I have tremendous respect for Cesar Millan......IMO the best revelation to dog ownership for a generation. I suggest you get his DVD quick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3Il1N_qgIw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjLDQmgYd-s&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is_E0q1jsAE&feature=related

If I need more obedience training that is fine with me where do I sign him up.  I am just asking for help finding a good trainer in my area not help on buying DVD's.  I am interested in helping him get better not be some kind of derranged dog that bites anyone that comes arround him.  And as for the comment he dosent listen to the rest of the family very well it is only on recall wich is probably the most important.  So if anyone knows the name, number, or website of any good trainers I would appreciate that information.  Thanks.

Find a schutzhund club in your area and have the training director evaluate your dog.   Check out Schutzhund USA's website, they have clubs listed there.  From the little info you gave, "He chases walkers/joggers and bites them in the back of the leg."  This is not really a sign of a strong dog, he very well may not be able to do any protection training.  He may be sharp/shy and will run away when brought on the protection field.  Many owners with dogs like this think the dog is so strong and aggressive, it is usually quite the opposite.  Your dog may have a weak temperment and needs to be secured at all times; it should never be off a leash where it can come into contact with the public until it is under control.  Most fear biters will chase a person running or walking away from them and bite them in the back of the leg or butt.  He needs serious OB training and socialization.  Protection training is not the answer. 

It's good your looking for help with your dog.  You need to start by keeping your dog in a fenced secured yard, the dog should never have been put in a situation to bite a second person.  Here are the links to Schutzhund USA and the German Shepherd Dog Club - WDA, these links show the clubs in your area.

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

http://www.gsdca-wda.org/clubs.htm

I hope you take the appropriate steps to gain control of this dog before he turns into a major liability and winds up being put down.  JMO

Jim

Obedience training for the dog as well as pack leadership training for you!  You will be doing you and the dog a great service by finding a trainer who will teach you how to apply the Ceasr Milan type training structure to your dog.  Good Luck and let us know how you make out.

See if any of the guys and gals here under Trainers or Training Schools can help. www.k-9classifieds.com/links/index.php