Titles or no Titles - Page 1

I have a 22 month old male Malinois and have been training him in Schutzhund for the past two years. He is almost ready to be titled (BH through IPO 3). I plan on titling him next summer and expect to do well. The question I have is, is it better to sell a young male before Schutzhund titles or after. I feel that he is more of a police style dog than a sport dog but is capable of scoring high in a trial. I am torn because I have had alot of interest in him from a few police departments in my area and his litter mate is a police dog with one of the interested departments. Just curious what most of you would do .

I'd title him first. Then sell him for a LOT of $$$$$$ to a police department
and divide the money amongst your Schutzhud Club members :-)

Thomas Barriano

If you are selling him to a PD then titles do not matter.  I would recommend selling him now to a PD if that is the route you want to go.  Do not spend a lot of time training him for SchH as it can be counter productive to a Police K-9.  Where I am we have done away with the Hold and Bark for Police K-9's.  Also too much sleeve work becomes detrimental to a potential K-9, it causes the dog to consistently target the arm and may bypass more appropriate targets to get to an arm.  The PD will have to do a lot of work to try to change some of the foundational sport type training.  The "automatic out" in SchH is another issue.  If he is 22 months now he is a perfect age to sell to a PD, I wouldn't wait much longer.  We rarely test or buy dogs over 3 years old.  So time for titling works against you here as well.  If you have a Pd interested then strike while the iron's hot.  They may find another dog and you are out. 

If you plan on selling him to a sport / competition home then title him and he should sell for more money.  Granted, if the training is good.  In general titled dogs command a higher price, but not to PD's.

Jim



 

Thanks Jim I appreciate the info.

Thomas only you wish man see you at training if the temp breaks 32 degrees!!!

Your welcome.  You guys don't train if it's under 32 degrees?  That is some fair weather sport trainers.  32 is pretty warm in most spots over the winter. 

 32 degrees is what the weather needs to reach during the day at any point. So often in early mornings it is well below that when we start. It is just a guideline and often not followed but this weekend we are looking at low 20's and snow. We usually have mild weather here in colorado all winter but sometimes it gets pretty cold. We also train outdoors and do not have an indoor training facilty.  

Your welcome.  You guys don't train if it's under 32 degrees?  That is some fair weather sport trainers.  32 is pretty warm in most spots over the winter.

>Mr Slam D

>The rest of the club trains in the cold, we just have to wait tilll it's warmer for Vinnie to show up.
>That's OK, when Vinnie sells Diesel he's going to build us an indoor training facility? :-)

>Sunday is going to be warm compared to Saturday on top of the Palmer Divide (if the ring club trains on >Saturday) :-(
>See you on Sunday Vinnie, juist dress warm ;-)


Thomas Barriano

I would think 32 degrees in Colorado would be a warm spell in the winter.  I live in the Southeast and am looking forward to 32 degree weather.  I am sick of sweating my butt off all day at work and when I'm working dogs.  I'm hoping for a cold winter, screw these Southerners. 

40 degrees is T-shirt weather for me (as long as there's no wind)
I guess it's what you're used to. I moved out here to Colorado from Connecticutt so this is mild weather most of the time. My wife is from Albuqueque where the city shuts down if they get 3" of snow. She thinks it's the Arctic
Ciircle in January and February :-)

Thomas Barriano

Well, I moved here from Long Island and my city shuts down for a 1/2".  I'm totally serious, flurries will close schools.  We got 14" of snow in one storm and the highways were impassible for almost 3 days.  Bunch of dummies who think their big 4 wheel drive jacked up mud boggin pick ups work well on ice.  Nothing works on ice very well.  Driving down here is treacherous with an inch of snow because no one knows how to drive in it. 


But I digress, sell the dog to a PD while he is still young and marketable.  They will probably pay more than a sport person unless the pedigree is great and the dog works super well.