You can introduce a puppy to focus work and basic positions really easily, just by working him at his mealtimes. With the food rewards and time spent with you, the puppy will not even realize he is working. Puppies learn fast and are always hungry so puppyhood provides an excellent opportunity to start with the clicker. To teach your puppy to focus on you, simply click and reward for eye contact, it helps to sit down when starting this behavior so that the puppy doesn't have to move his neck so far.
Gradually extend the time of the eye contact, and then vary it, one time ask for 5 seconds, then 30 seconds, then 2 seconds so the pup is never sure when the reward is coming. We put together a youtube playlist of work we do with our puppies from 8 weeks to 5 months, click here to watch.
Get a crate Far from keeping the puppy "caged", this is a bed for your puppy, a place of safety, peace and quiet and food and chew toys. Keep in mind, dogs are den animals, they like small places to curl up in. In the beginning, throw a dog biscuit or treat in to entice your pup in, and occasionally hide a few pieces inside. Soon your pup will be going in quite happily.
You will also need some peace and quiet periodically while knowing that your pup is in a safe place. Keep in mind that it is important to not do drive work while the pup is teething. Doing the OUT too often will have a negative effect on your pup. He will become chewy on the ball or tug and will not feel comfortable coming into you arms. When it's done properly the pup will learn that OUTING the prey is not the end of the game - it only results in a continuation of the game.
This is the attitude that we want to develop. If the pup looks at the OUT as losing his prey item you will have a dog that has turned on nerves when it comes into your arms and will be mouthy on the prey. You will have a dog that learns to drop the prey item when the handler comes near him.
It does not take an adult dog long to figure out that your hand movement is causing the pain. The same goes with a jerk on a leash to OUT an adult dog. They associate the hand movement of the jerk with the pain of the OUT. If handlers flank their adult dog to often, they run the risk of being bitten by their own dog. It is far better to use an electric collar for older dogs. Information on doing this is the topic of another article.
This gives the short nerve dogs time to clear their nerves. I am a strong advocate of the use of electric collars. They are one of the best training aids of the last 40 years. I know that there are those that think its OK to train a young pup 3 or 4 months old with electric collars. Once you find this out you can look for similar values in a mentor. For example, if I enjoy having fun working with my dog but not the competitions I should seek out a mentor that feels the same way in order to enjoy and understand each other to the best of your abilities.
This will help you as you and your dog grow because you will have your own unique style and oftentimes this will be an adaptation of your mentor. The most important part of learning Schutzhund for beginners is knowing your dog, this will either happen over time or you already know them very well and are ready to get started.
Knowing your dog will help you both enjoy and understand better how your dog is handling and learning their training. There are also things that you should look for as your dog goes through this process. Every dog has a trigger and it is important to know yours so you can be prepared. If you know your dog hates squirrels, like mine, you can be on the lookout and be proactive on the commands.
It is also important to know what treats and toys your dog enjoys to help make training seamless and enjoyable if a dog is not enjoying the rewards they are less likely to make the effort. My dog, for example, loves the Brown Begger sweet potato slices. This is no easy task and you should not get discouraged by any obstacles, Schutzhund for beginners is tough.
Younger dogs don't have the attention span you may be looking for but this is OK! While the Schutzhund trials breed evaluation tests were originally developed specifically for German Shepherds, other dog breeds can also be admitted and partake in the training. This type of training is one of the highest forms of training a dog can receive. Keep in mind that this article is just an introduction to Schutzhund dog training and should not be considered an exhaustive guide.
Each club is different, and finding one in which you and your dog are comfortable is important. Clubs typically look for the following in new handlers:. Each mentor is different and brings with them their own style and methods.
If you plan on competing with your dog, find a trainer with a focus on trials and competition.
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