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Location: B'ham (nr the airport)
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,963
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I will still continue with obedience will all of my dogs and would like Zane to be able to go into compeititon at some point. About 18 months ago I let slide the pet obedience classes. I still worked at home withthe dogs but stopped staing them to classes. I was bored with it and Zane showed no enthusiasm for it.
But as I have an interest in the sport, as SB has said my dogs are not the right material for the job after all. it doesn't mean I'm going to give up on them at all. Far from it. If anything I will work them just as hard at obedience, if not harder than the pup.
The reason I am considering training another GSD is because firstly he isn't doing well in kennels. He's too much for a show or pet home and not enough for a working home. He's in the middle of the road and both the trainer and the breeder think that maybe as I haven't trained in Schutzhund before, this dog could be the right way to go.
I agree with the trainer and SB in that if I were to take on a full WL GSD I may not be able to cope with the level of drive the dog has. This way, I can help and do the dog a favour by having him live with me and I get to train him and hopefully be able to play a full part in the sport at a later date.
There is no pressure for me to take on this dog. If things don't work out he can go back to the breeder. If everything works out fine and he is able to stay (which I am quietly hopeful and confident that he will do) then I pay for the dog and continue to train with him.
The agreement is that I train every day with him (which goes without saying IMO) and I attend training on the field each week on a Sunday at least (possibility of training on a Tuesday or Thursday too sometimes depending on other members'w rok schedules as they're all police officers).
Please don't think my current dogs will lose out in any way. I have more than enough time to continue training my lot and training the pup. I will not allow any of the dogs to lose out in any way. They will all still get their cuddles, exercise time, play time, training time etc and so will the pup; who I'm told needs to be in a house rather than a kennel.
I was aiming to try to train with my own dogs but Jenzi can only do the BH and possibly some of ther tracking because fo her hips. But she can go further in what I would call "normal" obedience (if thwat makes sense).
Zane will continue with "normal" obedience training and hopefully will get somewhere in competition. Yiannis still has major problems whena round strange peopel wlthough he is improving. His obedience is fine in the house or out ona walk that he knows. Any changes to routine or environment tresults in an imeediate explosion from his rear end so I doubt he'll get to competition level (publicly anyway, I can still train him at home).
I think I'm waffling now and am sure I've repeated myself. Basically, my own dogs, although still training are not suitable for bite work for different reasons. This new pup is suitable and needs out of the kennel situation he is in to live in a house. I can provide this and train him. Because he's half SL I should be able to cope with his level of drive.
So I help the dog by having him live with me in the house with my lot. I'm also helping out his breeder because she doesn't want him in kennels. The breeder is doing me a favour by allowing me to take him on. I get to live and learn with a dog with more drive than mine have generally and get to train him up to full bite work hopefully.
It's a solution to a problem that we both have. it means hopefully that the dog is happier, the breeder gets whast she wants (potentially the dog sold if it all works out) and I get what I want (to train a dog in Sch).