Training your dog

  • Thread starter Thread starter Banshee
  • Start date Start date

In regards to the Dog handling industry-which of the following options do you prefer?

  • I prefer to train my own dog

    Votes: 29 76.3%

  • I prefer not to train my own dog

    Votes: 2 5.3%

  • I prefer to work with a fully trained dog

    Votes: 7 18.4%
  • Total voters
    38
  • Poll closed .
Now what was the question again???? Do i want to train dogs myself - well i do.

i've had my gsd since he was 7 weeks and i've put the work into him whilst allowing him to be a pup. He's now 8 months old and is a horror with a stunning drive.

His defence of the handler is fantastic, he will bite on command and also leave on command. We do control work, which is only short sessions as he is still young and i don't want to dampen any drive.

We do reality training when my shifts allow and have also been to a couple of schutzhund sessions.

His eagerness and wilingness as well as his drive to learn is fantastic.

I think you miss out on a lot buying a pre-trained dog and you still have no guarantee it will work out. At least if you have a dog from a pup you have no-one else to blame - you have to look on your own doorstep.
 
AND RELAX..............


Personally i rather train my own dogs, i know what i want from them and i know how to do it, so i'd rather start as a wee pup and go from there........ That said my dogs work for me in a hunting way NOt a work capacity, so it may differ slightly
 
LC-K9 said:
Now what was the question again???? Do i want to train dogs myself - well i do.

i've had my gsd since he was 7 weeks and i've put the work into him whilst allowing him to be a pup. He's now 8 months old and is a horror with a stunning drive.

His defence of the handler is fantastic, he will bite on command and also leave on command. We do control work, which is only short sessions as he is still young and i don't want to dampen any drive.

We do reality training when my shifts allow and have also been to a couple of schutzhund sessions.

His eagerness and wilingness as well as his drive to learn is fantastic.

I think you miss out on a lot buying a pre-trained dog and you still have no guarantee it will work out. At least if you have a dog from a pup you have no-one else to blame - you have to look on your own doorstep.
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I agree entirely LC, having a dog from a puppy gives you a unique insight into its attitude and behaviour from a young age, i think it gives you a greater bond too and trust. I like my dogs young and i like to train in a variety of areas as i go along.

I can't see the benefits from a pre trained animal myself, it's about the bond between trainer and dog, that is a really big plus
 
Nicely put Annie - i would have thought having a 'hunting' dog would be more important to have from a pup. Pretty much the same as any other, no preconceived ideas :) and no-one to balls it up, i think re-training can be more demanding and more ardous than training from scratch.
 
LC-K9 said:
Nicely put Annie - i would have thought having a 'hunting' dog would be more important to have from a pup. Pretty much the same as any other, no preconceived ideas :) and no-one to balls it up, i think re-training can be more demanding and more ardous than training from scratch.
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Certainly and you can see traits coming out early in them too, mines been quartering totally untrained now for ages, she is from great working stock though, and breeding does matter, if you can pick that too it really helps. I find mine so easy to work with already as a hunting dog, shes just so natural through lineage
 
LC-K9, alot of the Police have changed method for training the dog, the first 12 months is play, bonding, trust building and social, only towards the last part of the second year do they do the Schutzhund training, the result is alot more responsive focused dog due to lower stress levels, confidence and trust. This change in training methods comes from the handlers experience with their first dog and knowing how better to train the second dog, Eight years for this to come into place, so far results are impressive to bring change in training methods.
 
Edelweiss Tactical said:
LC-K9, alot of the Police have changed method for training the dog, the first 12 months is play, bonding, trust building and social, only towards the last part of the second year do they do the Schutzhund training, the result is alot more responsive focused dog due to lower stress levels, confidence and trust. This change in training methods comes from the handlers experience with their first dog and knowing how better to train the second dog, Eight years for this to come into place, so far results are impressive to bring change in training methods.
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Very true - i don't know if it still happens but also a lot of police do not get their dog till 12 months so it can be 'puppy walked' and also so the handlers cannot teach too much too soon and try to bring too much control into the pups life.

Before i came to work (mon night) - i was actually at a police dog section looking at a dog for a friend. The handler had had the dog from 7 weeks old - he was in amazing condition and was obviously loved and cherished - however the dog failed on the 1st week of the course. A great shame as the dog has very good lines and was part of a breeding programme specifically for the police. He lacked (to my eyes) drive and determination and he was also quite inconsistent when training. I believe (through chatting to various dog handlers) that the course is not really enough time and you are pushing the dog to learn a lot of new stuff in a short period of time.

I believe the tracking has changed now? They are coming more into line with more schutzhund style tracking rather than before when they preferred speed? Would need the confirmation of a serving police dog handler to confirm that though.

I suppose you really have to question - for police dog handlers - is the course actually long enough?
 
What actually happens to a dog like the one you mentioned above LC, in a situation where a handler has reared a dog from being a puppy and then finds that the dog in question fails at the beginning of training stages for actual work? I mean i know that not every dog selected as a puppy goes on to be a succesful working animal, just as i know when they reach a certain age they are retired, had a friend many years ago who's uncle was a prison dog handler and she ended up with his retired beast of a gsd (steroids i am sure, he was enormous dog... Arnie in canine form). But if they fail are they then used in other areas or are they re-homed elsewhere?
 
I am training my dog( a male rottweiler, I call him my little boy) from when the first day i took him. He is now 3 years old(63kg) and I can tell you it is nothing more rewarding then when u see your dog trust you and you can trust him. he knows all my movements I know him i see whn he doesnt have a good day etc... We trained with police trainers and im realy proud of him. The best connection between the dog and his handler is when the handler is raising him and teaching him.
 
i just think you get an early feel for what the dog is about that way, you know them and they know you, and you build trust from really early on, and as you say you can tell when they are having an off day as they can tell if you are. People don't give dogs credit enough for their intelligence
 
The answer I would give isn't in there! I train my own dog, but with the help of volunteer decoys and I also train with a professional trainer from time to time, too.
 
annie said:
What actually happens to a dog like the one you mentioned above LC, in a situation where a handler has reared a dog from being a puppy and then finds that the dog in question fails at the beginning of training stages for actual work? I mean i know that not every dog selected as a puppy goes on to be a succesful working animal, just as i know when they reach a certain age they are retired, had a friend many years ago who's uncle was a prison dog handler and she ended up with his retired beast of a gsd (steroids i am sure, he was enormous dog... Arnie in canine form). But if they fail are they then used in other areas or are they re-homed elsewhere?
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Hi Annie

Unfortunately the dog ends up being rehomed as the handler has to get another dog sourced for the course. Some forces gift their 'rejects' (for lack of a better word but this particular force are selling the dog to try and recoup what they paid for him as a pup.

The handler doesn't really get much choice as it's not his dog at the end of the day - which really sucks! The handler i spoke to was 11 yrs on dogs and whatever time on other depts - so was by no means a baby handler. This meant i could ask him questions about his training of the pup and knew he wouldn't take offence, other than wonder who this 'younger than him' upstart was asking him about his dog, lol :).
 
So, for all of that would prefer to train our own dog (using decoys as necessary etc) - what is your preferred method? Compulsion, motivation - what makes you decide your dog is ready to progress?

Do you use your decoy to help alter a dogs position for retraining or to help gain a 'full' mouth bite if he hasn't got the correct bite? Or do you prefer your decoy NOT to participate in the training?

A good example may be schutzhund as the decoy works the dog and helps to correct any mistakes, against reality as the decoy is purely a decoy.
 
Starting with a puppy, imprinting, socializing, is great then go to a professional that works with real world training.
If you are not willing to do this, find a Trainer that will train you and the dog to work against the threats you are likely
to encounter in the badlands.
Stay Safe,
Alex
CQB K-9
PBA Grad 1999
 
If you're using a decoy, sport or not, he/she is more important than the handler! A bad decoy can put you back months or even break the dog.

Full mouth bites can be trained for very early without the use of a decoy. Whilst a dog will bite naturally, I do prefer to educate the dog that a full bite is what I'm after.
 
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