Dog training Books. Schutzhund and K-9

Schutzhund is a German dog sport, with three competitive levels (SchH I, SchH II, SchH III), SchH I being the first title and SchH III the most advanced. The purpose of Schutzhund is to identify dogs that have the character traits required for the demanding jobs like police work, bomb detection, search and rescue, and many others. Some of those traits tested are:

Strong desire to work
Courageous
Intelligent
Trainable
Strong bond to the handler
Perserverance

It also tests physical traits such as strength, endurance, agility, and scenting ability. The goal of Schutzhund is to illuminate the character of a dog through training. Breeders can use this insight to determine how and whether to use the dog in producing the next generation of working dogs.

The sport includes three phases: obedience, tracking and protection. A dog must pass all three phases in one trial to be awarded a schutzhund title. Each phase is judged on a 100-point scale. The minimum passing score is 70. At any time the judge may dismiss a dog for showing poor temperament, including fear or aggression.

In 2004 the VDH, the all breed kennel club of Germany, changed the name of the titles from "SchH" (Schutzhund) to "VPG" (Vielseitigkeitsprüfung für Gebrauchshunde which roughly translates Versatility examination for working dogs). The SV, the German Shepherd Dog Club of Germany (which has the most powerful influence on the sport) has retained the "SchH" title names, but otherwise conforms to the VDH/FCI rules.

Without Schutzhund, the working ability of most working breeds would quickly deteriorate and it would be difficult to find suitable dogs for police work, bomb detection, or search and rescue, as police departments and many other organizations using working dogs do not allow their dogs to breed, so the only breeding stock for these working dogs are dogs developped through Schutzhund.

Training methods for the top competitor. Problem-solving approach to Level III work that will help competitors bring their dogs to the highest level. Tracking, obedience and protection are dealt with individually, analyzing specific problems that crop up in each skill and offering step-by-step solutions. The approach consists of operant conditioning techniques that avoid the use of compulsion methods and build the dog's confidence, courage and problem-solving ability. Also includes tips on how to compete at the National and World levels, including traveling with your dog. more information:

Schutzhund obedience: Training in drive with Gottfried Dildei (Unknown Binding)
by Sheila Booth
The motivational training explained in this book, is based on the same methods used in dolphin training, which involves the most fundamental, universally accepted "motivational" teaching methods, because dolphins can't be 'physically' forced to do something. Applied to dogs, this training method gives your dog a number of options and reward follows when your dog makes the correct choice. It allows your dog to be wrong, but then rewards him for figuring out what's right. Most working dogs love to work and to please their owner/handler and when allowed to use all their natural capabilities their problem-solving capabilities are often asthonishind. More information:

Covers all three areas of training- tracking, protection and obedience, - thoroughly and is very well illustrated. Covers all the phases of training and explains how to start puppies at a young age up to advanced training. . It presents in detail the secret training methods used by experts, and chapters on training psychology, puppy training, selecting the right instructor, etc. Benefits novice, experienced and professional trainers alike. The book is easy to understand and virtually guarantees results. more information:

The 1954 translation of Konrad Most's classic work on dog training made available again! Originally written in Germany in 1910, Training Dogs influenced how both dogs and trainers were taught in Europe and the United States for the next 50 years! It contains valuable and historically significant information. While the methods described may be viewed as harsh by modern dog trainers, the theory behind it was revolutionary for its time and is still applied today. Discover the roots of behavioral training: see the world from a dog's point of view; utilize instinctual behavior in training; use of compulsion and inducement; use of primary and secondary reinforcers. Learn how Col. Most taught: obedience exercises including the recall, jumping and retrieving; guard and schutzhund training; reconnaissance and tracking; scent theory; water work; hunting dog training; dogs for the blind. **Please note that Bulldog Information does not endorse all of the training methods described in this book; it should be viewed as a historical document and an early example of modern dog training.
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