Sorry I missed the other four pages of posts- I thought there weren't too many people replying yet
So, there were some great bits of advice and things I want to comment on:
I can't believe a club isn't taking new members, that's a bunch of hooey and I wouldn't give them my time either. It's too bad there isn't another club near you. It's a shame.
A lot of clubs say they aren't taking new members. It generally means that they do not want any more new members who take up time and disappear. This sport is full of people who are really enthusiastic in the beginning and give up once they realize how much
work is involved. If it's a club you really want to join, ask if you could just come as a spectator to learn. Then, when you are there, help out- put up equipment, stand on the field as part of the group, listen to the training conversations without attempting to direct it towards you and your dog and volunteer to work when the trial comes round. If the people see that you are helpful, considerate and respectful, they may eventually tell you that they are now accepting applications. Most clubs are full of takers and the few people who really work to run the club are gold.
I see non-socialization as another of those short cuts, like extensive use of the prong collar and other corrective methods. You can get just as good of a result with a socialized dog, but by depriving your dog of interaction with others you can get faster compliance.
Most of the malinois people are socializing a lot, but carefully- some people just don't follow instructions well and end up scaring the bejeezus out of young pups when greeting them. I think your point about compliance is great- if your dog has other things in the world that interest him, you will have to work harder to make your dog like you. And that seems fair enough- he's not a slave. If he doesn't want to work with you, maybe you are too boring and lazy and need to work on playing better and being more fun to work with than strangers off the street.
Isn't lack of contact in part how kidnappers brainwash their victims?
I also suspect that the people recommending no contact with strangers are like kidnappers. If they were at all fun or nice, wouldn't their aloof GSDs want to be with them over total strangers? I mean, we aren't talking about super outgoing labs, here.
where did you get that my dogs can't?? and you have a BC, , energy and drive yes, protective??? maybe puts on a good show.
Everyone has their breed prejudices and preconceived notions. The reality is, you can do Schutzhund with almost any breed of dog, but you have to find the individual who likes the sport. Kathy Lena had a bc, Luigi in Tucson. I saw him trial once and he was very good and "for real" in the protection phase. There was a black lab in Germany who stood on the podium at their national championships. I don't know if he was serious or playing in the protection, but I have known labs that were biting "for real". Ditto, weimareiners, jack russels, springer spaniels, aussies, poodles, etc. If you do your research you will find dogs from a vast number of breeds that train for and title in the sport. There was a rule change recently that now requires a certain size dog, but in 95 when I was in Germany, I saw a tiny little "pincher" that was titled there and I have heard of a corgi.
Or the positive interaction when 250 lb man towers over and grabs your puppies cheeks or pushes its head to the ground and rolls it over?? The pup is so scared it pees itself?? where's the positive interaction with that?? What good is that going to do when you want that same puppy to grow up and be able to confront a man like that?? some it doesn't affect, others it does.
Gotta agree here. I am careful who touches my dogs, bc people often do really detrimental stuff without realizing or meaning too. I'm sure it's even worse now that everyone watches Cesar Milan on tv. I don't "alpha roll" my own dogs and certainly don't want anyone else doing that sort of ignorant, barbaric stuff with my pups.
I've seen 100 other ways to do everything as well, and over the years have melded them into my own style that I still make small changes too once and a while. The main thing is, find what you're comfortable with and do it. It's better to be consistent than constantly switching "styles" to the newest and "Greatest" thing, trust me on that one.
Great advice here. I have seen so many people who bounce from trainer to trainer and change their techniques every time a new guy comes into town for a seminar. In the long run it may be good for the trainer to learn different techniques and methods, but nothing is better for a dog than a clear, consistent training program that only changes gradually over time as his skill improves. Sudden changes in training methods are very confusing and stressful for a dog, and tend not to produce good results.
