Do you work your working dog? Discussions

Brilliant photos Crichton, I must have missed those when they first went on.

Great to hear Kofi is enjoying Schutzhund, Scout I can't watch videos, but am sure he looks brill!

I plan to work my next dog, doing tracking & potentially Schutzhund.

Excelent, Working Trials and Schutzhund are great sports.

without hoping to sound too stupid what does schutzhund involve?

Kali the HWV works - sadly no longer on shooting due to an incident with a gun shooting right next to her It made her petrified of the gun andbdespite trying to remedy this, her fear is too much. So she one does grouse counts, pointing tests and picks up.

Holly PRT works rats and rabbits. Jake the Bedlington x Whippet works rabbit but not rats. Both get 'jobs' on local sheep farms and happily work through the sheep. We are about to go back up North again and they get temp jobs on the surrounding crofts keeping down the rabbits.

The BT isn't ok around livestock and my remaining 14y next week JRTx wouldn't be interested in 'nonsense' like the above

Sorry to hear about Kali. Was it something that shouldn't have happened?

Love to see a pic of Jake. We have a bedlington x whippet who we work on rabbits. She hasn't come across rats yet though.

Helen

All my dogs work, its why we have them! The gundogs go beating and do the odd bit of picking up, and the terriers love a go on the rats!

The gundogs are having their first season on the grouse this year, will be interesting to see what they make of it! OH said Misty is going to excel on the moors because dogs can be a bit more wild, which is most definetly Misty!!

http://araxes.co.uk/german_shepherd_dog_schutzhund.html

For a German Shepherd Dog to get a schutzhund title takes time and effort. Schutzhund trials test a dog's temperament, character and working ability. That is what they are designed for. There are three schutzhund levels - SchH 1, the starting level, SchH 2, an intermediate level, and Schutzhund 3 which is the advanced level. In order to be able to take part in a breed survey in Germany the dog must have acquired at least a SchH 1 title. Because of the age requirements and the length of time the training takes a dog will not obtain the title before 18 months of age and typically does so at some age over 21 months.

Schutzhund is divided into three distinct parts - (1) Obedience, (2) Tracking and (3) Protection or man work. Each part is scored separately and in order to pass the dog must obtain a minimum score of 70 out of 100 in obedience and tracking. The dog must obtain a minimum score of 80 out of 100 in the protection phase. The dog's temperament is separately assessed in each phase and the dog may be eliminated in any phase if the judge decides that his temperament is unsatisfactory. The protection phase is designed and intended to be a serious test of the dog's character. It is for that reason that the minimum pass score in the proection phase is 80 out of 100. In that phase the dog is also assessed for fighting spirit. Only a dog which has a pronounced fighting spirit will be eligible in a breed survey for the Class 1 pass which means 'recommended for breeding'. A dog which only has a satisfactory fighting spirit is not eligible in Germany for a Class 1 pass in a breed survey. Such a dog is only eligible for a Class 2 pass which is 'suitable for breeding'. The weight the dog's fighting spirit is given in a breed survey indicates just how important the protection phase of Schutzhund is for assessing a dog's character.

There now follows a very brief summary of the requirements of each phase of the schutzhund trial for the three different levels.

1. Obedience

Schutzhund 1

1. Heel on lead (15 points)
2. Heel off lead (20 points)
3. Sit in motion (10 points)
4. Down with recall (10 points)
5. Retrieve on the flat (10 points)
6. Retrieve over the metre jump (15 points)
7. Send away and down (10 points)
8. Long down under distraction (10 points)

Schutzhund 2

1. Heel on lead (10 points)
2. Heel off lead (15 points)
3. Sit in motion (5 points)
4. Down with recall (10 points)
5. Retrieve a 1 Kg dumbbell on the flat (10 points)
6. Retrieve a 650 gm dumbbell over the metre jump (15 points)
7. Retrieve a 650 gm dumbbell over the climbing wall (15 points)
8. Send away and down (10 points)
9. Long down under distraction (10 points)

Schutzhund 3

1. Heel off lead (10 points)
2. Sit in motion (5 points)
3. Down with recall (10 points)
4. Stand while walking (5 points)
5. Stand from a run (10 points)
6. Retrieve a 2 Kg dumbbell on the flat (10 points)
7. Retrieve a 650 gm dumbbell over the metre jump (15 points)
8. Retrieve a 650 gm dumbbell over the climbing wall (15 points)
8. Send away and down (10 points)
9. Long down under distraction (10 points)

2. Tracking

Schutzhund 1

Dog follows track laid by handler while dog is out of sight. Track is between 300 and 400 metres in length and has two right angled bends. There are two articles on the track. Not less than 20 minutes after the track has been laid the dog must follow the track, locate the two articles and indicate that he has done so

Schutzhund 2

The track is 400 to 500 metres in length, it is laid by a stranger, it has two right angled turns and it must be aged at 30 minutes before the dog is put on the track.

Schutzhund 3

The track is between 800 and 1,000 metres in length, it is laid by a stranger, has four right angled turns, there are three articles on th track and the track must be aged at least 50 minutes before the dog is put on the track.

3. Protection

Schutzhund 1

1. Hold and bark (5 points)
2. Attack on handler by a stranger (35 points)
3. Pursuit and Courage test (60 points)

Schutzhund 2

1. Search for the helper (5 points)
2. Hold and bark (10 points)
3. Escape (10 points) and Defence (40 points)
4. Transport (5 points)
5. Attack (10 points) and Courage test (25 points)

Schutzhund 3

1. Search for the helper (5 points)
2. Hold and bark (10 points)
3. Escape (10 points) and Defence (25 points)
4. Transport (5 points)
5. Attack (10 points), Pursuit (10 points) and Courage test (25 points)

Do you think you would still own dogs if you didn't have them for work Sarah?

thanks for that its really interesting!! it looks like something really interesting and worthwhile to do with your dog if it is capable!

I'd still have dogs, probably not as many, and who knows what breed I'd have! I've grown up with dogs, so to not have at least one is unimaginable!

I shouldve perhaps phrased my sentence better, maybe I should have said, all my dogs work, its why we have the ones we do!

I'm with you Sarah, I wouldn't have as many if they weren't working dogs but will always have a couple.

Helen

This is Jake..


At 7w

Lure coursing
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v... March 2009/?action=view&current=IMG_1027.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v... March 2009/?action=view&current=IMG_1029.jpg


He will chase rabbits and hold them (very gently!) but wont attempt to kill them/hurt them - he holds them until Holly deals with them. He is very, very woosey - he got kicked by a large buck rabbit once and that put him off getting too close for quite a while. He will chase the rats but wont get close to them - Holly in all the years she has been rat catching has only had one bite - but it was enough to make her quick to kill them.

Jake and Holly

He's gorgeous but does look like Corrie! lol Will post some pics when I find my camera lead.

Helen

Someone shot right next to her..there were close barns and the noise reverberated - 4y of training out the window.:twisted: She is now so afraid of the gun that even the mere sight of the gunslip is enough to make her shake so much her teeth rattle.

I meant to put some pics on of her on the grouse moors...



Cooling off with friends after a hard day



I havent put any of Holly working rat/rabbit just incase there is anyone of a sensitive nature.

She is stunning! Love the grouse moor pics - where abouts is it?

Helen

Some are near Dalwhinnie, others in rural Angus.

She's a nice girl, a bit masculine in the head but a strong girl who can work all day.

I've done some work for an estate up there, but think it's a bit further north of Dalwhinnie. Also, some work for an estate in the Angus glens.

That's the sort I like - the ones who can work all day.

Helen

Its beautiful up there isnt it?

Kali is right on the top end of the size for a bitch - she lacks a nice tucked up loin and unless kept lean can resemble a soggy loaf (sorry Kal!!) - she is a bit of the masculine side looks wise for me - but as i said she can certainly work.

We used quite a feminine looking stud dog - slightly smaller than Kali and bordering on being a bit rakey - however, it seemed to work as all her daughters are much more feminine looking girls.

I've never visited the moors, I just get the guts and caecal pats lol. I have been up there on holiday as I have friends who live near the Cairngorms.

Helen