Schutzhund Training Guide: How To Train Your Dog With Schutzhund

You may wonder what Schutzhund Training means. Actually, Schutzhund is not a breed of dog. Instead, it is a German term that means protection dog. Meanwhile,  Schutzhund Training refers to a method of developing better canine traits. The schutzhund training mostly focuses on three aspects: namely, tracking, obedience, and protection. Getting done with these three aspects means that your dog is near perfectly trained. It means that Schutzhund training guide goes beyond teaching simple sit, down, come, or stay commands.

As mentioned above, the Schutzhund Training consists of three phases. The three phases in how to train your schutzhund teach your dog with higher level of focus, speed, precision, enthusiasm, and accuracy. When the Schutzhund Training was firstly developed, it was designed for German Shepherds. However, other breeds of dog can be admitted in the training.

The three levels are essential for developing the canine endurance, mental stability, courage, scent tracking, and structural efficiencies, namely:

1. Tracking. This phase aims at determining trainability and potential of your dog to track scent and well as testing its physical and mental endurance
2. Obedience. This phase aims at testing his temperament, willingness to work and to protect, and structural efficiency;
3. Protection. This is the final phase, aiming at testing his courage, agility, and physical strength. At this final phase, you need higher level of ability to control the dog throughout the Schutzhund training sessions.

Schutzhund Training Guide : The Basic Principles

As the Schutzhund training guide goes beyond the basic training sessions.  Accordingly, you may need better comprehension on the basic principles of canine training. Overall, the canine training sessions aim at making sure that you reward only the desired behaviors, ensuring that they are not punished physically for misbehaving or failure to understand you commands, and making sure that the process and the training sessions are enjoyable.

Of course, teaching the dogs in real life is not as easy as it sounds. Real-life conditions are always more complicated and messy. However, never give up! More masters are successful in training the dogs rather than failing. So, you have huge chances to be successful in how to train your schutzhund. The following are some basic things you need to know when doing Schutzhund Training Guide:

Getting Familiar with Reinforcement vs Punishment

These two terms are of course interrelated, despite contradictory meaning. Reinforcement refers to the act of strengthening a behavior. Meanwhile, punishment refers to the act of stopping a behavior. In the context of canine training, reinforcement means strengthening desired behavior, while punishment means stopping or avoiding unwanted behavior.

Reinforcement in canine training is usually associated with giving treats like foods or favorite toys when the dog is done with a command or a session. Meanwhile, punishment is never about physical things. Instead, punishment technically refers to the way the master shows that a behavior is not favorable. For instance, the master denies the puppies or does not provide him with foods until he successfully does a favored thing.

Getting to Know Your Dog

Developing bonding between the master and the puppy is important to determine the success of Schutzhund training. When you know your dog well, you know what he loves and what he does not love, it is easier for you to plan the training session. Both of you can enjoy the training and handle the sessions well. You can prepare treats that the dog enjoys very munch.

By providing treats that the dog loves, the training is easier, since you can attract the dog’s attention in a more effortless way. On the other hand, if the dog does not enjoy the treats, attracting his attention will be more difficult. As a result, teaching the desired behavior is also more challenging.

Preparing the Basic Training Equipment

The Schutzhund training guide also requires you to prepare the basic equipment. At the first phase of the training, you may not need all the tools, but with time and when the training progresses well, the tools will make the training sessions easier. The following are some basic tools you need to prepare:

1. Dog collars. Collars are important when you begin training the dog to walk on a leash. Dog collars are made of different materials, like leather, herm, nylon, or electric fence. Whatever the material you choose, your dog needs high-quality collars to ensure his comfort.
2. Harnesses are important if you want to take the dog out for walk. Good-quality harnesses ensure that your dog can walk comfortably.
3. Vests provide the dog with movement control. Make sure to choose one with sturdy and versatile design.
4. Bite pillows, a tug, and bite sleeves. Bite pillows are important in the bite training session. Biting precisely is crucial for the dog to avoid unwanted things in the future. Meanwhile, a tug is important in building drive skill. Again, make sure to choose high quality tools made of leather, fore house, linen, or jute. Then, bite sleeves are needed for ongoing Schutzhund training sessions.
5. Hurdles are must-have tools for training a puppy or a newly adopted dog.  You can find standardized Schutzhund hurdles with aluminum frame. They are known to be more durable and adjustable.

Besides those tools, you will also need to prepare other tools, which are important for different phases of the training. They include protection blinds,  sticks, tracking gear, scaling walls and dumbbells.

Finding The Right Dog Club

Schutzhund training provides you and the dog with opportunity to recognize ability of the dog to perform what is being trained as well as ability of the owner to train the dog. This is the highest level of dog training. Of course, you need high-level commitment and patience. At one point, how to train your schutzhund may also include finding a dog club that fits your lifestyle.

Joining a local Schutzhund club benefits you in many ways, particularly if you are still new to Schutzhund. Every club has its characteristics; therefore, you need to find one that fits your lifestyle. Normally, you need to join the club for 2 or 3 years. Accordingly, make sure you really know the club before signing a commitment.

In addition, every club has different standards for its members. Make sure that your characters and personality are really fitted to the club standards. When you join the right one, your dog will benefit in many ways, including:

1. The ability to respect other people as well as other dogs;
2. Willingness to learn through all levels of Schutzhund training sessions;
3. Developing emotional stability;
4. Building trustworthiness and responsibility;
5. Developing self-confidence and independence

Those are only some of the benefits that the master and the dog enjoy after implementing Schutzhund training guide. In reality, both of you will benefit more from the proper training sessions. 

Do You Need To Find a Mentor?

Some dog owners may wonder the importance of finding a mentor for Schutzhund training. Many people suggest that collaborating with a mentor will be much more helpful, as you have someone to share goals and values with. This way, you can do all the training sessions in a more enjoyable way. In fact, not all mentors are similar. 

They have different styles and methods. 

To find a mentor, make sure that you really know the objective of the training.  For instance, if you plan to train the dog for competition, then you need to find a mentor that focuses on trial and competition. The way to train your schutzhund for competition is designed specially based on the objective. Similarly, if you want to train the dog for a good companion, then you need a mentor that specializes in obedience and loyalty training. 

Joining the right dog club makes it easier for you to find a mentor that fits your styles and objectives. However, you still need to make sure that he really fits your style. Do not hesitate to ask questions and ask for a trial with your dog. You will see that the right mentor helps you much, particularly at the beginning of the training, when you may be still confused about anything.

Patience Is the Key

It must be noted that Schutzhund training is tougher than the basic dog training is. Therefore, it requires more patience than ever. Despite the challenge, never let yourself or your dog to be discouraged. Understanding the natural characters of puppies provides you with mind relief. For instance, if you know that puppies have shorter attention span, then you will design shorter training sessions. More importantly, give yourself and the puppy some breaks, and make sure that the sessions are short and fun.

Patience is the key to success when working on Schutzhund training. In addition, make sure to use clear, loud, and consistent commands. These may avoid confusion on the part of the dog. Consistent and solid training foundation helps your dog complete the training and makes it easier for you to reinforce the good behaviors.

Schutzhund training always tells you that this is a long but rewarding journey. When you can keep the patience, both of you will enjoy the benefits. Therefore, make all the training sessions enjoyable. There may be a day when you get upset while the dog gets confused. Never give up! When you have been through all the hardships, you will find that the hard work is finally worth it.
 

How to Train Your Schutzhund the Necessary Skills

Besides knowing the basic things about Schutzhund training guide, the following are things to train to your dog:

Crate Training

Whatever the breed of dog you have, crate training should be an integral part of your dog training sessions. Crate serves like a ‘home’ for the dog at your home. It is a place of safe, a place of peace, and a place, where the dog eats and plays with his toys. How to train your Schutzhund is almost similar for all breeds of dogs. The difference may lie on how long it takes the puppy to get familiar and comfortable inside the crate, even when you are away from home.

Using a Dog Clicker

You might never recognize the importance of a dog-training clicker before. It is a simple but useful tool for positive reinforcement. Using a dog clicker is simple and fun. Imagine the condition that the dog follows your commands properly. Then, you use the dog clicker and then give him the treat as soon as he focuses attention on you. A dog clicker may help in telling your dog that he has done right. Accordingly, the more often he hears the clicks, the more he gets the treats. Therefore, he knows that he is doing right. Eventually, the dog will reinforce the same behavior to get the treats. 

Keep Socializing

Dog is a loyal animal. He wants to be with you anytime. However, make sure that you are not the only individual in his life. Otherwise, you will have many problems in the future. Therefore, make sure to have him socialize. Allocate your time to take him out to the nearby park, dog club, or everywhere possible. Introduce him to a lot of places, a lot of people, and a lot of objects. These provide him with confidence and minimize the risk of separation anxiety.

However, the socialization process must be done properly. In the early stage for instance, do the socialization process slowly to avoid stress. Again, patience is the key, as the dogs are not created equal. Some breeds of dog can learn faster while others need more time. Get to know the natural characters of your dog.

Finally, even though your dog enjoys playing with toys, do not leave him with the toys all day. Again, allocate your time to play with the dog. This is important to build the bond between you and the animal. Toys are important to make sure the dog enjoys the time when you are away from home. However, toys do not do much when it comes to obedience and skill. You are holding the keys that determine whether your dog can be a lovely companion or not.
 

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Rottweiler Training Tips: How To Train A Rottweiler

Do you have a newly adopted Rottweiler? Or, are you struggling to train your Rottweiler? Rottweilers are known to be loyal, obedient, and intelligent, naturally. Accordingly, they can be trained properly, as they have no many difficulties in understanding your commands. However, you certainly need the right way on how to train a Rottweiler. Properly trained Rottweiler can live happily within the human family. They know their position properly and they can adjust well. Again, proper training is the key.

Ideally, the training for Rottweiler puppies starts when they are 7 to 8-week old.  This is the ideal time to begin implementing the Rottweiler training tips. But, what if you adopt the dog when he is older than 8 weeks. Do not be discouraged, since you still have the chance to train the Rottweiler properly until it reaches the age of 6 months.

Rottweiler Training Tips: Beginning of the Training

At the very beginning of the training, there are some general rules to make your jobs easier. The following are some Rottweiler training tips: how to train a Rottweiler:

1. Make the session short and fun; This is the first thing you have to note when training the Rottweiler, regardless of the age. Before the puppy is 6 months old, one or two minutes is enough for each session. Longer session has few, if any, benefits. Why? The Rottweiler puppies have short attention span. If you train them for longer than 2 minutes, the dog is not able to pay attention to your commands anymore.
2. Establish the rules; This is an important thing to do at the very beginning phase of the training. The rules refer to things that you have to reinforce and the dog will follow throughout the training sessions. The rules aim at improving the dog’s behavior. Some trainers use the term dominance for the rule-establishment session. However, the term is overused to some extent. There is no need to show that you dominate over the dog. Instead, just show tender and careful understanding. Then, never show aggression towards the dog. Hitting the dog does not benefit you at all.
3. Socialize the puppy earlier; Imagine how frustrating it is to see your dog barking or being aggressive when he is around other people or within other dogs. To prevent such problem, make sure that the dog socializes earlier. Do this by taking the puppy out for walks in your environment, over a friend’s house, or to a park. Taking him out regularly helps the Rottweiler puppy fight against fear and stress and develop confidence. For this, make sure that he has positive experience every time you take him out.
4. Reinforce positive behavior; This rule applies for training any breeds of puppies. As the trainer as well as the master, you are just suggested to reward positive behavior and never punish any misbehaving. Positive reinforcement in how to train Rottweiler means training by reward. Actually, the dog does not understand anything you say. He will just repeat one action, when you treat him after doing it. If you do this repeatedly and consistently, the dog will eventually make such behaviors as habits. Rewards may come in the form of toys, food, or anything that the dog likes.
5. No physical discipline; Physical discipline and yelling are never suggested for training any breeds of dog. They will never bring you to the desired results. Physical discipline just leads to fear and confuse, while you may feel frustrated because of it. Imagine this condition: You punish the dog with physical interference for toileting in your house two hours earlier. The dog actually does not know what he has done. It is useless to punish him, as he does not have any idea on it. Conversely, when you treat him after going out for outdoor bathroom, he will do the same then. As you keep treating him after doing the good action, he will make outdoor elimination a habit.
6. Maintain high-level patience.  For many dog masters, teaching Rottweiler is rather challenging, thanks to the loyal characters of the dog. Since they naturally wants to be close to you and always be at your side, teaching some basic commands may be challenging. The same case applies for preventing separation anxiety and stress. Therefore, patience is the key. There is no need to yell or get angry at the dog. Remember that they are naturally lovely companion.
7. With these general rules in mind, you can proceed to the next Rottweiler training tips and train the puppies for simple commands.

How To Train a Rottweiler: Simple Commands

As mentioned above, training session for a Rottweiler puppy must be short, simple, and fun. Otherwise, he will not pay attention to your commands. The basic session in Rottweiler training is teaching simple commands. The following are some basic commands to teach to your Rottweiler:

Use "Sit" Command!

Instead of teaching him his name, you had better teach the dog to sit as the first command he should learn. Why? The “Sit!” command will be necessary in many situations. When the dog understands this command, the remaining training sessions will be much easier. The following are some Rottweiler training tips to teach him “Sit!” command:

• Make sure to attract his attention first;
• You can use hand gesture instead of voice. The body gesture makes it easier for the dog to focus on you;
• You may combine the hand gesture with short voice command. But, make sure you give the voice command after you get his attention. If he does not pay attention to you, the voice command will not work.

 

Use “No!” or “Stop!” Command

This is another important command that your dog has to understand. “No!” or “Stop!” command tells your dog is doing something wrong. Rottweiler loves mouth items. They love carrying things on their mouth. However, it can be trouble some if the puppies begin biting your shoes, the kids’ toys, or other valuable items. You need to tell them to stop it. The following are some Rottweiler training tips for this command:

1. You may choose either “No!” or “Stop!” command, but make sure you use the same command consistently.
2. As you voice the “stop!” command, move the puppy immediately from thing that he is doing. This shows him that he should not have done it.
3. Ignore him, but make sure to keep your eyes on him.
4. If he does the same thing again, voice the same command and take him away from it.
5. Do not give any treat until he behaves correctly.
6. Once you say “Stop!” or “No!” and he stops immediately, give him the treats.
7. Do not yell at the puppy even though he is misbehaving. Yelling or shouting just makes the dog confused and does not help anything.

Use “Down!” Command

This command is taught only after the dog understands the “Sit!” command. This is important particularly is you have a jumper breed of dog. Jumping may lead to problems like physical injuries. Teaching this command could be tricky. The following is how to teach the Rottweiler not to jump by teaching him “down!” command:

1. Make sure you are prepared with treats in hand;
2. Show him that you have interesting treats;
3. Say “Sit!” command and make sure that he does sit;
4. Make sure he focuses on you. You can put your hand (which holds the treats) near his nose.
5. Move your hand down to the floor and say “down!” command.
6. Normally, he will follow your instruction as he focuses on the treats.
7. Give him the treats if he lays down properly.
8. Repeat the same command, and do the same reward system.
9. Obey him if he fails to do your instruction.
   

Normally, it takes about a week to familiarize the dog with the new command. Practice is consistently but make sure the session is short. The session is regarded successful anytime you can command the dog to stop jumping. 

Use “Stay!” Command

This command is also taught when the puppy is familiar with “Sit!” command. Otherwise, teaching “Stay!” command can be frustrating. Some masters found that teaching this command is one of the most frustrating parts of the Rottweiler training. However, you have huge chances to be successful with it, as long as you maintain high amount of patience. 

Teaching this command is important, as you know that Rottweiler are loyal companions. They always want to be with you, next to you, or at least around you. However, there might be many cases, in which you have to tell him to stay away. The following tips may work for you:

1. Make sure you have some treats at hand.
2. Tell the dog to sit first. That is why “Stay!” command is suggested after the dog is done with “sit!” command;
3. Get his attention by putting your hand near to his nose.
4. As soon as he focuses on the treats, say “Stay!” command and then step back slowly.
5. Give him the treats if he is done with the command.

It is very likely that, at least at the first session of the Rottweiler training, the puppy will run up to you. If this happens, ask him to sit down again, and place the treats in front of his nose. Repeat the command “stay!” while you are stepping backward. Repeat the process until the Rottweiler puppy is done with the command.
For some dog masters, teaching the “stay!” command is a frustrating session. Therefore, it takes more patience. Therefore, make sure to choose the right timing and phase to teach this. 

“Come!” Command

This command is taught when the dog has been done with “stay!” command. Otherwise, you will find teaching the command frustrating. If you choose the right timing, teaching this command is a fun, thanks to the natural character of Rottweiler that loves his master. Understanding this command may help your Rottweiler avoid danger sometimes in the future. Imagine the condition that he is running toward danger and he does not understand your command to come. 

Just like teaching the commands above, make sure you are ready with his favorite treats before beginning the session. The following are some of the steps:

1. Make sure that he pays attention to you. Calling him and show him the treats may work.
2. Slap your thighs and say “come!”. Make sure to use a friendly voice.
3. If necessary, you can use hand gesture. However, whatever the gesture you use, make sure to use it consistently;
4. Give him the treats the puppy does it well.
5. Make sure to work on those commands regularly. Make the session short and fun, but do it consistently. 

How to Train a Rottweiler: Rottweiler Crate Training

Well-trained Rottweiler is actually a gift for you. Why? He is a cute and loyal companion. He always wants to make you happy.  Rottweiler is also known as one of the most powerful, the largest, and the most robust dog breeds of dog. For some dog masters, the naturally loyal character of Rottweiler makes it challenging for crate training. Again, never give up, let alone, get upset with the dog. Note that, he is a companion, and he will do what you want him to do.

Crate training is important for you Rottweiler. If you begin the training earlier, this is less challenging. Crate training benefits you and the dog as well, as you teach him the right way to use bathroom, whether it is in the crate or outdoor. Crate training also teaches your Rottweiler to be comfortable in his ‘home’ while you are away. This keeps him safe in your house and avoids him from potential danger. More importantly, proper crate training can help alleviate separation anxiety. This is particularly important if you are working away from home.

Crate training for Rottweiler is mostly similar to that for other breeds of dog. The keys are choosing the right size of crate, providing the training in a gradual but consistently, and providing the right rewards and punishment.

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