Put up or shut up (callin ya'll out) - Page 8

hate to steel anyones thunder here,but the idea that you only know what you are talking about if you have any working titles on your dog is as old as dog training itself.never sits well with me because by the same token i can also say that if you have not been to the world compition and came in the first five or at least in the top ten that you are not the best and if you are not the best then you are the rest.my motto always have been,if you want to learn or gain knowledge,learn it from the best and thefre are only few who are the best. i will name some people who i learn from the best are,Gottfried Dildi,Bernard Flinks,Thomas Lapp,Debbie Zappia.these are the people you want to learn from and gain knowlege, i do not belive in titles but i can tell you that 98%of the people and dogs i have seen out there getting titles are terrible,do not belive in titles but do belive in learning how to truly train a dog in the best possible way and with motivation and by being creative in my approch. in this day and age there is very easy access to some really best trainers and there are other ways to gain knowledge and experince in training dogs. this board is for people to share thier openions and weather they are educated openions or not last time i checked this was a free country.if you have titled dogs and have lot of experience then you should be able to tell who is making sense and who is not.take the best from everything you see,read and hear and leave the rest but people should be able to speak thier mind.people here take every thing too seriously it is just dob training not the end of the world so enjoy and have fun with your dogs and don't mistreat them because you want to put titles on them and stress them too much through shity and bad training.have a nice day.thankx.

 while I don't think that putting titles on dogs is EVERYTHING in accomplishments (I may be blasted for saying this) I will say what I've done and you guys can judge the rest. 

Newer in schutzhund I started in 2000. 

Zeppe van't Steyneveld (HOT of course) sch3 Ipo3 TR1

Ilio von haus doose BH (sold as security dog)

Ciro zo Severnej Hranice ("Cyrano") BH SchA CGC- is just over 2 years old getting ready for Sch1, 

Kaos von haus doose BH WH CGC - about 2.5 years old, getting ready for sch1 and working on SDA titles

I have also currently am starting a puppy out of Zeppe in Schutzhund. 

Pet dogs with some accomplishments

Maestro Maysong di Capella - papillon, CGC, has done some training in agility though I"m not interested in competing or anything, just taken a few classes and had fun with it. He does a bit of studio work, and I work alot of tricks and events with him. Also did a little bit of training for conformation but he got too big :-(  

Tyler - cocker spaniel, registered therapy dog (TDI) and CGC. Knew 150 behaviors when I put him to sleep last year. Had worked a lot of events and was the smartest dog I've ever owned bar none. 

Maverick BH - shepherd type malinois mix 9 years old (no I did not put the BH on him, I trained alot of it but my mom handled him to the title) has done a bit of work in herding (about 9 months) but I never had an interest in competing or titling or anything

My personal accomplishments: have been training pet dogs for 23 years, first as a volunteer, then as an employee, now as a business owner. Have been head trainer for a facility, senior trainer for another facility.  worked with exotic and domestic animals at Six Flags animal show for about 3 years (94-97). Volunteered almost full time and then worked professionally as a studio animal trainer for approximately 2 years (this is where I REALLY learned how to train, we taught all KINDS Of behaviors to look good for commercials, television, print ads etc...funny enough, rarely had to use much force, yet had to do all kinds of weird behaviors...hmmmm I still train my pet dogs many of the needed behaviors, only now I just send them out with someone else, I don't have time for it these days while running my own business) Worked as a continuing education and certification rep for ABTA Corporate office (what was then the largest dog training company in the US) for about a year and a half.CGC Evaluator. Certified dog trainer with IACP (International Association of Canine Professionals, note this is not a "school" but an internationally recognized professional organization). Have completed some university coursework with an emphasis in behavioral psychology/learning theory (I couldn't decide at the time if I TRULY wanted to train dogs for the rest of my life or go into marriage and family counselling and figured the coursework covered the same topics:-)) While I don't have a ton of titles under my belt, I've personally trained or taught others to train at LEAST a couple of thousand pet dogs in my career (I never counted but I know about how many I did last year so you figure in a career there have been at least that many) For the past 10 years or so I've had an interest in working with aggressive dogs, and that is where the majority of my business today comes from. I currently work with private sessions, behavior mod for aggression, group classes, I run a freeplay pack, and do board and train. Again, most of this is pet dog work and some may think that because I don't have a ton of titles I don't know anything, but I only usually post when I know what I"m talking about:-) I had NO interest whatsoever in putting any kind of titles on dogs until schutzhund (I basically hate the pressure and the politics in all the dog sports) I also have a real interest in canine nutrition (though I don't know as much as

 (though I don't know as much as some here) and I love training other animals (beyond dogs). I also am of the mindset that the good trainers know what they can do, what they can't, and they're always interested in learning more in a variety of venues. For instance, I use stuff I learned in studio work, in my schutzhund, vice versa. I LOVE learning anything new from the old timers, the newbies, and everybody in between. Which is why I love this board when it's actually talking intelligently:-) (aka not so full of drama:-)) I also am starting on new ventures into starting a breeding program so will probably have lots of questions in addition to the ones I ask my current mentors:-)

Get a real dog , if I may , nice topic , but reading mollys post  Iwas wondering , how many nationas do you have in the states

we have one per year , so Im curious

Don't understand the question.

If you are asking how many nationals we have in the states, it depends.

We have different sports, and different governing bodies. So we have several "national events" every year.

We have several - USCA Schh3 National Championships, AWDF Nationals, North American Nationals, DVG Nationals, and WDA Nationals.  There is also National Championships per breed organization (USCA Nationals is GSD only) - Dobe, Rott Nationals - Malinois nationals also.  Plus HOT Nationals if you want to count that.

molly

I agree with Heidi that titles don't tell the whole story. My first three GSD's were rescues, and as we didn't have the Canadian equivalent of the ILP here in Canada until fairly recently, I COUDN'T title them.

Nevertheless...

My first GSD, Lili Marlene, rescued at the age of 5 had never walked on a leash before. Within a couple of months of bringing her home, we took part in a Novice level obedience fun match, and scored 175/200 points.

My next GSD rescue, Tasha,  loved to track. We did a beginner's and intermediate level tracking training course together, and she did extremely well at both. I was told I should compete with her, but that would have meant finding a vet in the States willing to sign a form so we could get the ILP, then competing in the States. Sorry, too much bother....

My current  male rescue, Ranger Aragorn,  had never walked on a leash before coming home with me. He'd spent his life on an 8 ft. chain. He is now trained as my Hearing Ear dog, and alerts me to the door, phone, smoke alarm alarm clock and kitchen timer. He also has public access training and does very well in restaurants, grocery stores, noisy streets with lots of traffic and crowds of people. He is NOT certified as Canada does not allow owner-trained dogs to be certified. I wanted to certify him under Assistance Dogs International, but since he has problems with dribbling urine, I decided it's not really worth the effort. Better to work on Star and get HER certified, if possible. We will be starting to work on this soon, as she has finally matured enough that I can trust her out of her crate during the night, except for playing with the papers in my office wastebasket. Yes, my bad. I should remember to remove the temptation. (I tried mousetraps. They didn't work. She chewed them up, afte triggering them!).

My female, Star of Hope,  is my first REGISTERED GSD. It took forever to get her registration sorted out, but I now have her CKC registration, and we are going in our first conformation show in April. I also plan to do agility and obedience, and MAY check out schutzhund, if her structure prevents her from placing in CKC shows. (Being a cross of German and American bloodlines, the judges may fault her for looking too German.)

Why am I not more enthusiastic about Schutzhund? First,  it is my understanding that a service dog must NOT have any sort of bitework training. If Canada ever allows owner-trained dogs to be certified, I'd be in trouble over that.

Secondly, the politics sound like a real turn-off. But I'll probably find the show ring is no different.

Third, there's no way this 54 year old bod could do an AD test with my dog! I'd have to hire someone.... 

Breeding German shepherds scince 1998. Hanna Vom Kuhnhof= CGC,CD, Therapy Dog. Dillan Vom Haus Iris=CGC, Therapy Dog. Jetta Von Derosia=CGC,CD,BH,AD. Aida Von Mausespitz=BH,AD,WH.  Jenta Von Der Gutten Haus. CGC,SAR,Therapy Dog. Josie Von Der Gutten Haus. PPD SAR Josies second litter produced 2 explosive Detection K9s,2 SAR Dogs. Jentas second litter produced, 3 SAR Dogs, 1 CGC,Therapy dog. My Mara produced 3 schutzhund dogs,2SAR dogs and 2 CGC CD dogs. and 1 police k9. Aida produced 5 schutzhund dogs, 4 SAR dogs, 5 Therapy Dogs.

Forgot to mention that my sister has been breeding GSD's, Siberians, Goldens, and (unfortunately) Bluepoint Siamese cats. Oddly enough, her Huskies had the best pedigrees, but most of the litters (and ultimately her bitch) wound up being destroyed by their owners or animal control because of their uncontrollable aggression toward farm animals and other canines. Her retrievers have been her best dogs, but she has stopped breeding them because most Michigan residents can no longer justify the asking price of a puppy with an expensive pedigree when the shelters are overflowing with well bred dogs of all breeds, particularly working dogs. Too bad she cannot breed them on her farm and drive the litter out to the northwest; she could get $800 to $1200 for those perky puppies around here!

"What have you accomplished with a leash in your hand?"

Better yet, what have you accomplished WITHOUT a leash in your hand? Agility training? Socializing a previously abused GSD to be compatible with other dogs/dog friendly humans? Educating your canine to the point that you can go anywhere with your companion by your right hand, and not worry about having to leash or muzzle them unless required by law, as they would rather be killed than leave your side? Enhanced the inherent empathy of black and tan canines, and give the dog to a health care organization, or give a dog to a physically disabled person as a personal assistant?

There are many things that a GSD has to offer beyond being a K-9, PPD, or a simple companion dog.