[Sam1491]

Hey all, I am sort of new to the forum so bear with me. This will probably be long.
But anyways, I have a 18 month old red girl and am interested in doing some bitework, not the full schtuzhund training,
(she would be a good tracker but its not anything I have time or interest in)

She has some issues she is going through currently
(Long story short she was a return after a week and a half to my breeder/boss for "lack of time", who was a confident top pick pup when she left and afraid of men and unsure of strangers after, and became a failed foster in my home)

She has made leaps and bounds
(Now sits in my dads lap and knows "watch me" perfectly, as well as "thats enough")
and is wonderful at tugging and giving me full bites on ropes and the sleeve we have at work. She just loves to get the sleeve, and i think that getting her into the bitework would give her that on/off switch of sorts to understand there is a time and place to react as well as a bit more confidence in herself again.
So anyways I have been trying to find some decent bitework/schutzhund trainers in my area of Southeast wiscosin. I have looked at Topps kennel (the breeder used to work with luis a lot but has moved to agility in the past few years) and Global K-9 in illinois but wonder if there is something a little closer or if anyone knows hos good the trainers there are, and i also hear there is a trainer in Cedar grove,WI but havent been able to find anything in google searches.
Thanks for any and all the help!! :thanx:

 

[workingk9s]

Not too many SchH clubs will let you just train in bitework with out the others. Sorry.

 

[Sam1491]

Thanks, i was worried I would have that problem with clubs which is why I was looking more at specific trainers. Thank you though, I will definately keep that in mind in my search.

 

[Sinister]

My club would probably let you toy with just bite work - alas, I'm in Virginia.

 

[Sam1491]

Thats life aint it, thankfully I have time since I don't plan to start till spring. As of now I am most likely going to be training with Luis, it will be a decent chunk of change and take an hour and a half each way to do a one our lesson :darn: but, well I hear he is very good, so far he's the closest, and she loves the sleeve so much that she deserves to go have the chance. We'll just have to see how it plays out, and maybe someone else on hear will post and know someone a little closer.

 

[Tperkins]

Just curious as to what draws you to want to do just the bite work?

You said she would be a good tracker but don't have the time. All levels of training take a descent time commitment, especially Bite work. All levels of the sport will build confidence in a dog.

 

[Sam1491]

Just curious as to what draws you to want to do just the bite work?

You said she would be a good tracker but don't have the time. All levels of training take a descent time commitment, especially Bite work. All levels of the sport will build confidence in a dog.

Well the tracking is mostly just that it isn't anything I have interest in, simple searches in the yard or the house I dont mind and am actually doing now, but laying a long track, letting it rest and all it entails is just not anything I want to do. I do understand that bite work will take a time commitment as well, but I am also more drawn to it, as well as it is something she shows the raw potential for as I was told by her breeder. She takes nice full bites on ropes and the sleeve, and really loves to just get at it. I like it because of the ability and control it shows that both me and the dog have.
Sorry it was so long, but mostly it is easier to put the effort into the time commitment on something like agility and bite work because it interests me, if I'm not interested it makes it much harder to put the effort in to spend the time.

 

[Tperkins]

I was just curious, you seem thoughtful in your reasoning. I just see on a weekly basis people wanting to do bite work, and nothing more. Anytime you break out a sleeve with a dog people want you to teach them how to make a dog bite. Thus why many clubs frown on picking and choosing what area you train in. Just as an end note. There can not be a good dog in protection with out it being a great dog in obedience first. You make a good point about not wanting to put the time into a sport unless you have a great interest in. Good luck in your search for a training home!

 

[Sam1491]

I was just curious, you seem thoughtful in your reasoning. I just see on a weekly basis people wanting to do bite work, and nothing more. Anytime you break out a sleeve with a dog people want you to teach them how to make a dog bite. Thus why many clubs frown on picking and choosing what area you train in. Just as an end note. There can not be a good dog in protection with out it being a great dog in obedience first. You make a good point about not wanting to put the time into a sport unless you have a great interest in. Good luck in your search for a training home!

Yes exactly, I am glad you understand my reasoning, it is definately the control i would get from the training not that "i want her to bite". And obedience is our first priority, she is almost 100% where I want her, it is just the off leash recall/heel when outside that is giving us trouble. :thanx:

 

[sonterra2002]

I know Mark Keating is in Wisconsin (Red Star Kennel) and he is fabulous! There is also Rogue Ringsport (Lisa Geller) somewhere in WI. My friend Maureen trains in the twin cities area which I know is MN. I also believe that Leerburg in in WI, and Cindy Rhodes is a very knowledgable trainer. Lots of mondio in WI and a splash of french ring, which absolves you of the tracking aspect. In mondio you can also do obedience only titles.

You can look on the USMRA website (us mondio ring association), or the NARA site (north american ringsport association) to find clubs in your area.

 

[Sam1491]

I know Mark Keating is in Wisconsin (Red Star Kennel) and he is fabulous! There is also Rogue Ringsport (Lisa Geller) somewhere in WI. My friend Maureen trains in the twin cities area which I know is MN. I also believe that Leerburg in in WI, and Cindy Rhodes is a very knowledgable trainer. Lots of mondio in WI and a splash of french ring, which absolves you of the tracking aspect. In mondio you can also do obedience only titles.

You can look on the USMRA website (us mondio ring association), or the NARA site (north american ringsport association) to find clubs in your area.

Thank you! I will definately look into those names and see what the driving distance and such are. I have not heard of those two sports but will take a look for sure! I thought without wanting to track I would be stuck doing just training and never be able to show her off in the working field besides akc ob and agility so they sound terrific already! :thanx:

 

[Sam1491]

Just looked at all the names and as amazing as they all seem they are all 3-5 times the hour to hour and half drive that tops or global k-9 would be =( Side note is that i'll keep it in mind for the future and the next dog and perhaps things will work out better, mabel sort of fell in my lap so this is all new and proving not as easy to find a trainer as agility thats for sure! The quest continues!

 

[Rosamburg]

Good luck. As far as tracking when I started in Schutzhund, I dreaded the idea of tracking. I now actually really enjoy it. Many people in Schutzhund had this same experience. Dr. Gabi Hoffman who is a member of my club, could not stand tracking when she was new to the sport. She is now a world class tracking handler and it is her favorite phase. She averaged something like 98 in the last the last 3 Canadian Championships, and we are talking about some pretty tough conditions. I think she even got V scores at the world championships. If you have a good trainer and get good direction you might be surprised at how enjoyable it can be.

To be honest I don't age my tracks that much most of the time, except for when we were close to trialing, and with my last dog we never failed a tracking phase. That was 11 trials.

Either way good luck in your search, whatever endeavor you end up in.