Everyone hit the nail on the head. Working dogs in protection is an art that is learned primarily through hands on experience through a mentor. I read lots of stuff and watch videos from many different trainers using different schools of thought. One thing I have come to realize is when reading techniques and methods they make perfect sense. The problem is making them make perfect sense to the dog your working with. The person I am working with was mentored through an older gentleman in a prior club that has sense dis-banded. Though he still stays up to date on all things dog, not only in bite sports but in all realms of dog sports. He tells me dog training is an ever evolving thing and to think you don't need to gain more experience is Novice and arrogant. (this is not directed at anyone just something he told me)
The next thing is to be one of the greats in working dogs in protection sports, you need to see things from both sides of the sleeve. You need to understand what is happening or needs to happen from the helpers point of view as well as the handlers point of view.
You have to realize the different types of helpers, you have trial helpers, you have training helpers, you have helpers who can be both, and you have helpers who can train other helpers. At this point my main focus is as a training helper, due to the fact me and my mentor are the only ones working dogs at this point and my goal is getting our club off the ground. Though he does point out the differences in my actions if I were to have done that exercise at a trial.
Another thing is that an inexperience helper can hurt a dog both physically and mentally. I did most of my stuff initially on a retired SchI GSD. She actually taught me how to be a helper in the beginning. She knew what was expected of her, and did exactly that. I now am working with dogs who have had a fair amount of training already. I do have one dog I have been allowed to start from the beginning with and it is such a joy. My mentor will not allow me to work with a dog who has any issues that need to be worked out, at this point he is at my side telling me what I need to do. He gives me the direction i need to go, and tells me why I am doing whatever i am doing. Point being people will often be very reluctant to let a novice helper work their dogs.
I'm not sure what type of schooling your going to for dog training but I have to ask how much of it is hands on with a dog. Books and videos are great tools but far from coming close to working with dogs. Even working with ones own dog is nothing close to being enough. I learned this when I started working with the dogs in rescue, boy did I have alot to learn about motivating dogs of different temperments and drives. Club dogs are easy to work with they want to work.
You need to find a club to work with. You might start off with an obedience club to gain experience working with dogs of different breeds/drives/temperment. I can honestly say you its not a common occurence for an experienced protection trainer to ask you to come train with them.
I was very fortunate that i hooked up with my mentor through his obedience classes, and from their forged a solid relationship with him through the months of doing my dogs obedience. He noticed my eagerness to learn and how seriously i took training my dog. We grew in our relationship and he has become one of my best friends. I was also fortunate he was in the process of trying to get a club going. I look forward to the things to come for us and our club.
Dog training is a very hard niche to fit into and be successful, though success is a broad term depending on the individual. My mentor by profession is a dog obedience trainer. He has no formal training, he has tons of hands on experience working with dogs. Aside from training you have to think to, will this be a career or a hobby. By you going to school for it I'm assuming it is to be your profession. Going with the thought it will be a profession, that brings on much more. You have to run a business as well as train dogs. People skills are just as important to a professional dog trainer as is the actual dog training ability.
Sorry for the novel but I am very enthusiastic about dog training, learning more, helping others, the dogs, and the bonds and relationships I have built through these things. It can be a very rewarding thing but it is not something that happens fast. It is a lifelong learning experience. None of the greats of dog training learned it from school, or a book, or a video, or working with a particular dog, or breed. It is all of them combined with time and experience that make them great dog trainers.
Good luck with your pursuit I hope the best for you!
ETA: spelling is Schutzhund*
