Schutzhund is a fun sport you can enjoy with your dog, but it requires a lot of training. Many beginners and advanced handlers would prefer to learn and train their dogs on their own. So you might wonder whether training a working dog yourself is possible and safe or not.
Can You Train Your Own Dog In Schutzhund/IGP?
You can learn and teach some parts of Schutzhund training alone. For example, you can train your dog for obedience training and tracking yourself. However, bite training and protection work requires a helper and a lot of knowledge. Joining a club should allow you to find the assistance you need for Schutzhund.
What Type Of Schutzhund Training Can You Do Yourself?
Schutzhund is a sport with 3 phases: Obedience, Tracking, and Protection. You can train your dog for two of those parts on your own. Obedience training and tracking don’t require any help from another person, but you still need proper knowledge and handling skills.
Obedience.
Teaching your dog basic commands and obedience skills is relatively easy. So practically anyone can do this type of work at home themself as long as they know how to do it. Obedience is essential for your dog to participate in IGP because he must listen to you and follow your commands.
A family pet doesn’t require the same type of obedience as a Schutzhund dog. First of all, most handlers use German commands for training in this canine sport. Then, it includes building drive, heeling, retrieving, and many specific exercises most dogs won’t need in everyday life.
This phase is all about control and communication. It will test your dog’s ability to focus on you and respond to your commands. Obedience is also necessary for the other parts of IGP, and it will help make training sessions more effective.
Tracking.
The second phase you can train your dog for yourself is tracking. It consists of following a footstep trail by scenting very close to the ground to indicate articles on the track. So you can do this type of work on your own if you know how to do it properly.
Less common and straightforward than obedience, tracking might take more time and knowledge on your part. But you can start to develop a food drive by feeding your pup on a scent pad. It’s a small area on the ground where you step and put flags around.
This exercise can build a good foundation to prepare your dog for tracking. Once your pup gets better and becomes more focused on finding the food, you can upgrade to small tracks. So you can learn and practice this necessary skill for Schutzhund at home without any help.
Can You Train Your Own Dog For Bite Work & Protection?
Training a dog in protection and bite work isn’t as easy as other parts of Schutzhund. You will need a helper because you can tell your dog to protect you from yourself. Thus, it’s not realistic to train a dog for the protection phase of Schutzhund without any assistant and trainer to help you do it the right way.
Even if you have the skills and experience to do bite work with your own dog, it’s probably not a good idea. During IGP trials, you want him to protect you from the helper that can’t be you. So you have to get your Schutzhund partner to work with other people than you.
A dog that competes in IGP needs to focus on the handler. However, he must also engage with others while still being under control. If you’re always the only one with the bite sleeve, you can’t expect your dog to do the same with a stranger.
Besides that, you should also make him understand the principle of protection. If you’re alone, you can’t really make your dog feel like you’re or he’s in danger. Thus, bite work might seem more like a big tug-of-war game for him than a way to protect you.
Foundation Work.
Although you shouldn’t do all of the protection training alone, you can still prepare your own dog for this type of work. For example, playing tug-of-war and working on a solid grip will set a good foundation.
Building drive and proper exercise can also prepare your dog for the protection phase. Then, you will need to find a trainer and a helper or join a club to do more advanced training. Bite work and many protection exercises require an assistant and a lot of knowledge and skills.
Can Anyone Train A Dog For Schutzhund & IGP?
Practically anyone can train a dog with the right temperament and physical traits to develop his obedience, tracking, and protection skills. As long as you have the proper resources and help, you can succeed. Besides knowledge and experience, Schutzhund training also requires time, effort, and money.
How To Train A Schutzhund Dog?
Once you have found the right pup and raised him, it’s time to train him for Schutzhund. You can start with basic obedience, learn German commands, and gradually improve from there. Then, you can introduce your dog to tracking as soon as possible. Finally, you have to train him for protection through bite work.
There are many ways to teach your dog all the skills he needs to compete in IGP. Some handlers use different training techniques than others. That’s why you should learn from as many different people and choose how you want to work with your dog.
Join A Schutzhund Club & Find A Trainer!
Finding a Schutzhund club and trainer that can help you get started should be your priority number one. Having a community of like-minded handlers to support you is one of the best things you can ask for as a beginner. So please do yourself the favor of joining an IGP club where you can train your dog.
Having a mentor and working with a professional trainer can also help. I know it can be fun and seem more effective to focus on your dog and train him alone. However, consider the following African proverb:
If you want to go fast, go alone;
If you want to go far, go together.
Last Thoughts About Training Your Own Schutzhund Dog!
Finally, you can train your dog for obedience and tracking yourself at home. But for protection and bite work, you will need a helper and a knowledgeable trainer to help you out. You can still do foundation training and preparation on your own to prepare your dog for this phase of Schutzhund.
If you plan to train your own dog for IGP, you should have some handling skills and experience. I’m sure anyone can prepare a dog for Schutzhund to a certain point. It will just take much more time and effort. You’re also less likely to do it the right way.
That’s why I highly recommend finding a club and trainer that can help you get started. Learning on your own isn’t as easy and fun as you might think. Proper guidance and support should allow you to progress faster and enjoy Schutzhund training even more.
Have Fun Working With Your Dog!