Schutzund
Training Equipment Guide Not sure what you need to train for schutzhund? Here are the essenstials that we use here at Starke Pfoten. |
Obedience |
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Obedience Leash: Tab Leash: A short 1-3' light leash. This is used for "polishing" up obedience and is used so the dog thinks it is not on a leash.  Long Line: Very often used is a lightweight
line 20-50' for obedience work, to reinforce recalls,
retrieves, long downs, and anything else that might
require distance from the dog.Drag Leash: A short 3-5'' light leash. A drag leash is a light weight leash that is designed to be let the dog drag a leash so you can quickly grab the line to either control the dog or to give a correction. A drag line should not have a loop handle. Prong Collar/Pinch: The prong collar is a great training tool  ,
allowing the handler to use minimal force to get the desired
correction. The prongs
on the collar do not press into the dogs neck, but
rather pinch together, mimicking a mother dog's correcting
nips on her pups. Choke Chain: We DO NOT recommend the use of choke chain collars. They are known to produce trachea problems due to the way pressure is applied to the neck when a correction is given. We recommend the use of a prong collar if more control is needed. |
TOYS! We
highly recommend the use
of toys, balls, and tugs in the training of your dog.
Most of our work is done with the ball on a string and tug toys.
Toys and tugs are used to help motivate and maintain
an energetic and willing partner. 
There
are many variety of toys and tugs and you will have to experiment
a bit to find what works
best
for you and your dog. 
We
use small cut up hot dogs as the basis of our training
treats. Find out what your
dog likes and will work for. His kibble,
hot dogs, cheese, etc. Once you know what they LOVE,
they will
really want to work for it and earn their "paycheck" from
you. 
Clicker: Using
the Triple Crown Clicker is an easy and fun way
to shape and reward positive behaviors in your
dog. It is based on the scientific principles of
Classical conditioning and Operant conditioning,
and its ergonomic design makes it comfortable to
use. For more information on how to use the Triple
Crown Clicker, read their step-by-step 
Fur
Saver: A fur saver is usually one of the first
items obtained by a schutzhund enthusiast and is the only
collar allowed in trials. It is a large link clip collar and can
be used
on the live or dead ring. We normally use the dead
ring with our dogs. If corrections are needed the pinch collar
works better.
A
short 4-6' light leash, sometimes referred as a "belt leash." It
is thin enough you can double up in your hand with easy and
makes it more manageable. We recommend a leather leash as it
is the most comfortable on your hands and you do not get rope
burn. This is the leash that gets used the most. Tracking Equipment For more information on how to start tracking visit the following website. www.schutzhundtracking.com |
Tracking
Bait: |
Tracking Harness: |
Tracking
Line: When starting out you can
use a 6' leash, but as you and your dog progress you will
need to start be further back from your dog. There are a
variety of 33' (10meter) regulation tracking lines. I like
the Biothane 1/4" line as it is lightweight and doesn't snag
and is waterproof.
We use the "Bottcher
harness" for tracking. The harness attaches to the dead ring
of the fursaver with a snap, and runs under the belly of
the dog. A second strap wraps around the midsection of the
dog and your tracking line clips to that strap under the
belly. When pulling hard into the track, the harness creates
a downward pressure on the neck, helping keep the dog's nose
deep into the track. 
Articles: Having practice articles of
various materials such as leather, wood, carpet, and fabric. Typically
leather, wood, and carpet are used at trials,
but as you advance you need to prepare for all kinds of
articles. They should be no larger than 4 inches long,
1 1/2 inches wide, and 1/2 inch thick.Protection |
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methods,
your dog will spend a lot of time pulling very hard into the collar/harness.
Some trainers recommend
a 2 inch wide leather agitation collar, and others recommend an
agitation harness which places no restrictions on the neck. We
prefer the harness for most drive work because there is no pressure
on
the neck, so they can bark freely.Dog Equipment Suppliers This is where we buy our training equipment from. |
