Customer Reviews

Advanced Schutzhund (Howell reference books)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Too often in the dog sports we find ourselves looking for answers to training problems. There are many good books that give an overview of schutzhund, but not many that get down to the meat of things. I received my copy of this book just a few days before a trial and found myself thumbing through the book to find a solution to a pre-trial problem with my dogs Guard and Bark. Ivan and Karen's well thought out book, not only pointed out where my problem came from, but offered a solution. Not many fixes work that easy, but I walked away with a Sch II on my Malinois after the trial was over. Advanced Schutzhund will be in the equipment bag along with the sleeves and the dumbells from now on.

Training for Schutzhund has been an art passed on by club members. Most of the successful trainers in this sport are not as effective as teachers for the adult human. This book has bridged the gap providing effective communication to the handler on how to communicate effectively with the Schuthund dog.

The book was very informative, but I wouldn't suggest that a person without a strong working knowledge of training dogs reads this book untill they become more familar with dog training and the sport of Schutzhund.

Ivan's and Karen's book was extremely helpful and is a must have. It gives you some problem solving techniques and advices you how to approach most common problems. I especially liked the suggestions on overcoming distraction issues. The different methods described really teach you how to think like the animal, and use it's innate abilities to your advantage. In the end you get a wonderful, obedient world competitor that is happy to do everything you ask.

This book is well written and helps to explain a very complex subject. Ivan's methods are humane and help develope the dog's natural abilities based on the dog's drives. I found this book to be in the same catagory as Helmut Raiser's "Der Schutzhund(translated by Armin Winkler), Gottfried Dildei and Sheila Booth's "Schutzhund Obedience" and Sheila Booth's "Purely Positive Obedience". All three of these books are outstanding and should be a part of every Schutzhund trainer's library. "Advanced Schutzhund" adds the finishing touches to competition training.

This book will take you from buying and raising your first puppy to the trial field. Ivan's training methods work by making the dog work to please you and how to REALLY be your dog's bet friend. Better then 10 seminars. Douglas Loving, Chantilly, Va

In my opinion, this book will NOT take you from buying and raising your first puppy to the trial field. I believe, it assumes you have many basic training methods already in place, ie. how to train tracking. IT IS an Excellent ADVANCED Schutzhund book.

Reading fluency: 6/10
Content information: 10/10
Entry level requirement: 7/10

The book is not quite intended to take your green puppy up to the SCHH/IPO competition, but to fulfill your decently trained dog's potential. Ivan does cover some basic procedures, but only briefly, not enough to help you start from sratch. The main focus is on solving and avoiding problems and if you don't have the basis, you won't get the full scope of the book.

About the author (Balabanov): 10 consecutive years as IPO3 champion in USA AWMA/AWDF, FMBB world vice champion in 2000, FMBB and FCI world champion in 2007.

The book covers theoretical aspects of dog training: how dogs think, a small introduction to classical and operant conditioning and how to motivate the dog. These sections can greatly benefit everyone interested in getting along with their dog and they are very well written.
The main chapters are devoted to SCHH/IPO: how to select the right puppy, the regulations for each of the 3 SCHH3 tests, how to deal with some problems that may occur in each of these, how to get ready for the trial day.

Great book on working a dog using drives (mainly play, prey) and positive techniques. Much better than adversive schutzhund techniques. Lots here for the competative obedience person or anyone working a high-drive dog. Highly recommended.

If you want to plan to achieve a working Schutzhund/IPO title or not. This is one of the better books written on the subject.