This seminar will be to familiarize members with the critquing process. Our first official critique is planned for 1998 no official date has been set as of yet. I have been studying the process with an accomplished Schutzhund competitor. The next thing to do is practice. A critique is held in classes of age groups as follows: 6 - 9 months., 9 - 12 months., 12 - 18 months., 18 - 24 months., and an open class for both male & females over 24 months of age.

Each animal will be examined for the following features, starting with the head, after mentioning the type and size. The comments on the head will indicate how well it reflects the dogs sex, weak or strong. The bite, scissor or shot, over or under. Dentation, whether any teeth are missing. Pigmentation of the gums. Muzzle shape. Eye color. Ear carriage. Neck, shoulders, top line, croup. Tail appearence and length.

Testicles, present or not. Bottom line. Feet and toes, splayed or tight. Elbows, in or out. Bone strength.

The dogs will be presented to the judge, he will not touch the dog. You will not be allowed to stack the dog. (Position by hand) After the presentation of each class is complete, the judge will ask the whole class to demonstrate movement by running the dogs in a circle. The younger dogs will run a shorter time than the older dogs. Adults may be asked to run up to 20 minutes. CONDITIONING IS IMPORTANT!!!!

Double handling is permitted for the longer running times. All the judges comments on each dog will be recorded on seperate special forms suitable for framing. This form is for the record. It is the original and a copy will be retained for club records.

In most cases, the original will be presented to the owner unless there is no copy machine available. Otherwise they will be sent in the mail within 5 working days.

There will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd place ribbons for each class. A trophy will be earned for the first place in the open and best of show.

Critique will be judged by Mr. Tom Baswell President ATSD Licensed Show Judge & Breed Warden. A Professional k-9 instructor and An early pioneer of the American Tundra Shepherd Dog breed second only to Mr. Frank Catania in the number of years breeding the ATS

Over the years I have had ample opportunity to observe the behavior of puppies and adult ATSD's, as I have raised several to adulthood as well as producing or arranging several litters.

I have found that these experiences have helped me to have more insight into dog behavior, too. I feel that this has enhanced my abilities and given me an edge as a professional dog trainer.

My focus in this article will be on the proper methods to use in raisine an ATSD.

All the new knowledge of dog behavior makes it clear that a puppy is most susceptable to learning between the ages of six weeks to sixteen weeks. Not to suggest that they top learning at sixteen weeks, but that this period is important to the future development of the adult dog. If this period is put to good use, it will reflect on the behavior of the animal when he becomes an adult.

This means applying correct strategies at the correct time. First is PRESTRESSING, and I define this as handling the puppies at a very early age. This means for me that I'm there with the bitch when she gives birth. Not constantly, as I want her to have some privacy. I have found that they prefer it this way. Handling them to much at birth will only stress the bitch. Of course, you must have a good raport with her to even attempt this. Go slow, let her get use to this. After she has had alitter, the second is easier. She will be used to you helping. This will help you keep the mortality rate of your litters low, as a little help goes a long way.

Therefore your puppies are already used to being handled and will be easier to wean and begin orientating them to people. NEVER break up the litter until after the 7th week, or the puppies will have problems socializing with other dogs. Even so, he may exhibit dog aggression when older. An ATS male will always show signs of dominance when around other dogs. That's because they are! That doesn't mean that you can let him dog fight or act uncontrollable, nor does it mean that he will try to dominate the owner: mearly that you will have to curb this behavior through some strong compulsion.

This is easily accomplished if you are stronger than the dog in your determination to make him not pull on the leash. It also requires the right equipment. Even with the right equipment, you cant't make a hard enough correction if it is not properly adjusted. You will want a leash that you can get a good grip on. Let him make his display as long as he doesn't pull the lead. Then calm him down with quick reminders, using the training collar. Oddly, many people have commented on how well behaved these animals are when we get a group of them together. It's as if they recognize their own kind.

IMPRINTING simply means puppy training, but puppy training can be very technical and must be approached with care, even by so-called experts. I have three rules in mind when I work with my pups: "MAKE IT EASY", "LET THE PUPPY WIN", and "REWARD WITH FOOD". Remember that the puppy will try a little harder if he is hungry. If the puppy is not hungry, the food reward will not be as special to him. In the past, many dog trainers would argue that the dog should work for praise only. This is the objective for the adult dog, but not the way to train puppies. I believe it is critical to imprint ATS puppies for the type of skills you desire from him when he becomes an adult. If your approach is through positive motivation and inducement, his behavior will be built in as he grows.

The puppy's learning during the age of 6 weeks to 16 weeks, until he is about a year old, is to be motivated by fun. Therefor, it is during the puppy's most energetic time of the day that we teach him these skills through his play drive or instinct to play.

If you want him to retrieve, then his play drive is channeled into ball drive by putting emphasis on the game "chase the ball". You will notice that as soon as the ball stops moving, the puppy loses interest. The solution to this is to devise a way to make the ball move or seem to move of it's own accord. Do this by attaching a string to the ball so that you can add movement to it as needed.

You must not leave the ball lying around the house or anywhere else for the puppy to play with at will, as he will not regard it as anything special. The most important aspect of imprinting is to make it easy for the puppy to win his prey, the ball. The ball must be soft enough for him to grab and small enough to carry. Coax him to carry it, but do not take it away from him. When he drops it, that is your signal for the game to resume. I have used retieval as an example. These same priciples can be extended to other constructive behavior, also. It all depends on each puppy's aptitude for that skill. Tracking is another aspect that the ATS can exel at. Obedience is another. All training is really just an extension of obedience.

This method entails teaching the puppy that a food reward comes from the mouth, or appear to. For those that have a problem rewarding food from the mouth, you will have to hold the food beside your mouth with your hand. I just find it more efficient to reward directly from the mouth.

This is the best was to establish steady eye contact. Force will not work. You cannot force the puppy to meet your gaze and elicit the correct behavior and attitude. This procedure does not happen overnight. It should be practiced 3 to 5 times daily, even for just a few minutes at a time, for the better part of the puppy's first year. Even after the first year, eye contact must be reinforced on a frequent basis. You will be teaching the puppy ro "sit", "stand" and "down" on a stump while teaching the attention command. The French call the method "DOG ON A LOG". The puppy learns that he must watch your face to receive his reward. I know this sounds difficult and time consuming, but once you begin you will see that the results are worth the effort. If you take this information and apply it, you too will know your animals on a higher plane.

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