German Shepherds Australasia

German Shepherds Australasia A community of breeders, trainers and German Shepherd owners in Australia and New Zealand.

IGP is more than a sport; itโ€™s a foundation for responsible dog ownership that fosters a deep, rewarding bond with your ...
12/11/2024

IGP is more than a sport; itโ€™s a foundation for responsible dog ownership that fosters a deep, rewarding bond with your dog. Internationally recognized dog sports photographer Brian Aghajani shares his journey from a frustrated pet owner struggling with an unruly young dog to a national championship competitor, inspired by the balanced, joyful partnership he achieved through IGP. IGP transforms the human-dog relationship, offering structured training, clear communication, and a shared purposeโ€”key elements that are essential for both effective training and responsible dog ownership.

First Impression Can Be Lasting

My first experience with owning a German Shepherd was 25 years ago and did not start out well. By the time he was a year old he had started to become a menace and by the time he was 18-months it was a serious problem and had me seeking help. He had grown into a menace in the hands of an inexperienced and uneducated handler (Me). I found a trainer who specialized in aggressive dogs and I began my journey to finding a way to make it possible to take him out in public and not be a liability.

One day I stayed late training and a group of 'Schutzhund' trainers arrived to train. I didn't know what they were doing at first as they warmed up and figured they were going to play fetch or some other dog park type games. My world was about to be rocked.

I witnessed IGP obedience for the first time and was blown away. The contrast of my situation with what they were performing changed my outlook. I had only ever owned pets and did some pet store training. I immediately wanted to be part of this world. I wanted a relationship with my 'difficult dog' like what they had. They had powerful dogs but in control. The dogs also were obviously having fun. It was beautiful to see. This is what I envisioned owning a German Shepherd to be. That day awakened something. The journey began and we went on to earn a SchH3 title with my 'difficult dog' which was the IGP3 equivalent of the time.

One of the IGP handlers on the field that day was Terry Macias. He would later become a big influence in my IGP journey. I attribute my participation in a number of national championships as a competitor to Terry. He would organize the club and push for commitment. He organized and planned everything. He was also a historian of sorts, making a point that the club understood the important role those before us played in the sport.

At the 2024 United Schutzhund Clubs of America GSD National Championship I had the pleasure of photographing Terry and his current competition dog, Seiko vom Kretzschauer Land.

I wonder if I had not happened to stay late if my love of dog sport would have ever been awakened. I was not having fun with my dog, I was struggling. Through IGP my dog and I found balance. Soon working dogs became a core part of my life in every way, from living with them as family companions, to 3-phase IGP training, to focusing my other love of photography to be exclusive to dog sports. There is not a day that sport dogs do not play a part of my life.

I'm glad I stayed late that day. Life would never be the same.

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11/11/2024

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It is uncommon to see a show line GSD at a national IGP event.
There has been much written about the differences that have evolved between show and working GSD lines over the last half century. Louis Donald has an excellent book called The Definitive German Shepherd Dog that discusses the differences in detail and a recommended read for any serious GSD enthusiast.

There are show line breeders whose lines remain committed to excelling in working ability. Rebecca Buchman is one such breeder. She had the only showline dog competing at the 2024 United Schutzhund Clubs of America GSD National Championship. Her dog Loki aus Gerstbrei is Breeder-Handler-Owner-Trained and earned a solid protection score with 85 points, which outscored roughly half the field of working line GSDs. I was in the helper tent after their performance and heard both helpers comment on how impressed they were with this dog.

This was not a one-off performance. Rebecca previously competed with Loki's Grandmother at the 2015 GSDCA IGP National Championship.

Hiperion Arden joined the German Shepherd Dog Club of Queenslandโ€™s 13 Club upon his 13th birthday on October 31st. The g...
08/11/2024

Hiperion Arden joined the German Shepherd Dog Club of Queenslandโ€™s 13 Club upon his 13th birthday on October 31st. The grand old man is well loved & still going strong. โค๏ธ๐Ÿพ๐Ÿพ

02/11/2024

IGP Dogsport training differs from attack dog training in that it prioritises non-aggression towards humans. This video illustrates the effectiveness of IGP training by showing a dog that does not continue engaging with the person after winning the sleeve as a reward. IGP is simply an elaborate tug game for dogs.

We are calling on everyone to complete this survey ๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿ‘‰ https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5GGWVWJ โœ… Show Dog Enthusiastsโœ… Dog...
01/11/2024

We are calling on everyone to complete this survey ๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿ‘‰ https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5GGWVWJ

โœ… Show Dog Enthusiasts
โœ… Dog Sport Competitors
โœ… Dog Breeders
โœ… Pet Dog Owners
โœ… Dog trainers
โœ… Even if you donโ€™t own a dog! We are looking at you cat ๐Ÿˆโ€โฌ› owners. ๐Ÿ˜‚

It is completely anonymous, will only take 2 minutes to complete & there are no right or wrong answers.

๐Ÿ‘‰ Once completed, please share amongst friends & family.

We are keen to hear your thoughts about the perceptions of IGP dog sport in Australia.

Use It or Lose It?

This survey aims to gather insights on the future of dogsport in Australia. With just 10 questions, your input is quick, easy, and completely anonymous.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5GGWVWJ

Congratulations to all handlers and dogs! And well done Phil Triantafillou on your first judging engagement.
29/10/2024

Congratulations to all handlers and dogs! And well done Phil Triantafillou on your first judging engagement.

27/10/2024
Congratulations to all handlers & dogs
27/10/2024

Congratulations to all handlers & dogs

Please take some time today to assist with this research. Link below to the survey.
27/10/2024

Please take some time today to assist with this research. Link below to the survey.

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

Congratulations to Matt & Schutzshep Galaxy (Jag) on achieving their IGP2 title this weekend.
20/10/2024

Congratulations to Matt & Schutzshep Galaxy (Jag) on achieving their IGP2 title this weekend.

Congratulations to all handlers and dogs this weekend! ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŽ‰
20/10/2024

Congratulations to all handlers and dogs this weekend! ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŽ‰

Final scores are in!!!
We had an amazing trial, with some remarkable dogs and handlers showing up to do their best. ๐Ÿคฉ

Massive congratulations to everyone who achieved a new level today, and most of all, well done to EVERYONE for getting out on that field. ๐Ÿฅณ๐Ÿ˜Žโญ๏ธ

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PO Box 601
Redbank Plains, QLD
4301

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