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Training and working a Hovawart
Training Hovawarts includes the thoughtful process of introducing them in a positive way to a broad range of experiences and stimuli, not just general obedience or teaching specific behaviours. It is also to do with the mental toolkit and attitude which you need in order to give your hovawart the best possible training, upbringing, socialisation and education. Training Hovawarts is not hard, though the results are directly proportionate to your attitude and the time and effort you give to training him.
Training is a way of improving the relationship you have with your Hovawart
It is a means of improving the bond between you, and of enabling him to be more sociable and to reach his full potential. It enables your hovawart to harmonise more easily with his immediate environment, and by training your hovawart you create opportunities to spend more time with him.
The strength and quality of the bond between Hovawart and owner are paramount. Build and improve bonds from the moment you bring your hovawart puppy home. Create a working partnership that structures his thinking and willingness to please, it is a cornerstone that enables your hovawart to learn quickly.
Training Hovawarts consists mainly of taking his natural behaviours and bending them to your advantage, so it is worth discovering what really motivates your Hovawart. Some are very enthusiastic or driven by toys or objects whilst others have more interest in food. A combination of food and toys or objects seems to be very successful, the food makes it easier to manipulate the dog into the position that you want without undue pressure, and the object as the reward to be played with. Motivational methods can be used for all training; choose to use food, or objects (toys) never compulsion.
The aristocratic Hovawart is balanced but also sensitive at the same time; base your training relationship on true partnership and your hovawart will respect you and your commands. His achievements will be both fascinating and rewarding. Conversely, he will react negatively and stop communicating with you if treated poorly, so give him the repsect his character demands.
A job for the dog
'Work' can be any form of regular activity which exercises both brain and body, and involves the owner doing things with their Hovawart. Obedience training combined with dog sports such as flyball or schutzhund training; dancing or agility training, and the different types of trials and shows, or tracking and scent work : all are excellent ways in which to stimulate and create 'work' for the energetic intrepid hovawart.
As a bare minimum any dog must have daily walks and be given toys, they need to be played with, and provided with human company. Good Hovawart breeders will quiz potential owners about their lifestyle and their experiences with other breeds of dog because with inappropriate care and upbringing, such as chaining them up, being left alone and ignored, Hovawarts can become bored, noisy, and even neurotic. They can become lethargic or exhibit destructive behaviour and attempt to escape. These "symptoms" should not be confused with separation anxiety.
One of the contemporary jobs to which the Hovawart is suited is Search and Rescue (SAR), since the training involved encompasses a broad spectrum of skills that the hovawart is very capable of carrying out. Given their "farmyard" history hovawarts can also be good sheepdogs; and some in the United Kingdom have even been 'trained to the gun' for retrieving purposes.
discover more about Search and Rescue.
Yet another skill or sport that Hovawarts enjoy is that of Clean Boot Hunting. This is a tracking sport, and although some countries only recognise bloodhounds, others actively encourage the participation of different breeds. In terms of "work" for the hovawart it provides excellent training and opportunities for the versatile hovawart to use his nose and skills.
discover more about Clean Boot Hunting.
The demand for a good temperament
The outstanding reputation of the Hovawart as a companion with defensive guarding abilities remains as valid today as it always has been. One of the most important criterion for determining the eligibility to breed is that each dog should pass a temperament or character test. Breeding only with hovawarts who have a sound temperament, and never from aggressive dogs is prerequisite. Most official hovawart clubs have and use temperament or character tests/assessments. In the past the demand for better working dogs led to the development of Schutzhund training, which has resulted in ever more sophisticated tests, training and titles; similarly the need for good trainers increased. discover more about the Hovawarts Instinctual Abilities, Drives and Temperament
Training methods
In the past some dog trainers worked on the premise (the bully tactic) that the dog will do as it is told or else. That sort of approach with any dog, is both cruel and pointless. The use of motivation and positive reinforcement is demonstrably far more successful and less stressful than regimes of force, coercion, submission, and yanking choke chains.
There is no doubt that some exercises can be taught quickly, whilst others require more time, patience and commitment. When training a Hovawart you must be self-disciplined, control your ego and emotions, it is your attitude that makes the difference between correction, discipline and punishment. React to your Hovawart's actions because you want to show him the right way to respond, never with anger.
Trainers often disagree with anothers methods, but they just have different opinions. Contemporary dog trainers no longer learn just “dog training methods”, they also study how learning works, resulting in a better understanding and more effective training. The modern dog trainer comes with not only with a "canine behaviour manual", but is armed with the knowledge of what motivates animals, including human beings learn and unlearn behaviours. Discover more about motivation and Rewards
Education and socilaisation of the Hovawart
Hovawarts are alert, faithful, trustworthy, extremely intelligent, fun loving, sometimes stubborn and the hovawart will make his own decisions. Therefore Hovawarts need to be educated or socialised, thoroughly. Socialisation includes introducing Hovawarts to other dogs, people, sensations and environmental experiences.
The guarding instincts of the hovawart should be managed and capitalized upon; extensive socialization and exposure to a variety of situations and stimuli from a young age is the most advantageous way. It helps him to learn and understand how each situation should be approached utilizing his intelligence to assure a measured response. It is paramount that the hovawart understands how you want him to make decisions and not rely on his own instincts alone.
For example, always greet a friend at the door, and do not allow the friend, or anyone else, to just walk in and surprise you both. Give the hovawart the message that this person is a friend through your actions and tone of voice, let him know he does not have to protect you from this person. The Hovawart is not an aggressive guard dog, he may simply put himself firmly between you and your friend defensively (you will know and recognise it if this should happen).
The correlation between their character and their name, guardians of the property or territory, even when not trained, and if necessary ready to take action sets the hovawart apart from most other breeds. They are able to evaluate a situation, and do not bark without reason. "Their way" of doing things highlights some of the hovawarts inherent traits: one day an electricity meter reader (yes it had to be , but this is a true account) decided to come through the rear entrance to our property instead of knocking on the front door, which was far easier to do in the first place. Anyway the first that we knew of a 'problem' was when we heard someone calling for help and a couple of deep serious sounding barks! The meter reader was standing backed up against the wall with one of our hovawarts in front of him. There was no biting, no lunatic barking frenzy, the dog had quietly intimidated the reader, and was ' holding' him there until we arrived to investigate; he had never received any training for this.
As can be seen, and from their history, the temperament and inbred guarding instincts of the hovawart predispose them towards defensive guarding behaviour without resorting to attack. They may appear to pay little attention to strangers on their territory when the owner is there, however they are aware and alert.
Towards strangers the hovawart is often reserved, but they are naturally bound to your family; he regards them as his pack therefore he will guard and defend them, and Hovawarts do not like their pack being separated. If you all go down to the woods for a walk and the family spreads out over a large area, the dog will probably start running from one person to another to ensure that everything is alright. Only being content when you are all get back together, his pack is complete again.
Hovawarts are slow to mature, but no special training is needed
The Hovawart matures very slowly, but they do not require any special training. They do need a thorough socialisation or education; the puppy and young dog are uncomplicated, they are very inquisitive and very social with people and other dogs. As they are slow to mature your approach to all training must be consistant and full of fun for the dog. Let them enjoy their youth concentrating on the basics of obedience, and possibly tracking for the first year of their life, and train only through willingness and play. Later you can begin with more specific and difficult training, but be very careful not to apply pressure to learn too early, keeping sessions short and positive. Learn more about Hovawart puppies
Slow maturation may be a disadvantage for competitive Schutzhund people. Do not expect a Hovawart to achieve a Schutzhund 3 title before 3 years of age for example, dependant upon the training intensity. Significantly, Hovawarts have the ability to compete in the sport of Schutzhund for a long period of time. In France for example some have successfully competed in Hovawart-Schutzhund championships at 6, 7 and 8 years of age. With tracking championships, an area in which the Hovawart really excells, Hovawarts of 8, 9 and 10 years old are not uncommon. They are also very capable Agility dogs and many have earned titles over the years. With a solid foundation of good dog training you can have a great deal of enjoyment with them in all dog sports.
Hovawart jumping and playing
A Hovawart's first time on the high walk obstacle
