Our Protection Helpers

There are two roles which a protection helper has. The first and easiest is that of Trial Helper. The trial helper is the person who performs specified tasks during a trial which will test your dog’s ability and courage. The trial helper must act consistently and fairly so that the judge can properly evaluate your dog. The trial helper must follow the trial rules. The second role is that of Training Helper. While Tracking and Obedience training can be done alone with your dog, Protection Work, at a minimum, requires one other person, the helper. The quality of your Training Helper can make or break your dog. Starting with the young dog, it is the Training Helper’s job to educate both the dog and the handler. He must read the dog’s personality and build its drives. The dog must learn not merely to bite, but how to bite: how to target, how to grip, to reattack and how to master itself and release the helper when required. This may all sound easy but it is an art form requiring many years study and a feeling for dogs.

 

Ray Silvertrust Our founder and training director, brings many years of experience to the job of helper. He has studied helper work with some of the most famous teachers in Germany, Austria and the United States. Over the years, he has served as Training Director and Chief Helper in a number of other schutzhund clubs where he taught new helpers the art of protection training. He has trained many dogs, including his own, to SchH III in Protection Work. Ray specializes as a Training Helper & has been recognized as an expert in bringing young & problem dogs to their full potential. He passed the rigorous examination held by the GSDCA-WDA and is a Certified Club Helper

Skyler Silvertrust In 2003, Skyler passed the rigorous certification examination held by the GSDCA-WDA after only two years of studying with his father. Called a “natural” by one of Germany’s leading experts, Skyler was the youngest person to become a certified helper in America. With considerable trial experience under his belt, in the past few years, he has also become a fine training helper.