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Schutzhund Schutzhund is a German word meaning "protection dog". It refers to a sport that focuses on developing and evaluating those traits in dogs that make them more useful and happier companions to their owners. Schutzhund work concentrates on three parts. Many are familiar with the obedience work of the American Kennel Club's affiliates and will recognize the first two parts, tracking and obedience. The Schutzhund standards for the third part, protection work, are similar to those for dogs in police work. While dogs of other breeds are also actively involved in the sport of Schutzhund and often follow similar criteria for breeding purposes, this breed evaluation test was developed specifically for the German Shepherd Dog. Schutzhund is intended to demonstrate the dog's intelligence and utility. As a working trial, Schutzhund measures the dog's mental stability, endurance, structural efficiencies, ability to scent, willingness to work, courage, and trainability. This working dog sport offers an opportunity for dog owners to train their dog and compete with each other for recognition of both the handler's ability to train and the dog's ability to perform as required. It is a sport enjoyed by persons of varied professions, who join together in a camaraderie born of their common interest in working with their dogs. Persons of all ages and conditions of life even those with significant disabilities enjoy Schutzhund as a sport. Often, it is a family sport. The Three Parts of a Schutzhund Trial The tracking phase
includes a temperament test by the overseeing judge The
obedience phase includes a series of
heeling exercises, some of which are closely in and around a group of
people. During the heeling, there is a gun shot test to assure that the dog
does not openly react to such sharp noises. There is also a series of field
exercises in which the dog is commanded to sit, lie down, and stand while
the handler continues to move. From
The
protection phase tests the dog's courage,
physical strength, and agility. The handler's control of the dog is
absolutely essential. The exercises include a search The first Schutzhund
trial was held in Germany in 1901 to emphasize the correct working
temperament and ability in the German Shepherd breed. Originally, these dogs
were herding dogs, but the industrialization of Germany encouraged
The BH or companion dog title is a pre-requirement for Schutzhund titles. All breeds and sizes are eligible with the minimum age requirements of 15 months. There are three levels of
the Schutzhund test. For Schutzhund 2 the dog must be at least 19 months old and must already have earned its Schutzhund 1 degree. It must again pass all of the obedience and protection tests required for the Schutzhund 1 degree, but those tests, for Schutzhund 2, are made more difficult and require greater endurance, agility, and, above all, control. There is an additional retrieve required over the six foot slanted wall. In tracking, the Schutzhund II candidate must be able to follow a track laid by a stranger at least 30 minutes earlier. For Schutzhund 3, the master's degree, the dog must be at least 20 months old and must have earned both the Schutzhund 1 and the Schutzhund 2 titles. Again, the tests now are made far more difficult. All exercises in obedience and protection are demonstrated off leash. There is the addition of a walking and running stand. In tracking, the dog must follow a track that was laid by a stranger at least 60 minutes earlier. The track has four turns, compared with two turns for Schutzhund 1 and 2, and there are three objects, rather than two, that must be found by the dog. The picture of obedience, strength, eagerness, and confidence presented by an excellent Schutzhund 3 team is a beautiful illustration of the partnership of human and dog. In addition to the Schutzhund temperament tests, the United Schutzhund Clubs of America offer three training degrees: the FH 1 and FH 2, advanced tracking degrees; WH, or basic protection degree which includes basic obedience, and the AD which is an 12.5 mile endurance test and includes obedience. USA also offers six seperate obedience and tracking titles that reflect the routines for SchH 1, 2, & 3 levels. Any registered German
Shepherd that has earned a Schutzhund degree has demonstrated sufficient
ability as a working dog to qualify for breed evaluation. The breed
evaluation is a very detailed examination of the dog's structure,
temperament, and pedigree and requires both a certification of good hip
joints and What Is the Judge Looking for in the-Dog? At all three stages - Schutzhund 1,2, and 3 - each of the three phases: obedience, tracking, and protection, is worth 100 points, for a total of 300 points. If a dog does not receive a minimum of 70% - or if the dog fails the pretrial temperament test- it is not awarded a degree that day and must repeat the entire test, passing all phases of the test at a later trial. In every event, the judge is looking for an eager, concentrating, accurate working dog. High ratings and scores are given to the animal that displays a strong willingness and ability to work for its human handler. The Schutzhund-Trained Dog in the Home Since Schutzhund is the
demonstration of the German Shepherd dog's most desirable characteristics,
dogs well trained in Schutzhund are usually excellent
In addition to sound structural efficiencies for long, arduous work, the standard for the German Shepherd Dog calls for mental stability and a willingness to work. The dog should be approachable, quietly standing its ground, showing confidence and a willingness to meet overtures without itself necessarily making them. It should be generally calm, but eager and alert when the situation warrants. It should be fearless, but also good with children. The German Shepherd Dog should not be timid or react nervously to unusual sounds or sights. A dog that is overly aggressive because of its overall fears of people and events can be extremely dangerous. The Schutzhund sport is designed to identify and eliminate such dogs from breeding stock. Because Schutzhund training gives the owner a great deal of control over the dog, the owner is able to let the dog have more fun. Not only is Schutzhund training itself enjoyable for the dog, but the Schutzhund trained dog knows how to please its owners, creating a stronger bond between dog and owners. The Schutzhund-Trained Dog for Police Work A dog that performs well
in Schutzhund Choosing a Puppy for Schutzhund In every breed, the pedigree is the key to knowing the potential of the puppy. Schutzhund revolves around working lines with generations of dogs that have proven themselves and produced similar characteristics in their offspring. These characteristics include not only the physical structure of the dog, which is very important, but also its temperament. Selecting the bloodlines from which you want your puppy may require advice. Information from breed surveys can help. Of course, it makes sense to discuss your objectives with reputable and experienced Schutzhund handlers or enthusiasts. Once you have determined that the bloodlines of the potential dam and sire are of high quality, you should observe the parents, especially the mother, if that is at all possible. The dam will be the main influence on the young pup for the first six weeks of its life. If the dam is nervous or unsure, chances are this uncertainty will be transferred to the offspring. If you are able to see the litter, watch the puppies together and also separately, to try to determine which is the best puppy. Obvious structural defects or health problems should be watched for. It is important that the puppy have intense instinct to chase prey- a ball, a toy, etc- and also be the leader in the sense of be confident of the other puppies. The puppy should not show fear when away from its litter mates. It should not need to stay with the mother. The puppy should be adventurous and active, playing with objects shown to it by someone in the enclosure, but it should be independent enough to take that object and go off on its own as well. It is independence and confidence, combined with the positive contact with the pack leader (the dam, at this time) that will develop into the traits of trainability that you need. Raising a Puppy for Schutzhund Work Puppy hood is the most
critical period for the development of the characteristics you want to
encourage. Your local Schutzhund club can advise you about nurturing and It is imperative to avoid situations where your dog would be dominated by another, older or stronger dog, or by another puppy. You also want to avoid having to discipline or correct your puppy and thus dampen its spirit or damage its self-confidence. You can do this by never leaving the pup in a situation where it can cause damage to your valuables or find itself in a dangerous predicament. The final area of
development is that of drive encouragement. The natural behaviors that you
want to encourage are playing with the ball, tug of war, hide and seek,
pulling toys on a string, pursuing you rapidly when you run away, and
finally defending itself, its family, and its home. The latter really only
shows itself between the ages of nine and 18 months, as the pup begins to
mature, by barking at strangers or intruders. Acceptable manners at home
and in the car and "play" training, like learning to sit for a food reward,
with no corrections involved, is advisable. Real
Do Dogs enjoy Schutzhund Training? If trained in the right manner, dogs enjoy working, as anyone who attends a Schutzhund competition can see. The joy of the dogs in working with their handlers is evident. For thousands of years, dogs have adapted to serve humans in a mutually beneficial relationship. While dogs could move quickly, hunt prey, and protect flocks and their owner, the humans could provide food, shelter from the most severe elements, and protection from larger predators, besides tending to the dog's injuries. A dog's reason for being is to serve humans. Schutzhund training helps develop the dog's natural instincts to a high level. Self-confident dogs, doing work for which they are well trained, are happy dogs. Wagging tails, sounds of excitement, and strong pulling on a leash all show an observer at a Schutzhund trial how much fulfillment dogs find in this work. For More Info. On Schutzhund Go To United Schutzhund Club Of America Info. from Schutzhund USA web page |
of hiding places, finding a hidden person (acting as a decoy), and guarding
that decoy while the handler approaches. The dog is expected to pursue the
decoy when an escape is attempted and to hold the grip firmly. The decoy is
searched and transported to the judge with the handler and dog walking
behind and later at the decoy's right side. When the decoy attempts to
attack the handler, the dog is expected to stop the attack with a firm grip
and no hesitation. The final test of courage occurs when the decoy is asked
to come out of a hiding place by the dog's handler from the opposite end of
the trial field. The dog is sent after the decoy who is threatening the dog
with a stick and charging at the handler. All grips during the protection
phase are expected to be firmly placed on the padded sleeve and stopped on
command and/or when the decoy discontinues the fight. The protection tests
are intended to assure that the dog possesses the proper temperament for
breeding.
breeders
to promote the use of their dogs as police and military dogs. The Verein fur
Deutsche Schaferhunde (SV), the parent club, became concerned that this
would lead to careless breeding and undesirable traits such as mental
instability, so it developed the Schutzhund test. Since then, many other
countries and working dog organizations have also adopted Schutzhund as a
sport and a test of working performance in dogs. International rules have
been established, and they are administered by the Verein fur Deutsche
Hundesport (VDH). 
sufficient performance on an endurance test (the AD). Dogs that do well in
the breed evaluation receive a Koerklasse I or Koerklasse II. This is a
recommendation and evaluation by a trained and recognized expert judge as to
the worthiness of the dog for breeding. Dogs rated Koerkiass II are
"suitable for breeding" and dogs rated Koerklasse I are "recommended for
breeding." By thus screening dogs in order to select the suitable specimens
for breeding, Schutzhund helps to maintain the quality of the breed at a
very high level. Thus, there is a very high level of assurance that puppies
born to Schutzhund dams and sired by Schutzhund dogs are more likely to be
of reliable temperament, high intelligence, steady nerves, extreme
endurance, great strength, and sound structure.
companions
in the home. The German Shepherd Dog - like any; other working dog that
possesses mental stability-has trust and confidence in itself, allowing it
to be at peace with its surroundings.
work is
obviously a very good candidate for police work. Police dogs, like other
service dogs, must have temperaments with a good foundation of intelligence
and utility. A minimal amount of additional training makes many well-trained
Schutzhund dogs ready for active police duty. Such fearless police dogs can
also work around children and in crowds without worry on the part of their
handlers.
socializing your growing puppy. A puppy learns from its experiences, so you
want to provide only positive ones. It should be provided with opportunity
to explore and investigate new situations and new people, but always in a
non-threatening way. Remember that your goal is to build confidence in the
young animal. Your aim is not to dominate or oppress the young pup.
Exposure to different environments is crucial to the general education of
the dog and also to assure it that the world is a safe place. If something
appears to make the dog unsure, give it the opportunity to investigate it
slowly, but do not force the issue.
obedience work can begin once
the puppy is more mature. It is better to leave for later formal obedience
training with a young dog. The character of the puppy is not sufficiently
strong to withstand the stress that may be involved in obedience training.