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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 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 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).
The tracki
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
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 of hiding p
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 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 Koerklasse 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.
Since Schutzhund is the demonstration of the German Shepherd dog's most desirable characteristics, dogs well trained in Schutzhund are usually excellent 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. 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.
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.
The United Schutzhund Clubs of America (USA) provides training instruction and licensing for its member clubs which work under VDH rules, and whose awarded Schutzhund titles and German Shepherd Dog breed surveys and conformation rankings are internationally recognized through the Verein fur Deutsche Schaferhunde (SV) of Germany and the World Union of German Shepherd Dog Clubs (WUSV). USA is a founding member of the American Working Dog Federation (AWDF). USA is a member of the World Union of German Shepherd Dog Clubs and sends a team to the World Championship each year. USA sanctions club trials, police dog trials, herding trials, endurance tests, conformation shows, breed surveys, regional championships and five national championship trials each year. In 1970 the first Schutzhund trial in the U.S. was held in California, currently USA supports over 200 full member clubs, with 14 affiliated clubs in 11 regions across the United States. During the 2001 trial season USA member clubs conducted 260 trials, 45 conformation shows and 190 individual Breed Surveys. USA is responsible for scheduling visits from foreign judges and administers its own judges program. The USA Judges program currently has licensed 18 Performance Judges, 2 Conformation Judges and one Breed Survey Judge with 8 apprenticeships in process. USA maintains a Breed Registry and programs, such as litter, individual and kennel registrations, breed wardens and tattooers, Breeders cup and Universal Sieger awards for German Shepherd Dogs that are monitored by the Breed Advisory Committee and consists of the National Breed Warden and 11 Regional Breed Wardens. For More
Information About Schutzhund
Web design By Smedley |
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phase includes a temperament test by the overseeing judge to
assure the dog's mental soundness. When approached closely on a
loose leash, the dog should not act shyly or aggressively. The
track is laid earlier by a person walking normally on a natural
surface such as dirt or grass. The track includes a number of
turns and a number of small, man made objects left by this
person on the track itself. At the end of a 33 foot leash, the
handler follows the dog, which is expected to scent the track
and indicate the location of the objects, usually by lying down
with it between its front paws. The tracking phase is intended
to test the dog's trainability and ability to scent, as well as
its mental and physical endurance.
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 these various positions, the dog is recalled to the
handler. With dumbbells of various weights, the dog is required
to retrieve on a flat surface, over a one-meter hurdle, and over
a six-foot slanted wall. The dog is also asked to run in a
straight direction from its handler on command and lie down on a
second command. Finally, each dog is expected to stay in a lying
down position away from its handler, despite distractions, at
the other end of the obedience field, while another dog
completes the above exercises. All of the obedience exercises
are tests of the dog's temperament, structural efficiencies,
and, very importantly, its willingness to serve its owner.
laces,
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.