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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 Three
Parts of a Schutzhund Trial
The tracking 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.
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 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.
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 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.
Schutzhund Around the World
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
Schutzhund Titles
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 1 the dog must be at least 18 months old and pass an
initial temperament test by the judge. The dog must heel on the leash and off,
demonstrate the walking sit, the walking down, and the stay tests, as well as
the send-out. It must retrieve on the flat and over a hurdle. In tracking, it
must be able to follow a track laid by its handler at least 20 minutes earlier.
There are also protection tests.
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.
The Value
to the Breed
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
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.
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 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.
The
Schutzhund-Trained Dog for Police Work
A dog that performs well in Schutzhund
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
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