Schutzhund

What is Schutzhund?

Schutzhund literally translated means “protection dog” or “shield dog”.
Through common usage in the United States, Schutzhund has come to mean the activities or trials leading to the title of Schutzhund, to designate a titled working dog. although schutzhund is a dog sport, it is first and foremost a breeding requisite.Titling a dog offers proof of a high degree of intelligence, physical prowess, lack of physical defects, and the possession of a very even temperament. The very least of which, the dog demonstrates conclusively that they are not people or dog aggressive. The dogs also demonstrate that they possess the highest desirable characteristics of a German Shepherd.

The Johann Platt Schafferhund Verein (verein, incidentally, means club) is an affiliated USA club. USA in this case stands for United Schutzhund Clubs of America. This organization is primarily a German Shepherd Dog organization, but many members have other breeds as well; and they trial and title these other breeds at USA events. As an affiliated USA club, we work under VDH rules. The titles we may award, Schutzhund, German Shepherd Dog breed surveys, and conformation rankings are recognized internationally through the Verein fur Deutsh Schaferhunde (SV) of Germany and the World Union of German Shepherd Dog Clubs (WUSV).

What does Schutzhund involve? It is in effect a triathlon for the dog and handler, for much physical and mental stress is placed on both dog and handler. The first phase involves tracking; the tracks (simply a person walking one of several designated patterns) vary in length depending on the title sought. The person who lays, or walks the track will also drop several articles, pieces of wood, plastic, leather, cloth, or metal. This track, once laid, must age from 20 minutes to an hour for Schutzhund tracks. For more advanced tracking titles, i.e. FH, they must age even longer. Once the proper amount of time elapses, the handler, dog, and judge report to the start of the track. For Schutzhund I dogs both the handler and judge know where the track actually is; for all other titles only the judge knows where the track is.

The handler brings his dog to the start of the track and gives the command such, or seek. The dog must follow the track with his nose in a very precise manner. Very often the track goes over uneven rough terrain, tacking from two to four turns. The dog must never be distracted or raise his head while tracking. Once he comes upon an article, he must indicate it in one of several ways. The most typical way is to lay down, straight on the track with the article between his two front legs. The track continues in this fashion until the dog indicates the last article.

The second phase involves obedience. There are several routines the dog and handler must complete satisfactorily. The first for Schutzhund I and II dogs is heeling on leash, then heeling through a group on lead, heeling off lead through a group, heeling off lead, sit out of motion, down out of motion with a recall. Schutzhund III dogs complete only the heeling exercises off lead, but have added a standing stay and a running stay with recall. All Schutzhund dogs must complete a retrieve on the flat and a retrieve over a meter hurdle. Schutzhund II and III’s must also retrieve over a wall. The final exercise for all dogs is the voraus, or send away. These exercises demonstrate the dog’s ability to work with the handler and to remain totally under control.

The third phase is protection. This also follows a definite pattern with district requirements. The dog is not allowed to bite except when the handler is attacked and then when the helper is subdued the dog must release the bite and resort to protecting the handler. Most of this routine is obedience rather than biting. The dog demonstrates a clear head and again the ability to work with the handler, always under control. This phase also demonstrates a dog’s courage, an important trait of German Shepherds.