Schutzhund training began when, in 1903, recognizing the detrimental effects of breeding for fashion and what Max von Stephanitz (the father of the German Shepherd Dog) called “kennel breeding”, the verein fur Deutsche Schaferhund (SV) drew up a scheme of tests to evaluate the breeding program of it’s imerging yet beloved German Shepherd Dog. These tests or efficiency trials were known as “Der Schaferhund als Diensthund” (The German Shepherd Dog as service dog) and also were used to prove the breed’s value to the police and military. Over time, “Diensthund” (Police Dog) evolved into the broader “Schutzhund” (Protection Dog) – a sport enjoyed worldwide today.
The Schutzhund trial is a series of complex tests originally designed to make inappropriate breeding less rewarding. Each dog must prove he or she is of sound mind and body – an animal worthy of being bred. A breeder that cannot produce dogs of the caliber necessary to pass should be discouraged from breeding altogether. In addition, the considerable time and effort spent training and conditioning the dog develops a greater understanding of the physical and mental attributes required of the breed, and further promotes good breeding practices.
In his book von Stephanitz wrote: ‘the breeding of shepherd dogs is the breeding of working dogs; and this must always be the aim or we shall cease to produce shepherd dogs… The work of breeding service dogs must, first and foremost, be the work of dog lovers… The dog lover in his breeding aspires after no material and external advantage. He allows himself to be contented with the fact that association with noble, beautiful and gifted creatures, the observation of phenomena of their lives and the examination of all that happens in their breedings afford him a whole cycle of pure joys and contentment and allow him to penetrate further into the secrets and the mysteries of nature. These joys will repay him (who indulges his fancy without self-seeking) for all the sacrifices in money, time and trouble and even for all failures and disillusions”.
Schutzhund trials worldwide generally follow one set of rules set forth by the Verein fur Deutsche Hunde (SV) German Regulatory organization for rules and regulations. Slight adjustments to the rules are made by the VDH and individual countries from time to time as the sport continues to evolve. Each year world championships are held – one all breed championship (The Federation Cynologique International World Championship) and several breed-specific world championships. The German Shepherd Championships is called the WUSV World Championship and is held in a different country each fall.
The Basics
A Schutzhund trial is broken down into three distinct phases, each worth 100 points. (300 points for a perfect score) The first phase is tracking which tests the dog’s scenting ability, trainability and physical and mental endurance. The second is obedience which tests the dog’s overall temperament, structural efficiencies and willingness to work for his handler. The final phase is protection, which tests the dog’s courage, physical strength, stability, obedience and character while in a higher drive. There are three levels of achievement called titles or degrees. The dog must pass his Schutzhund 1 before he is allowed to compete at the next level, Schutzhund 2. Schutzhund 3 is the final level. At the start of the trial, the judge performs a brief temperament evaluation on all participating dogs. Overly aggressive or uncontrollable dogs are dismissed from the trial before ever stepping on to the competition field. The dog must then achieve a minimum score of 70 points in tracking, 70 points in obedience and 80 points in protection under a certified judge during an authorized event in order to pass and proceed to the next level. All three phases are done in succession on the same day and all three must be passed on that day. Due to the length of time needed to evaluate each dog, the trial is limited to 12 dogs per day. At a typical trial, competitors meet for tracking early in the morning and often work until late in the afternoon, making for a gruelling but exciting day!
At least two weeks prior to competition for his Schutzhund title, a dog must pass the “Begleithunde” or Companion Dog test at a Schutzhund trial. The “B” was developed as a preliminary character evaluation test involving a shortened obedience (pass/fail) routine, plus a traffic saftey examination, involving joggers, crowds, bikes, cars, loud noises, gunshots, bells and strange dogs – all designed to weed out overly aggressive or nervous dogs from the gene pool. All dogs must pass the B to prove they have sound temperament before being allowed to compete for a Schutzhund title. All scores (even failing ones) are recorded in a dog’s scorebook, which is presented to the judge at the start of each trial. If a dog does not compete in all phases of the trial, the reason(s) for the dismissal are recorded. A copy of the trial results are filed with the national organization.
In Schutzhund a variety of cues signal the dog that it is time to work. The training field, the presence of blinds, a person dressed in a protection suit waving a stick in the air and making threatening gestures are all clear ‘go’ signals. It is not hard to understand then, why the same dog adopts neutral, normal, friendly behaviors when the cues disappear. It is by the same logic, not difficult to understand why the best trained Schutzhund dogs are by far the most predictable, trustworthy and safest of dogs to be around.
http://www.kaltersberg.com/TheTraining.htm
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