Schutzhund Training And How To Get Involved In The Competition
Schutzhund is a German dog sport that was developed in the 1900s. It stands for “protection dog” and was enacted to decide whether certain German Shepherds exhibited the traits necessary in order to become police dogs. It is an extremely challenging competition with only a handful of dogs that are able to pass. Anyone who’s interested in competeing their German Shepherd should start early and practice consistently.
The types of traits that are required for a canine to pass the Schutzhund test include courage, a desire to work, self control, and a protective instinct among other things. A battery of physical strengths, like endurance and agility, are tested as well. This is because the dogs who conquer the exam will end up performing police work that consists of everything from drug detection to search and rescue missions.
Three phases encompass the modern version of the test. Protection, tracking, and obedience make up the Schutzhund trail and, in order to pass, a dog must pass all three. The animals must score a minimum of seventy out of one hundred points and a dog can be dismissed at any time if one of the judges feels that they are displaying too much aggression or fear.
As far as testing the animal’s protection abilities, a heavily padded helper will hide in certain spots. The dog, after being directed to search, must find the helper’s hiding spot and bark at his or her location. In similar exercises, the dog must react when the helper pretends to attack him or the handler. To pass, the animals must display a lack of fear and a healthy enthusiasm.
The tracking section of the process was designed to test the German Shepherd’s scenting ability and mental soundness. During this phase a person will walk across a long field and drop small items along the way. Later the dog is instructed to track the field by locating each of the dropped articles. Their score is then based on their determination and accuracy.
As with the other phases, the obedience testing is done on a large open field as well. One canine watches from afar while another is instructed to complete a series of commands. Gunshots and other loud noises are induced to test the dog’s reaction. Afterwards, they switch places and the phase moves forward. The Shepherds in this section are graded on how well the follow commands, react to loud stimuli, and accuracy.
Although there are quite a few breeds that demonstrate an above average level of skill and loyalty, it is the adored Shepard that is considered top dog when it comes to obedience and courage. Learn more about Schutzhund and police dog training HERE.
Tags: german shepherd training, personal protection dogs, schutzhund, schutzhund puppy training, schutzhund training, security dog, trained german shepherds
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