All knowledge, the totality of all questions and all answers is contained in the dog

—– Franz Kafka

Introduction & Background

Schutzhund is a dog training sport developed originally in the 1920′s by the Deutsches Shaeferhund Verein (German Shepherd Dog Club), or SV, in order to maintain the working ability and the quality of the German Shepherd breed. The sport was originally propagated and promoted for the German Shepherd Dogs only. The word Schutzhund comprises of two words Schutz which means protection and Hunde which means dog in German language. Schutzhund is one of the fastest growing forms of dog sport all over the world. So what is it really about Schutzhund that attracts all dog lovers from all over the world? Well, first and foremost, it is a sport as well as a best way to test the correct temperament, character and drives in a dog. Although the sport of Schutzhund is not breed specific however, having said that, the sport itself is catered to test the versatility and working ability in a breed. Thus most common breeds which are used today worldwide for the sport of Schutzhund are German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, Giant Schnauzer, Rottweiler and many more. Schutzhund also has a very important part to play in the breed improvement; that is, it tests for the breed worthiness in a dog. A dog which is Schutzhund 3 titled is considered to be extremely breed worthy because of its correct temperament, character and is considered suitable for competing at international levels of dog sport .

The three phases of a Schutzhund Competition

Obedience Phase

This test includes heeling on leash and off leash. The dog shows his or her ability to heel with the handler holding him on the leash or without the leash. This test tests the obedience of the dog. Remember a dog due to its genetic makeup may not exhibit strong capabilities in all three phases. A lot depends on the breeding of the dog, His or her genetic makeup, the training the dog receives and most of all the capability of the handler, the trainer and the helpers with which the dog trains. During the heeling exercises the dog’s mental stability and nerve sureness is tested by heeling the dog in and around a group of strangers. This test is a sure for the strong nerves of the dog. Another test for the sureness of the nerves and test of stability of the dog in face of sudden noises is the Gun shot test which is conducted during the obedience phase. Next is the field exercises which includes making the dog sit and stay and lie down on command and then come to the handler on command. The dog is also required to retrieve dumbbells of various weights and sizes over flat ground and over a six-foot slanted inverted V shaped wall. All this is done amid various distractions of other dogs performing their respective exercises on the same field at other corners. All that the obedience test tests of a dog is the willingness of the dog to serve his or her master and the sureness of the temperament as well as the structure.

Tracking Phase

The tracking phase test the basic trait in a dog to hunt down its prey in the wild. The track is of a specific length and has its turns and twists. Two articles are placed on the track and the track itself is laid by using scent pad of a stranger person. The track may be old in order to make it tough for the dog. A strong external factor in the tracking phase is the direction of the wind current which has an effect on how easily the dog is able to cover the track and identify the article. The dog is tied to a 10 Metre leash and the handler walks behind the dog at the end of full 10 meter leash played out. The dog should track on command and should have a known way of when it finds an article lying on the track. The tracking phase tests the dog’s trainability and ability to sniff out as well as mental and physical endurance.

Protection Phase

This phase tests the dog’s courage , his physical strength, The genetic makeup and his agility on the field. A dog is an animal whose very primordial trait is to bite. What we as trainers do is channelize this trait in such a way that the dog learns when NOT to bite. The dog need not be taught to bit. What it needs to learn is when not to bite.

This demonstrates the ultimate control of the handler over his canine partner. The dog is made to hunt out a hidden man (The helper in training terms) and when he finds him in a canopy blind then the dog holds on to his prey with a hold and bark activity. The dog has to demonstrate that he has in him what it takes to intimidate the Human Helper and make him stand his ground. This also is a true test of the fighting drive in a dog. The dog is also expected to pursue the helper or the decoy when he tries to make an escape. What we often see in Schutzhund videos is that the dog bites on the Hard Jute Sleeve worn by the helper on the arm. This sleeve is actually the prey item in the dog’s head and hence it learns to bite on the sleeve from his primordial instinct of catching a sleeve. Dogs which are potential Schutzhund prospects MUST have this prey drive in them in order for the trainer to mould this drive into making the dog bite on the sleeve of the helper. I will not go too much into details about the different drives in a Schutzhund dogs because that is a very vast subject and cannot be done justice to in few lines here. That is purely a subject of a different article at some later time and day. Coming back to the courage test, when the decoy of arrested by the dog. The handler must come over and de-arm the helper or the decoy and then the Dog escorts the decoy to the judge. The protection tests are intended to assure that the dog is a fighter and will not run away in event of a threat to his master or to himself.

The Structure of a Typical Schutzhund Trail

There are 3 parts to a Schutzhund trial. Just like any sport it is judged by a qualified judge who belongs to the governing body in Germany, SV, which has the authority to give these titles to a dog. A dog may obtain Schutzhund 1. After getting the title of Schutzhund 1 the handler may compete for Schutzhund II trial and then for Schutzhund III. Schutzhund 1 is normally acceptable as a test for breeding purposes of a dog. However in order to compete at the international levels of sport a dog must obtain Schutzhund II which is a stepping stone to ultimately Schutzhund III. Why 1,2 & 3. Well, each of the titles varies in complexity and the level of challenge thrown both to the handler and his dog. The team of the handler and the dog must demonstrate a superb level of control and training capability in order to pass the 3 tests. As we go higher from SCHI to SCHIII the three phases which will be discussed shortly, become more and more complex and the ultimate test on the endurance and workability of the dog and the training finesse of the handler and his control over his canine partner.

The Ultimate Critique on the dog

Schutzhund is a sport yet it is a sport of a team effort of the dog and his handler/trainer. What the handler does is to bring out the true spirit of a mentally sound and sure nerved dog to show his true capability as the member of a human family as well as on the field. If at all the dog falters in this test it is purely because of mistakes of the trainer and NOT the dog, as the father of modern day dog training Konrad Most said, “ We are in Luck if, in training a dog, we can use his instincts as a basis for what we require. For, the more instinctive an action is the more reliable it will be.— Konrad Most. All the three stages, Schutzhund I, II, III, each of the three phases , namely Obedience, Tracking, & Protection, is worth 100 points for a total of 300 points. The dog must receive 70 points each in tracking and obedience and 80 points in the protection phase. So clearly the emphasis is on the protection phase of the sport. A good Schutzhund dog must have strong courage and strong nerves.

If the dog is not able to achieve this minimal score in each phase then the dog fails the trail test and must make a fresh appointment with the judge to reappear in the trial and pass all the three phases all over again. The judge is basically looking for strong control accurate focus and workability in the dog and of course high endurance levels.

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