what is schutzhund anyways?

What is Schutzhund?

Schutzhund is a breeding standard which was created around the turn of the century by Max von Stephanitz – the creator of the GSD. He created schutzhund to test the temperament and working ability of the dogs. The GSD was created to be a working dog, a dog that willingly worked with man in helping to accomplish tasks. Max realized, at the very beginning of the breed, that to ensure his GSD remained what he intended, he needed to create tests which deciphered whether or not a particular dog was of breeding quality. For over 100 years, the SV (German Shepherd Dog organization in Germany) has tracked each GSD born, bred and titled.

How does USCA tie into the SV?

USCA is an organization that is recognized and sanctioned by the SV to track the breeding and titling of GSDs. Our organization represents our country every year by sending qualified member to compete at the World Championship. In a way, it’s the Olympics of German Shepherd Dogs.

What kinds of dogs do these titled dogs produce?

Remember 9-11? Do you remember seeing all the dogs that were looking for people who might still be alive? Have you ever heard of dogs that help find lost children in the woods? Have you ever seen a dog walking with a handicapped person? Well, to do that kind of strenuous work, a dog must be bred to have endurance and an undying desire to work. The temperament of the dog is of utmost importance, as is the dogs willingness to keep working as long as the handler asks it to. This is the kind of dog that Max desired to create, and he did! GSDs serve our Armed Forces, policemen, Fire & Rescue, FEMA, even the individuals who need help doing everyday things, like opening the door. GSDs sniff out drugs; they sniff out bombs to protect our people. It is important that we continue to test and evaluate our dogs so that we continue to produce dogs that help mankind.

How do your tests ensure that a dog will be able to work all day?

The tests were designed to stress the dog. A strong and willing dog, can handle the stress. The tests basically ask the dog to continuously switch gears. For example, in a triathlon, a competitor is asked to excel continuously through 3 different exercises, switch gears, and do it very well. Another example, your boss comes into your office, right when you’re in the middle of something, you’re in a zone and you’re making progress. Your boss then asks you to complete a different task right away. So, you must instantly switch gears to handle the new task. If you take two hours to switch gears, you probably won’t have a job for very long! The tests in schutzhund do the same thing, one second, the handler asks the dog to heel precisely as taught, and suddenly, unexpectedly, different commands will be given, such as sit, or down or even stand.

What kind of stress do you put on the dog?

Well, there are several different kinds, we ask the dog to do something, and do it quickly and precisely. Most people can get their dogs to sit, or down. But, to ask the dog to do these in a routine exercise, in which he must not only do the exercises as commanded, but the very second he is asked, and precisely how he was taught. He must listen to his handler even when there are more appealing things to play with. He must be willing to happily work with his handler. He must work on his own when his handler instructs him. He must have the self confidence to handle situations that arise, as well as follow the direction of his handler when he might not want to.

Can any dog enter the trial?

Every dog, before it can get titled must pass an obedience test and a temperament test. This shows if the handler has clear control over the dog, both on and off leash, as well, if the dog shows any aggressive tendencies. If the dog is either not under control, or shows aggression, the dog does not receive the companion dog (BH) certification which indicates the dog can then proceed to obtain titles.

The Three Phases of Schutzhund

1. TRACKING consists of precisely following an aged track of a human and the indication of articles dropped by that individual. This has application in search and rescue work. 
2. OBEDIENCE is the basis of the working relationship between a good dog and his handler. The schutzhund dog must precisely execute various commands including heeling off leash, change of pace, automatic sit, sit in motion, retrieve on the flat, retrieve or a hurdle, retrieve over a wall, stand in motion, down in motion, long down under distraction, recall, and send out. 
3. PROTECTION consists of a directed search for the bad guy, guarding, escort, defense of the handler, and apprehension. These techniques have potential application in personal defense, police and military work. 

As you can readily appreciate, schutzhund can be a proving ground for those traits and training techniques that make certain dogs stable, useful members of your family. Unstable, nervous, overly aggressive, or timid dogs are identified through schutzhund competitions and not recommended for breeding.  Before a dog is allowed to compete in protection, he must demonstrate his stability around various stimuli including cyclists, traffic, strangers, children and other dogs. Training techniques that do not work result in dogs that don’t obtain their schutzhund titles. The best breeding and the best training result in the best scores!

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