What is the sport of Schutzhund?
Schutzhund is a German word
meaning "protection dog". It
refers to a sport that focuses
on developing and evaluating
those traits in dogs that make
them more useful and happier
companions to their owners.
Schutzhund work concentrates on
three parts. Many are familiar
with the obedience work of the
American Kennel Club's
affiliates and will recognize
the first two parts, tracking
and obedience. The Schutzhund
standards for the third part,
protection work, are similar to
those for dogs in police work.
While dogs of other breeds are
also actively involved in the
sport of Schutzhund and often
follow similar criteria for
breeding purposes, this breed
evaluation test was developed
specifically for the German
Shepherd Dog. Schutzhund is
intended to demonstrate the
dog's intelligence and utility.
As a working trial, Schutzhund
measures the dog's mental
stability, endurance, structural
efficiencies, ability to scent,
willingness to work, courage,
and trainability.
This working dog sport offers an
opportunity for dog owners to
train their dog and compete with
each other for recognition of
both the handler's ability to
train and the dog's ability to
perform as required. It is a
sport enjoyed by persons of
varied professions, who join
together in a camaraderie born
of their common interest in
working with their dogs. Persons
of all ages and conditions of
life even those with significant
disabilities enjoy Schutzhund as
a sport. Often, it is a family
sport.
