The aim is for a well motivated dog that tracks accurately and at a consistent pace.
Obedience – which evaluates the dog's responsiveness to it's handler in a number of different situations.
The exercises require the dog to heel attentively at the handlers side in a pattern of turns, changes of pace, stops and distractions such as gunshots and a group of people. The dog must be left in the sitting, the down and the standing positions and come when called. Retrieval of a dumbbell is required on the flat, over a 1 metre hurdle and over a climbing frame ( A–frame ). A sendaway from the handler with a down on command is also required.
The dogs work Obedience in pairs with one dog working the exercises whilst the other dog remains in a down position away from the handler.
An alert, attentive, attitude is preferable throughout the work.
Protection – which determines the dog's courage,drives,self-confidence and resilience whilst still under the control of the handler.
The exercises require the dog to search for and find a hidden “criminal” (the helper), warning the handler of his presence by barking and preventing the helper from escaping.
A number of simulated attacks are made by the helper, who wears a protective suit and a padded sleeve. In Schutzhund, the dog is trained to grip on the sleeve and when the helper stands still the dog must release the sleeve immediately and attentively guard the helper.
Control and discipline are paramount in protection training.
Protection work is without doubt, the area which is most misunderstood by people who have never participated in it and despite criticisms to the contrary,protection training will not change the dog's basic temperament. Only confident animals with completely stable temperaments and strong nerves should undertake protection training. An inappropriately aggressive dog is not a good candidate and nervous, shy animals are totally unsuitable.
Schutzhund dog ensures a confident, reliable companion whose reactions become predictable and controllable under any circumstances --- the most dangerous dog is the one apt to bite out of fear and an inability to deal with the world at large.
In 1991 the German SV (which oversees the Schutzhund sport world wide), introduced a preliminary basic temperament test – the BH – and made it mandatory for this test to be passed before entry into the Schutzhund levels was permitted. The BH comprises two sections, the first being an Obedience section which is very similar to the Schutzhund 1 Obedience routine but without the retrieves or the sendaway.
The second section tests the dog in a series of simulated everyday situations such as traffic, crowds, reaction to other dogs and people and absence of owner. This is a very interesting and revealing temperament test and an excellent evaluation of the dog's basic character and will hopefully go a long way to alleviating any concerns about Schutzhund training.
I hope that the foregoing gives an insight into what Schutzhund entails and from a dog-sport started by a few enthusiasts in Europe some 100 years ago, it now has many thousands of active participants in over forty countries and six continents.
Whilst a great deal of time and effort goes into training a dog in Schutzhund, the rewards are enormous in terms of producing reliable dogs suitable for living with families and able to cope with the stresses of contemporary society.
I think that Captain von Stephanitz would approve !
Ron White.
