Schutzhund
Obedience |
Tracking |
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| Tasha and I started training in Schutzhund in April
1998 with the North Halton Schutzhund Club. On July 2, 1999, Tasha
passed the first trial in Schutzhund and earned her BH title !!!!
I was very proud of her and hoped to keep working with her but she was
diagnosed with arthritis and she has retired from everything but tracking. The dog I am training now is Killian (SG Argon vom Haus Johann Dale,VPG2 (SchH2)OB1,TR1,TT), a red sable GSD. To read more about him visit Killian's Page. Killian is training in schutzhund and earned his SchH1 title in October, 2002 with a score of 275SG and his SchH2 (VPG2) in June, 2003 with a score of SG282. I hope to earn Killian's Schutzhund 3 title in October 2003 year. We train with Joanne Fleming-Plumb's Club, the Working Rottweiler Association of Canada. You can find out about Joanne's seminars and how to order her videos on her Plumb Style website. I also have a new dog. Kazar is 9 months old (born Oct. 1, 2003). He is another dark sable from mainly West German lines and will be training in schutzhund in a few months. |
Killian and Tasha's Tracking Photos
Photos of National and International Schutzhund Trials
What is Schutzhund?
Schutzhund is a sport that first evolved in Germany in the early twentieth century. It is a means of evaluating the character of a working dog and comparing it with other dogs. Although other breeds can and do participate in Schutzhund, the German Shepherd Dog is the main participating breed.The SV
In 1899, a German cavalry officer, Max von Stephanitz founded The German Shepherd Dog Club of Germany (the SV), and by so doing, started to build the breed. He wrote the breed standard and organized training contests that inluded testing in tracking, obedience and protection. This was the start of Schutzhund and today, the sport still is comprised of these three activities.
Von Stephanitz believed that the German Shepherd Dog possessed all of the attributes that made it a perfect working dog - "a highly developed sense of smell, enormous courage, intrepidness, agility and, despite its aggressiveness, great obedience"(Max von Stephanitz)
The SV is the largest breed organization in the world. In order for a GSD to be registered by the SV, both of its parents must have passed a Schutzhund trial, and the dog itself must also pass in order to be shown in conformation,or obtain the V rating, compete for title of Sieger (champion) or be recommended for breeding by a Kormeister. In this way, the standards that von Stephanitz established - of a true working breed - are preserved.
The Three Parts of Shutzhund
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Tracking is a true test of the dog's concentration, perseverance and scenting ability. In the tracking test, the dog must retrace the path of a person for a specified distance. The test includes two to four turns on a track that is from 20-60 minutes old. The dog must also find 2-3 lost articles. Tracking is performed regardless of weather conditions.
Tracking tests vary depending on the level of the dog: |
Tracking
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Schutzhund obedience exercises show the bond between the handler and the dog. It is a pleasure to watch a team performing the exercises. Althought somewhat similar to the CKC and AKC heeling exercises,there are some major differences. Schutzhund obedience is performed on a large field, unlike the smaller area in CKC/AKC. The dog must follow the handlers orders as they follow a prescribed heeling pattern that includes normal, fast and slow paces, heeling through a group of people. There must be both left and right turns and about turns. The dog must also heel under distractions such as gunshots. Depending on the level of the test, the dog must also perform a moving down, sit or stand as well as a recall and send out. The other parts of the test include a retrieve over a 6 foot wall,retrieve over a metre jump and retrieve on the flat. While one dog is executing these exercises, another is in a down/stay with the handler out of sight for the approximate 10 minutes of the test. The judge looks for a dog and handler that are a true "team". The dog must show a willingness to obey but also exhibit spirit. The obedience exercises vary depending on the Schutzhund level: The BH Schutzhund 1 obedience Schutzhund 2 obedience Schutzhund 3 obedience |
Obedience|
Many people think that a dog that is trained in Protection in Schutzhund is a "guard dog". This is not true. A properly trained Schutzhund dog must obey his handlers commands at all times and will only go for the sleeve on command or signal. The dog is trained to only bite the sleeve...not the helper! To watch a dog perform a courage test in schutzhund is breathtaking. The dog must also release the sleeve on command and hold the decoy. Many Schutzhund dogs are also family members and many handlers look at Schutzhund training as a sport. In fact, schutzhund is used as a breeding test for German Shepherd Dogs. A GSD cannot receive a Breed Survey unless it has specifiied schutzhund titles. In the protection exercise, the dog must be able to search up to 6 blinds, to locate the helper/decoy in one of the blinds and hold the helper/decoy, prevent an assault on his handler and prevent the person from fleeing. The dog must show courage but also restraint when the agitator gives up.
As with obedience and tracking, the exercises vary depending on the level: |
Protection
To learn more about Schutzhund, visit one of these sites:
Joanne Fleming-Plumb's Seminar and Video Training Site
German Shepherd Shutzhund Club of Canada
DVG America Home Page
United Shutzhund Club of America
Schutzhund.Com Worldwide Connection
Working Dog Association
Overview of Schutzhund by Mark Weston
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