Schutzhund

    The word Schutzhund exactly translated from German to English
means "protection dog." This literal translation is misleading,
however, because a Schutzhund is much more than simply a
protection dog. A good Schutzhund dog is a friendly and
good-natured member of the family, courageous, and a reliable protector.
     Today, in the United States, Schutzhund is a fast-growing
competitive sport. Competitions held around the world feature
dogs that have been trained in the skills of tracking, high-level
obedience, and controlled protection. The United Schutzhund
Clubs of America holds nearly three hundred competitive
trials a year that feature some 1,800 dogs and their handlers.
Schutzhund is a sport open to everyone interested in dogs,
regardless of age, and often involve whole families in its
activities. This competitive working sport measures the dog's
reliable temperament, willingness to work, ability to scent,
responsiveness to training and conformation. Great emphasis is
placed on the effort of teamwork between the handler and his
or her dog.
Although the German Shepard Dog is the most commonly used breedin Schutzhund activities, Rottweilers, Doberman
Pinschers, and Giant Schnauzers also compete regularly.
Any dog, purebred or not, which is capable of
performing the work is welcome to compete and attain the Schutzhund degrees. To qualify for a Schutzhund
degree, all dogs must pass a temperament test. Dogs not passing
this test shall be disqualified from the trial. Although the
temperament test is administered at the beginning of the trial,
the dog may be excused at any time during the trial if it shows
any obvious signs of unsoundness.
In a Schutzhund trial, the dog is required to successfully display
skills in three different areas: tracking, obedience, and protection.
The dog must pass all three phases at the same trial to get a
Schutzhund degree. There are also three levels of performance at
which the dog/handler team compete:
   Schutzhund I (the novice degree),
   Schutzhund II (the intermediate degree)
   Schutzhund III (the advanced degree).
The requirements become steadily more difficult from Schutzhund
I to Schutzhund III.
                          TRACKING :
tests the scenting ability of the dog, his determination and
concentration. The dog must follow the trail left by a person
and indicate any articles that the person may have dropped along
the way. He must be able to follow the scent regardless of
weather conditions.
                        OBEDIENCE:
evaluates the dog's willingness to obey its handler. It must
follow its handler's orders to heel, retrieve, jump, sit, down,
and stay. The dog must not be distracted by the sound of gunfire
or by a group of milling people.
                       PROTECTION :
as trained for Schutzhund requires that the dog has a reliable
temperament and shows courage without viciousness. This phase
demonstrates an advanced and complete training, which evaluates
the dog's ability to protect its handler or apprehend fleeing
suspects while remaining under total control of the handler.