What is SCHUTZHUND
CoCo (Sch II) participating in Obedience TestThe Sport for Working Dogs
(German Shepherd Dog, Doberman, Malinois, Rottweiler, Bouvier, Boxer, Certain Terriers, Akita, Certain Retriever just to mention a few. A steady temperament is a must for the sport.)
Schutzhund originated in Germany in the early 1900s to test the German Shepherd Dog for breed worthiness by the founder of the breed, Max von Stephanitz. It is still used today as a breed test and is also now a sportsman’s competition world wide. The sport requires training in three areas: tracking, obedience and protection.
TRACKING tests the dog’s scenting ability and also its desire and willingness to work.
OBEDIENCE is by far the most difficult because it goes against everything that is natural to the dog. It takes time and understanding to overcome some of the challenges to get good results. Willingness in the dog is a must for the sport.
PROTECTION will demonstrate a dog’s courage and confidence and its willingness to be controlled by his handler. In Canada, the sport is governed by the German Shepherd Schutzhund Club of Canada (GSSCC) which observes the rules of the SV, or the German Shepherd Dog Club of Germany. A dog must first pass a BH to partake in any phase of the sport. The BH is a temperament test which includes basic obedience and a general traffic test.
The Schutzhund degrees are:
- Schutzhund I - Basic Level
- Schutzhund II - Intermediate Level
- Schutzhund III - Advanced Level
Other titles available to be earned are:
- AD - Endurance Test
- FH I and FH II - Advanced Tracking
- Obedience I - Equivalent to Schtuzhund I Obedience
- Obedience II - Equivalent to Schutzhund II Obedience
- Obedience III - Equivalent to Schutzhund III Obedience
- Tracking I - Equivalent to Schutzhund I Tracking
- Tracking II - Equivalent to Schutzhund II Tracking
- Tracking III - Equivalent to Schutzhund III Tracking