What is Schutzhund?

When people ask me what I do with 8 German Shepherds and I tell them that I compete in the sport of Schutzhund, they look very puzzled and most cannot even pronounce the word let alone know what it means. The sport of Schutzhund was developed in Germany as a means of picking the most worthy dogs for breeding. The word "schutzhund" means protection dog. The sport consists of three phases; tracking, obedience, and protection. Tracking is akin to search and rescue, only much more precise. The dog is judged on the accuracy of following a trail made by a person walking on grass or dirt. This person drops articles made of wood, leather or fabric that the dog must indicate. The next phase is obedience. Here, the dog must perform numerous exercise such heeling, jumping, and retrieving. The dog must show a willingness to work for his handler as well speed and accuracy in performing his tasks.

The last phase is protection. Here the dog must demonstrate the courage and hardness to protect his handler from attack by the "decoy", but must demonstrate the proper obedience to remain under control at all times. Only dogs with the correct mental and physical makeup can perform all of the above tasks correctly. Therefore the sport of Schuthund is an excellent way to determine the best dogs to be used in a breeding program. Most importantly, it is FUN! It allows a dog handler to get out and enjoy the fresh air while forming a strong and lasting bond with one's dog.

The following is a list of abbreviations that will be helpful in interpreting the titles that my dogs have attained.