Schutzhund
Schutzhund, (German for “protection dog”), is a sport that was developed in Germany in the early 1900’s to test whether German Shepherd Dog act and perform in the manner that the breed was intended. It was invented to test the performance oriented traits of the breed. This test ensures that the breed keeps it's working traits and that these traits are not lost in the show or confirmation ring. The dog must be physically correct and also show working and performance abilities. Today, many breeds other than German Shepherd Dog can compete in Schutzhund. It is a demanding test for any dog. Few have the discipline, temperament and tenacity to pass.
Traits of Schutzhund Dogs
Schutzhund tests dogs of all breeds for the traits necessary for police-type work. Dogs that pass Schutzhund tests should be suitable for a breeding program that possibly produces a caliber of dog suitable for a wide variety of tasks: police-work, specific odour detection, search and rescue as well as others. Through Schutzhund training and competition, dogs are identified to have some of the following traits that are required for such demanding work:
· strong desire to work
· courage
· intelligence
· trainability
· strong bond to the handler
· perseverance
· protective instinct
Schutzhund training also tests and develops physical traits such as strength, endurance, agility and scenting ability. The goal of Schutzhund is to illuminate the character of the dog through training. Breeders can use this insight, to determine whether to use this dog in producing the next generation of working dogs.
