Questions & Answers

What is Schutzhund?

Schutzhund was originally developed to weed out the best of the best in the German Shepherd breed. It has evolved into an international competition sport. Schutzhund involves the training and testing of the dogs abilities to: 1) Find and maintain the path of a scented track, 2) Obey its handler, 3)  Protect its handler and itself under conflict situations.

What type of dog can compete in the sport?

Any dog capable of the physical requirements can compete. Our club has had German Shepherds, Doberman Pinchers, Rottweillers, and Belgian Malanois. All though the German Shepherd Dog (GSD) is the most prominent in the sport.

Isn't a Schutzhund Dog dangerous?

A properly trained Schutzhund dog is infact less dangerous. The reasoning is because Schutzhund develops the dog into one that is calm and comfortable in different situations. Schutzhund dogs make excellent house pets, and are excellent with children provided that they are properly trained exercised and supervised.

Why do you teach dog's to bite people?

All dogs know how to bite without training. The training of a Schutzhund dog teaches it when it is and is not appropriate to bite. Training a dog in protection requires the dog to bite once and hold on, instead of re-biting and thrashing about. Once the dog has been commanded to release, the dog is not allowed to re-bite without provocation. This is not only a part of the protection work, but also the obedience work. When a dog knows the appropriate times to bite, they can become a more calm and coordinated animal. A calm dog in control is a safe dog.