Schweitzergarten Kennel

                SCHUTZHUND IS A BREEDING TOOL FOR WORKING DOGS
A test for temperment and working ability.   Remember, from the FCI standard, that "the Rottweiler is considered to be one of the oldest breeds of dog. Its origin goes back to Roman times. These dogs were kept as herder or driving dogs. They marched over the Alps with the Roman legions, PROTECTING the humans and driving their cattle. " The German Shepherd is also considered a herding dog.    Click here for more information about Schutzhund.
Schweitergarten primarily uses Schutzhund as its temperament test for breeding. We feel that just using the ARV and USRC's breed test is insufficient without the SchH I as they don't fully evaluate the working temperament as no tracking or full obedience routine is included. Thus, that is why Schweitzergarten places a higher emphasis on the Schutzhund test as true evaluation of the working temperament of the WORKING Rottweiler.
The word "Schutzhund" translated from German to English means "Protection Dog." This literal translation is somewhat misleading, as there is much more to Schutzhund than just protection. Today, in the United States, Schutzhund is a fast-growing, competitive sport. In Europe, SchH (the abbreviation for Schutzhund) has been a popular sport since the early 1900’s. Schutzhund was originally a test to determine which German Shepherds were quality dogs for breeding purposes in Germany.
The sport is not restricted to any particular group or breed of dogs.   Schutzhund is designed for the dogs with working ability.
                  SCHUTZHUND IS A BREEDING TOOL FOR WORKING DOGS
The work focuses on developing and evaluating traits in dogs that make them more useful as companions. This style of training will demonstrate the dog’s most desirable characteristics, mental stability, and sound structural efficiencies. Training will identify and eliminate fearful, nervous, overly aggressive, and structurally incorrect dogs from breeding programs. There is a very high level of assurance that puppies born to Schutzhund titled/breed surveyed dogs are more likely to be of reliable temperament, sound structure and steady nerves with higher intelligence.

Schutzhund training and showing involves three phases: Tracking, Obedience, and Protection. There are three SchH levels one can achieve with his/her dog: SchH I (considered the novice level) SchH II (the intermediate level), and SchH III (the advanced level). Each handler and his dog start out in each phase with 100 points. From there, points are to be deducted by the presiding judge according to the point system, providing the dog/handler team errors. A total perfect score is 300. In order for a person and his dog to achieve any one of the SchH degrees, the tema together must achieve a least 70 points or better in tracking and obedience and 80 points or better in protection. If theses minimum scores are not received, a SchH degree cannot be awarded to the participating dog/handler team. The requirements that a dog/handler team must full fill become progressively more difficult from SchH I to SchH III level.

Tracking is a development of a dog’s natural abilities and instincts. It helps to build confidence within the dog. The dog must use his nose in locating a track laid either by his handler or a stranger and also have the ability to discover various articles dropped along the track. The track length, the age of the track, the number of articles and the size of the articles depend on the level of the SchH degree.
Obedience makes a dog a more enjoyable companion and also makes him more reliable in every situations. SchH obedience judges a handler and his dog as a team. The team is required to do various exercises, depending on the SchH degree one is attempting to earn.

Protection, as trained for Schutzhund, requires that the dog have a reliable termperment and show courage without viciousness. It is an advanced and complex training wherein the dog must make his own decision and use his judgment. The "bad guy," known as the agitator or helper in the sport, is required to wear protective pants and a special sleeve covered with burlap for the dog to bite. The dog must bite correctly or he will lose points. The dog must be trained to release his bite. A dog can fail if he consistently does not release his bite when commanded.

If you are interested in Schutzhund, talk to someone who has titled a Schutzhund dog. Every handler and owner is proud of every title his/her dog has achieved and can tell you what a feeling of accomplishment it is to earn a Schutzhund title with his/her dog.

Schutzhund training and showing involves three phases: Tracking, Obedience, and Protection. There are three SchH levels one can achieve with his/her dog: SchH I (considered the novice level) SchH II (the intermediate level), and SchH III (the advanced level). Each handler and his dog start out in each phase with 100 points. From there, points are to be deducted by the presiding judge according to the point system, providing the dog/handler team errors. A total perfect score is 300. In order for a person and his dog to achieve any one of the SchH degrees, the tema together must achieve a least 70 points or better in tracking and obedience and 80 points or better in protection. If theses minimum scores are not received, a SchH degree cannot be awarded to the participating dog/handler team. The requirements that a dog/handler team must full fill become progressively more difficult from SchH I to SchH III level.
Tracking is a development of a dog’s natural abilities and instincts. It helps to build confidence within the dog. The dog must use his nose in locating a track laid either by his handler or a stranger and also have the ability to discover various articles dropped along the track. The track length, the age of the track, the number of articles and the size of the articles depend on the level of the SchH degree. Obedience makes a dog a more enjoyable companion and also makes him more reliable in every situations. SchH obedience judges a handler and his dog as a team. The team is required to do various exercises, depending on the SchH degree one is attempting to earn.