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Schweitzergarten
Alex
Francesca
ByeBye Girls
Why Schutzhund
For Sale
Lindesfarne
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SCHUTZHUND IS A BREEDING TOOL FOR WORKING DOGS
A true test for temperament 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.
Schweitzergarten 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 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.
Every handler and owner is very proud of every title his dog has achieved and
can tell you what a feeling of accomplishment it is to earn a Schutzhund title
with their dog.
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