Schutzhund Dog Training

Schutzhund dog training is a sports activity that developed in Germany in the early 20th century in order to test several German Shepherd breeds for possible use as police dogs. Instead of using a dog’s physical appearance as a way of determining whether the dog might be effective,

Schutzhund allowed trainers to discover the ideal animals to do the job. Nowadays, several dog breeds are permitted to take part in Schutzhund training, although not many dogs actually pass.

The Basics of Schutzhund Dog Training

Schutzhund training is an extremely strict, highly structured process that has evolved over the last 100 years. It is substantially less abusive towards the dogs now compared to when it began, but still remains just as rigid, which is essential to fully assess each animal. Whilst in the past, the majority of the Schutzhund training that occurred was based on a small number of manuals and organized courses, these days there are DVDs and videos which help dog owners begin the training process.

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The actual training will test a dog in several different and specific behaviors that are well suited for police work, such as tracking, sniffing, protection, and retrieving. Most Schutzhund dog training will start when the dog is no more than a few weeks old and will continue for weeks or sometimes months to guarantee the dog is well-matched for the work.

The Essence of Schutzhund

There are numerous facets of Schutzhund training. The course you use will also be determined by which videos or obedience program you subscribe to. However, the majority of Schutzhund courses will concentrate on the following:

Clicker Training - Not all Schutzhund trainers will use clickers, but it's regarded as an almost universal technique that works very well with German Shepherds as well as other Schutzhund suitable breeds. Training using a clicker should start at a very early age - around ten weeks.

Obedience - Basic obedience training is the first true test in Schutzhund dog training. There are 10-11 fundamental obedience commands used in nearly all programs. Some examples are “sit, down and stand”, “focus and attention”, front, targeting, pointing out of an object, heel positioning, heeling, jumping, retrieving, motion exercises, and “go out”. Full completion demands mastery of all 11 training points.

Tracking - Dogs training to track various objects, such as drugs, bombs, and cadavers, will be trained specifically in tracking techniques. While using the “targeting” and “pointing out of an object” obedience cues, Schutzhund dog training will train the dog to recognize the particular scent of their target and then to pursue until called off.

Protection - Dogs may also be trained to protect, as is the situation with police dogs, guard dogs, and attack dogs. They are trained using certain commands to both recognize a threat as well as attack that threat. On the other hand, they might be trained to protect a particular object or individual without the use of commands.

The basis of Schutzhund is to supply a dog with a very highly specific range of skills that they can use to accomplish a given task effectively and efficiently. Dogs in official training programs might finish training at a rate of 20% or lower. Nevertheless, Schutzhund dog training can be just as effective as an obedience program for dog owners in their own home.

If you are thinking about using Schutzhund to train your own dog, make sure you investigate the various training courses according to their success rates as well as the underlying philosophies practiced.