You are judged in the sport of Schutzhund in three areas, tracking, obedience and protection. It may take up to 2 years to become ready to trial. For Obedience, the dog must be reliable off lead in any situation, obey your commands from a distance, with disractions from people, other dogs or joggers running by, gunfire, anything! Then comes Tracking. The dog must follow a cold track and retrieve the target item in the allotted time limit. Protection is just like what you`ve probably seen in police dog training. The dog must stay in control off-lead while a helper at a distance acts like the "bad guy". On your command, the dog attacks the helper, biting a target area on the bite sleeve the helper is wearing. The dog must only bite the target, and only release on your command.

In each category a maximum of 100 points can be made, making a total of 300 points for all three categories:

Category A - Tracking

Category B - Obedience

Category C - Protection

A minimum score of 70 points in categories A & B and a minimum of 80 points in category C is required to obtain a title or degree.
To qualify for Schutzhund, all dogs entered must pass a temperament test. Dogs not passing this test shall be disqualified from the trial.

Rating Of Excellence:

0 - 109 Points - Insufficient

110 - 219 Points - Unsatisfactory

220 - 239 Points - Satisfactory

240 - 269 Points - Good

270 - 285 Points - Very Good

286 - 300 Points - Excellent
I know a this sounds rather intense, but the dogs love it! Gus can find anyone, anywhere, just give him the scent and he`s in Heaven! The obedience gives the dog confidence, and we always use praise and treats. The dog always knows what is expected of him, and it`s yummy fun! Protection training gives both Gus and I confidence. I know Gus will defend me if ever needed, but always stay under my control.




[This message has been edited by LuvMyRott (edited June 15, 2001).]