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| About Schutzhund |
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This is a brief prelude to the explanation of what Schutzhund/Dogsport is. Schutzhund/Dogsport is an internationally recognised sporting activity for dogs comprising three parts - Part A: Tracking, Part B: Obedience, Part C: Character Assessment, conducted under international rules. The word Schutzhund, directly translated is two words, Schutz = Guardian, protection or shelter and hund = dog. Using the word as it is intended, it is an adjective to describe types of breeds, eg. the Dobermann is a Schutzhund, a guard breed; the Rottweiler is a Schutzhund, Gebrauchshund (working dog). The founder of the German Shepherd Dog Club of Germany, Captain Max von Stephanitz, had the foresight at the turn of the century to realise that the then current role of the herding breeds would undergo change as the modern industrial world developed. He saw other roles that the dog could be utilised for as a servant and companion to man and one of these roles was as a companion guard and service dog. Seeing the breed as a working animal and respecting the breed for this he encouraged the utilisation of the dog as a service dog. Through the training of the dogs for service work, the breeders were able to select dogs who showed the desired characteristics for this work. Further, the breeders were able to learn a great deal about canine behaviour through the training and evaluation (testing) of the dogs. As our society and social culture have evolved, the ways of training and testing of the dog have changed along with this evolution of society. Today this sport is practised in all five continents and forty-three countries of the world. The questions often asked are what is the purpose of this sport or form of training and what benefits does it bring to both society and the dog? Q. What is the purpose of the form of dog training called Schutzhund/Dogsport? A. Firstly the ambiguity of this question and purpose and aim of the information should be clarified. Can the question be answered in a factual brevity that only addresses the pure visual aspect of the sport viewed by an individual educated and experienced. Or one which has total ignorance, yet still disregarding personal biases or anthropomorphic views. Can one ask why one likes football, equestrian events, motor racing or boxing. Analogies can be drawn between the same question of what is the purpose of a culture, religion, marriage or football. If the true answer be given for the above examples the reader may disbelieve the answer. The sport in itself addresses many individual facets, of which positive ramifications result, which are used as the catalyst for the further development of education, dogdom, animal husbandry, sport, entertainment, competition, assessment, desirable social attributes and respect for nature. WORKING GERMAN SHEPHERDS AUSTRALIA The sport is exactly that, a vehicle whereby the competencies of the individuals training well bred genetically balanced animals compete against each other against an established and proven standard. The competition and challenge is personal and amongst fellow competitors due to the time and sacrifice required, a sense of achievement is gained once successful. The animals required for entry to the sport must be of unquestionable character, temperament and soundness before entry can be gained. The success and knowledge gained ensures the further reassurance of a genetic pool of animals ideally suited to the desirable social requirements of our society. In Australia the Kennel Controls have no assessment or testing criteria for the temperament and character of animals, particularly the nervous stability. You do not find this anywhere else in Business, Education, Industry - Service or Production, where the service or product must be tested against a standard. If no measure or validation is performed, how can or where is the objective evidence of the performance of function. To grossly summarise, the purpose of the sport could be expressed as an assessment of the training, genetic attributes, competition and education. Q. What benefits does Schutzhund/Dogsport bring to both society and the dog? A. This lies in two parts. Firstly to society, statistical data shows that trained dogs are safer than untrained dogs. The dog learns to live and learn with people. He also learns the command, the action and to obey. This promotes not only his own well being but also his acceptance in society. Dog training also educates the owner of his responsibilities to his/her dog and his/her social responsibilities of dog ownership. Further it enhances their cynological education. It practically teaches them to understand canine communication to like and unlike species. It then gives them, if they choose to breed their dogs, the ability to select appropriate breeding partners and to pass factual knowledge onto the purchasers of their stock. Secondly, the benefit of Schutzhund sport to the dog is thus. In the past the areas in which dogs were used was greater. These animals were able, due to their use as guard, hunting and drover dogs, to live out their species related natural drives. Today it is very restricted or not at all possible to use the family and companion dog for this kind of work. Long walks are mainly the only possibility to balance the deficit of their activity. A similar problem was encountered with horses and thus the development of equestrian and horse racing type activities. Alternatively, the Schutzhund/Dogsport work offers the opportunity to release excessive energy and the accumulation of other drives and this should not be under estimated. The further well being of the dog is enhanced through training by the physical activity and mental stimulation that is produced. We trust you will appreciate that given the complexities of this sport we have only briefly touched on the subject. We would be pleased to provide further clarification and explanation of this internationally recognised sport. |
