The Schutzhund titles

The Schutzhund Titles

By Martin Wahl

motivational training can start very early	The Schutzhund test has three levels. For SchH1 (SchH = short for Schutzhund) the dog must be at least 18 months old, have a BH title (Begleithund, similar to the AKC/CKC’s CD, but includes some traffic tests) and pass an initial temperament test by the judge. The dog must heel on leash and off, demonstrate the walking sit, the walking down, and the stay tests, as well as the send-out. It must retrieve on the flat and over a hurdle. In tracking, it must be able to follow a track laid by its handler at least 20 minutes earlier. There are also protection tests. Passing of the first Schutzhund trial is like passing the gates into Schutzhund heaven. It’s an initiation into the upper regions of a dog-human relationship that most ordinary pet owners never experience and therefore can’t imagine. The next two levels are mostly for the competition minded dog owner. For SchH2, the dog must be at least 19 month old and must already have earned its SchH 1 degree. It must again pass all of the obedience and protection tests required for the SchH 1 degree, however, the SchH 2 tests are more difficult and require greater endurance, agility, and, above all, control. There is an additional retrieve required over the six foot slanted wall. In tracking, the SchH 2 candidate must be able to follow a track laid by a stranger at least 30 minutes earlier. For SchH3, the master’s degree, the dog must be at least 20 month old and must have earned both the SchH 1 and the SchH 2 titles, and the tests are made far more difficult. All exercises in obedience and protection are demonstrated off leash. There is the addition of a walking and a running stand. In tracking, the dog must follow a track that was laid by a stranger at least 50 minutes earlier. The track has four turns, compared with two for SchH1 and 2, and there are three objects, rather than two, that must be found by the dog. The picture of obedience, strength, eagerness, and confidence presented by an excellent SchH 3 team is a beautiful illustration of the partnership of human and dog. What is the judge looking for in the dog? At all three levels, each of the three phases: tracking, obedience, and protection, is worth 100 points, for a total of 300 points. If a dog does not receive a minimum of 70 points in tracking and obedience, and 80 in protection - or if the dog fails the temperament tests at the beginning or during the trial - it is not awarded a degree that day and must repeat the entire test, passing all phases of the test at a later trial. In every event, the judge is looking for an eager, concentrating, and accurate working, but most of all, for a happy dog. Higher ratings and scores are given to the dog that doesn’t show signs of heavy handed training.

first 'real' success
beyond Schutzhund

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