Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to have a German Shepherd Dog to do this?
The sport is designed for all athletic dogs with correct working abilities and is not restricted to a particular group or breed of dog. The dog must be physically able to jump the one-meter jump holding a dumbbell, but there's a lot about what is in the dog's head, too.

I have a German Shepherd Dog. Can it do Schutzhund?
Many factors -- one of which can be breed -- determine what makes a successful Schutzhund dog. Stable temperament, desire for play, physical soundness, confidence, and many other characteristics must be considered. We would be happy to help you evaluate your dog for the sport if you're interested.

Is it true that training my dog in Schutzhund will make it want to bite people or that the dog will be unreliable around children, visitors, etc?
Absolutely not! Many of our club members have small children, and all of us have our Schutzhund dogs in the house all the time. We have found that the dog's basic temperament has much more to do with his manners around strangers than any training. If anything, the training we do makes most dogs that are suited to the work more confident and secure, and less bothered by unusual circumstances.

This sport looks dangerous. Does anyone ever get hurt?

Accidents can happen anywhere. Every effort is made to ensure that accidents are minimized. There are probably more accidents involving handlers tripping over their own leaches than anything else.

My dog loves to play tug, has a lot of energy, and I want to do more with him than just throw the ball once in a while. How do I find out whether my dog and I should try this?
Training for Schutzhund is a lot of fun, and tremendously rewarding, but it is also very time-consuming.

What is a helper?

The helper is the “bad guy” in the protection phase of Schutzhund.

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