Can Your Dog Survive Schutzhund Dog Training? - By: SA Kent

The Basics of Schutzhund Dog Training

Schutzhund training has slowly evolved for many years and thus it has created a highly structured, very rigid process. It is markedly less abusive toward the dogs than when it started, however there still are strict requirements that are needed to evaluate each dog. While in the past, the majority of Schutzhund training that happened was taught from a small collection of manuals and organized courses, with the wealth of training materials offered today, dog owners have a variety of video or DVD's which allow them to begin faster.

The standard training will test a dog in a multitude of different behaviors that are suitable for the demands of police work, for example tracking, sniffing, protection, and retrieving. A large amount of Schutzhund dog training will start once the dog is no more than a few weeks old and will last for weeks or even months to ensure the dog is well suited for the job.

The Essence of Schutzhund

Schutzhund has many sides to the training. The course you use will also depend on which videos or obedience program you prescribe to. The following will be included in the Schutzhund training:

Clicker Training - While some Schutzhund trainers will not rely on clickers, many do and it is considered a universal method that can work for German Shepherds and even other breeds trained in Schulthund. The usual time frame for a dog to use this method starts as early as 10 weeks.

Obedience - The first real assessment in the Schutzhund training is that of dog obedience. There are 10-11 basic obedience commands used in most programs. Included in these are "focus and attention", "sit, down and stand", front, pointing out of an object, targeting, heel positioning, heeling, retrieving, jumping, motion exercises, and "go out". Once the dog has master all eleven training points, that would be considered full completion.

Tracking - Once the dogs are trained to track things like drugs, bombs or cadavers, will be trained especially in tracking methods. Once the dog starts using targeting and pointing out of an object obedience cues, the Schutzhund training teaches dogs to identify a certain scent and they will pursue their target until it hears the command to be called off .

Protection - Dogs may also be trained to protect, as is the case with police dogs, attack dogs, and guard dogs. They are trained with specific commands to both identify a threat and attack that threat. Alternatively, they can be trained to protect a specific object or person without commands.

The ultimate Schutzhund dog is trained with a very specific set of skills that they can complete and finish any given task with effeciency and quickness. Dogs in official training programs might complete training at a rate of 20% or lower. However, Schutzhund dog training can be just as effective as an obedience regimen for dog owners at home.

When considering using Schutzhund to train your dog, do as much research as possible on the many training courses available and base them on their success rates and philosophy behind the program.

About the Author

Steve has enjoyed freelance writing for the last 3 years on various topics. He also has a passion for helping people with dogs. Visit his latest website at http://www.germanshepherdobediencetips.com that helps dog owners find the best Schutzhund Dog Training for their dog.

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