Schutzhund maintains a critical role as part of the breed evaluation test but has also developed into a highly competitive sport with trials held all over the world. Other breeds participate in the sport of Schutzhund, but the vast majority of dogs are German Shepherds. Schutzhund is intended to demonstrate the dog's intelligence and utility along with mental stability, endurance, structural efficiency, scenting ability, willingness to work, courage and trainability.

There are three parts in a Schutzhund trial. The dog must pass all three parts in order to be awarded a title. Throughout all three phases, the dog is evaluated for temperament. This sport is fun and enjoyable but also represents dedication and a significant investment of time.

The Tracking Phase
The tracking phase includes a temperament test conducted by the judge to ensure the dog is approachable and relates well to people. The judge approaches the dog which is kept on a loose lead. The handler is then asked to walk his dog on a loose lead in a group of neutral people. If the dog demonstrates any shyness or aggressiveness, it is immediately dismissed from the trial.    The track is laid by a person walking on a surface such as dirt or grass. The track is aged for a period of time, and contains several turns and several small articles which the dog is expected to indicate. The dog is expected to stay on the track, make the turns accurately and demonstrate a deep nose throughout the track. The dog must indicate the articles usually by laying down with the article between its front paws. The tracking phase is a test of the dog's trainability and ability to scent, as well as its mental and physical endurance. The dog must receive a score of at least 70 points in order to pass this phase.

 The Obedience Phase
Schutzhund obedience consists of several on-lead and off-lead heeling exercises which demonstrate the dog's willing attention to the handler. The heeling exercise involves the dog moving through a group of people while being very attentive to the handler and readily working through the obedience routine while another dog is on the field in an honoring down stay.   There is a gun shot test administered during the off-lead heeling and during the down-stay. The dog must not show any reaction to the shots being fired. The gun shot temperament test ensures that the dog is sound sure and will not react to sharp noises. German Shepherds are used in a variety of police, service and protection work requiring exposure to noises. Since sound sensitivity is in large part a genetic trait, the gun shot test is important so that only sound sure dogs will pass. If a dog shows any reaction (either aggression or fear) to gun shots, it is immediately dismissed from the trial.   The obedience phase consists of other exercises similar to AKC obedience including the sit-in-motion, down-in-motion, stand-in-motion and recalls to the handler. The dog must retrieve a dumbbell of various weights on the flat, over a one-meter high jump and over a six-foot A-frame. The dog is expected to perform a send-away which involves running in a straight direction away from the handler on command and must perform the honoring down while another dog and handler work on the field.  The obedience exercises get more demanding with each level of Schutzhund. All exercises for a SchH3 are done off-lead. Throughout the obedience phase, the judge evaluates the dog not only on the accuracy and correctness of the exercise but on the willingness with which the dog performs. The dog must demonstrate accuracy, speed and a willing attitude in order to be awarded full points. All of the obedience exercises are tests of the dog's temperament, structural efficiencies, and its willingness to work. The obedience phase also tests the handler's ability to train. It is a beautiful picture to see a handler and dog working as a happy team. A passing score for obedience is 70 points.

The Protection Phase
The protection phase tests the dog's courage, strength and agility. Throughout the protection phase, the handler must demonstrate absolute control of the dog.   The first part of protection consists of "running the blinds." The blinds sometimes resemble canvas teepees and represent hiding places for the "bad guy" who is actually the helper or decoy. In SchH1, the dog searches 2 blinds, but in SchH2 and SchH3, the dog searches 6 blinds crisscrossing a soccer size field. When the dog finds the helper in the 6th blind, he must energetically approach barking continuously showing guarding behavior without touching the helper.  Later the dog must pursue the helper when he attempts an escape and hold the grip on a burlap sleeve fully and firmly even while being hit with a padded stick. The stick hits are done by an experienced helper and administered carefully to not injure the dog. The hits do demonstrate clearly the dog's courage under attack. If a dog leaves the helper when he administers the stick hits, the dog is excused from the trial. The strong dog actually grips the sleeve harder upon the stick hits showing strong courage and fight drive.  The dog must also show tremendous control during the back transport. The handler and dog are several paces back following the helper. Suddenly the helper turns to attack the handler. The dog without verbal command should immediately launch himself at the helper with a full, hard and calm grip on the sleeve.  The final and most dramatic test is the pursuit. On direction from the judge, the handler and dog go to one end of the field while the helper goes to the opposite end of the field. The helper aggressively moves towards the handler and dog. The dog must remain calm and focused while this is occurring. At the judge's signal, the handler releases the dog who must again pursue the helper with courage and engage with a full and hard grip.  In all instances where the dog grips the sleeve, it must release from the sleeve at the handler's direction or when the helper discontinues the fight. The handler is allowed three commands to get the dog to release the sleeve. If the dog does not release during any of the gripping phases, it is excused from the trial.  During the entire protection phase, the dog must be obedient to the handler. If the handler does not have this control, serious point deductions will occur or the dog will be excused. The dog is judged by its overall drive to perform this work and its courage and hardness in pursuing the helper and taking stick hits. The judge also wants a grip on the sleeve that is full, hard and calm even when the dog is being strongly challenged by the helper. A passing score for protection is 80 points, and the dog is also evaluated as pronounced or sufficient. The dog must pass all three of these phases at a single trial (usually in one day) in order to be awarded a Schutzhund title. For the handler, the title signifies a major accomplishment for many months and years of hard training. For the dog, the title is a major step towards meeting breeding requirements.

BH
The BH title is a companion dog test and the first step towards the Schutzhund titles. A dog must earn the BH before competing for the Schutzhund I title. In most cases the BH will not appear as a separate title after the dog's name. It is understood that if the dog is Schutzhund titled, it has already passed the BH.   While this title involves many of the same elements as SchH1 obedience, the principal focus of a BH is the temperament test. But the dog must pass obedience before proceeding to the temperament portion of the BH. The obedience exercises are heeling on and off-lead, sit-in-motion, down-in-motion, recall and the long down honoring another dog who is working on the field. Also, as in all Schutzhund obedience, gunshots are fired from a blank pistol during the heeling portion and the down-stay, and the dog must remain neutral, showing neither aggression nor avoidance.  The temperament portion varies somewhat depending on the judge, but the test shares common elements. The dog must demonstrate calmness and security among a group of people milling close by. It must also be neutral towards a jogger, bicycle and vehicle. The dog must show no dog aggression when another dog is walked nearby. Finally, the dog should show loyalty to the handler by coming when called off lead. There is no numerical score publicized for a BH; the dog either passes or fails.

AD
This is an endurance test that must be accomplished for breed survey (korung) eligibility. Basically, the dog runs 20 kilometers (about 12.5 miles) with a handler who is bicycling. The dog is on lead. The speed is 7.7 to 9.5 miles per hour. There are a couple of short rest periods during the run where the judge examines the dog for sore feet or any other problem which would cause the run to be discontinued.  At the end of run, the dog must perform heeling exercises so the judge can evaluate the physical and mental condition of the dog. The AD is technically not a title or training degree but is an important test to demonstrate that the dog has proper structure and mental toughness to endure long periods of physical work so important in maintaining the working characteristics of the breed. During this test, the safety of the dog is paramount. Weather must be cool, and the dog is closely observed for any signs of difficulty.

FH
This is an advanced tracking title awarded by USA and the SV. This title is discussed in greater detail on this web site. The FH is an advanced tracking test requiring the dog work a 1000-1400 pace track laid by a stranger. The track is aged at least 3 hours, has six corners, several cross tracks, a change in terrain and requires the dog to cross a road. The dog must also indicate four articles.

. KKL (Korklasse)
The designation which follows a dog's name which has been Breed Surveyed (Korung).

Körung
German term for the Breed Survey. The Breed Survey (Körung in German) is indicated by KKL1 or KKL2 after a dog's name and titles. It is a demanding examination of a dog's suitability for breeding. As part of the Breed Survey, the dog's structural qualities are thoroughly examined including weight and height. The temperament of the dog is also closely examined through a test for gun sensitivity and a test of the dog's protection capabilities.  You might wonder if any German Shepherd could participate in these tests. The answer is that before a dog can even be considered for the Breed Survey, it must meet several requirements. The dog must demonstrate sound nerve and temperament by passing the BH obedience and temperament test. The dog must be titled in Schutzhund which involves many months and years of training in tracking, obedience and protection. The dog's hips must be OFA certified or receive the equivalent rating from Germany indicated by the "a" stamp designation. The dog must have passed the AD test demonstrating physical soundness by running over 12 miles while the handler bicycles. The dog must also be tattooed and have a show rating of at least G (good) at a German style conformation show.   There are other details that the Breed Survey Master will note on the papers such as pigmentation, coat type, eye and toenail color, expression, firmness of back and pasterns, proper dentition, correctness of ears and correctness of the movement coming and going. The Breed Survey report may also include recommendations for breeding or add precautions that certain bloodlines should be avoided. The report may also indicate the dog's special qualities or shortcomings.   The Breed Survey Master can place the dog in KKL1, which means "highly recommended for breeding," or KKL2, which means still "suitable for breeding." In some instances, a dog does not qualify for either category in which case the dog is "not recommended for breeding." Many criteria determine whether the dog is placed in KKL1 or KKL2. For example, it the dog exceeds the height in the standards by one centimeter, it will be placed in KKL2. If the dog is more than one centimeter oversized or undersized, it will be ineligible to receive the Breed Survey at all. Missing specific teeth will also either place the dog in the KKL2 category or make it totally ineligible. The dog's performance in the protection work is also a factor. If he rates "sufficient" (vorhanden), the dog can only be placed into KKL2. Generally speaking, the show rating must be SG (very good) or V (excellent) for the dog to receive a KKL1.

Schutzhund (SchH)
A German word that literally translated means "protection dog." Schutzhund is a demanding sport testing a dog's temperament and willingness to perform tracking, obedience and protection.  SchH, IPO, VK, SVV, WPO are all abbreviations for Schutzhund in various countries.

 SG (sehr gut)
Literally means "very good" in German. When SG precedes a dog's name, it means it has received a very good rating in a German style conformation show. This is the highest rating that can be earned by a non-titled dog. The V rating in conformation can only be awarded when a dog has a Schutzhund title.

V (Vorzuglich)
Is the German word for excellent. The V designation when preceding a dog's name indicates that it has been evaluated as excellent in a German style conformation show. In order to earn the V the dog must be entered in the working classes meaning it must have a Schutzhund title. The V is reserved for dogs with excellent conformation and movement. It is the highest conformation rating that can be awarded in a local or regional show.

VA (Vorzuglich-Auslese)
Means excellent-select. The VA proceeds a dog's name and means that it has earned the highest possible conformation title possible, and it has demonstrated pronounced hardness, courage and fighting instincts in the protection test. The dog must be virtually flawless in structure and meet the German breed standard in every respect. The VA title is only awarded at the German Sieger Show and at large national shows in other countries including the United States.

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