Schutzhund

Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (SV) / Germany
Slovenska unia chovatelov nemeckych ovciakov (SUCHNO) / Republic of Slovakia
German Shepherd Schutzhund Club of Canada

KNPV

The dogs and handlers work as a team in the three categories of the Schutzhund (protection) program: Tracking, Obedience, and Protection. The exercises consist of the following:

• Tracking: The dog must retrace the path of a person (400-1500+ yards with 2-4 turns) after 20-60 minutes have elapsed and be able to find 2-3 lost articles, regardless of weather conditions.
• Obedience: The dog must follow the handler's orders to heel, jump, retrieve, retrieve over a 6 foot wall and send away, both on and off the leash. The dog must not be intimidated by any distractions, including the sound of a gun or a group of strangers milling about.
• Protection: The dog must, without handler assistance, respond properly in critical situations, like finding and warning his handler of a hidden person, preventing an assault on his handler, and stopping the villain from escaping. The dog must distinguish between a harmless bystander and a potentially dangerous person. He must display courage but restraint on his own when the agitator gives up.