German Shepherd Schutzhund training courses is a sport activity that established in Germany in the early 20 th century as a way to test a range of German Shepherd Schutzhund breeds for potential use as police dogs. Rather than using a dog's appearance as a way of determining if the dog would be effective, Schutzhund allowed trainers to find the best suited dogs for the position. Nowadays, numerous types are permitted to participate in Schutzhund training courses, though very few dogs actually pass
The Core of Schutzhund Dog Training
Schutzhund training courses is definitely rigid, highly structured process that has evolved throughout the last 100 years. It is markedly less abusive toward the dogs than when it started, but still just as strict, as is necessary to fully evaluate each animal. While in the past, almost all of the Schutzhund training courses that took place took it's origin from a few manuals and organized courses, right now there are DVDs and video tutorials that help dog owners start the training process.
The particular training courses will test a dog in a great deal of different specific behaviors that are best for police work, including tracking, sniffing, protection, and retrieving. Most Schutzhund dog training will begin when the dog is no lots of weeks old and will last for weeks or even months to guarantee the dog is well suited for the job.
The Quality of Schutzhund
There are many different aspects of Schutzhund training courses. The program you use will also depend on which video tutorials or behavior training process you prescribe to. Most Schutzhund courses will target the following, however:
Clicker Training - Not all Schutzhund trainers will use clickers, but it's considered a nearly universal method that works extremely well with German Shepherds and other Schutzhund suitable types. Training courses with a clicker should be begin at a very young age - around 10 weeks.
Behavior training - Basic obedience training is the first true test in Schutzhund dog training. There are 10-11 basic behavior training commands used in most programs. These include "focus and attention", "sit, down and stand", front, pointing out of an object, targeting, heel positioning, heeling, retrieving, jumping, motion exercises, and "go out". Full completion requires mastery of all 11 training points.
Tracking - Dogs training to track different objects, including drugs, bombs, and cadavers, will be trained exclusively in tracking methods. Using the "targeting" and "pointing out of an object" behavior training cues, Schutzhund dog training courses will teach the dog to recognize the specific scent of their target and then to pursue until called off.
Protection - Dogs are often trained to protect, as may be 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 may be trained to protect a specific object or person without commands.
The essence of Schutzhund is to provide a dog with a very highly specific set of skills they can use to complete a given task quickly and efficiently. Dogs in official training courses programs might complete training courses at a rate of 20% or lower. However, Schutzhund dog training can be just as effective as an behavior training regimen for dog owners at home.
If you're considering using Schutzhund to train your own dog, be sure to research the a variety of training training based on their success rates and the underlying philosophies used.