Showing Off Your Dog

In this chapter

• Looking at what your dog needs to know to earn obedience titles
• Earning tracking, agility, and herding titles
• Reviewing Schutzhund requirements

Something about dogs, and maybe German Shepherds in particular, brings out the human need to proclaim, “My dog’s better than your dog!” The crazier owners actually set out to prove it.

But dog competitions are more than frivolous contests. At their best, they’re a way to strengthen the human-dog bond, develop a partnership to its fullest, and allow your dog to be all that he can be (without joining the army). Competitions also provide a relatively impartial opinion of which dogs have the right stuff to be the parents of tomorrow’s German Shepherds. If you plan on breeding your dog, you owe it to his future puppies and their owners to prove your dog’s mettle in some area of competition. Luckily, you have lots of choices. This chapter explains the various types of competitions and how they work.

Conforming to the Standard of Perfection

A German Shepherd’s build reflects his athletic heritage. This build has always been an important consideration in the breed’s development. At conformation shows, judges evaluate how well each dog conforms to the physical standard of perfection while standing and moving. In the United States, shows are held every weekend, and a variety of judges make the choices (usually the wrong choices, according to most of the exhibitors except for the winners).

As long as your GSD doesn’t have any disqualifying traits (see Chapter Setting the Standard for the Breed), he is eligible to compete in conformation shows. Winning may be a little tougher. You need to train and groom your dog — and yourself — before you start lugging home trophies.

How the shows work

German Shepherds are shown unlike any other dog breed. Other breeds are expected to pose four-square, but the German Shepherd has a distinctive show stance that makes him look like an action figure ready to spring. The front legs are placed straight down and parallel, like most other breeds, and the left rear leg is placed so that the hock is perpendicular to the ground, like most other breeds. But the right rear leg has crept up farther and farther as the years have passed, so that now GSDs look like runners in their blocks, ready to take off. Figure 16-1 ­illustrates this stance.

Other breeds are expected to trot nicely at their handler’s sides without pulling; German Shepherds are expected to run well in front of their handlers and lead the way around the ring. Most dogs do one turn around the ring and are through; Shepherds may make many laps at all-breed shows. Some specialty shows start to resemble the Daytona 500.

FIGURE 16-1: The German Shepherd show stance.

Other breeds are expected to look at their handlers, perhaps focusing on a morsel of food that the handler is holding. A German Shepherd is expected to look past his handler out of the ring. Here’s where it gets a little tricky: The AKC frowns on a practice known as double-handling, in which people outside the ring attract the attention of a dog being shown. In fact, a judge can excuse a dog from the ring and refuse to judge him if he’s being double-handled. Yet the German Shepherd ring is known as the mecca of double-handlers, all trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to be subtle as they race from one side of the ring to the other using all their ventriloquist training to make noises without showing any visible sign of their source. Just don’t get in their way!

How to get your dog involved

Most local kennel clubs offer handling classes where you can learn the fundamentals of conformation showing. Many also hold occasional match shows, in which everybody is there for practice, including the judges. Don’t take a match win or loss too seriously, and at any show, no matter how obviously feebleminded you think the judge is, keep your opinion to yourself.

If the idea of running around a ring leaves you cold, or if the idea of losing a lot is unappealing to you, you can hire a professional handler to show your dog for you. Handlers are very good at what they do, and they know how to get the most out of a dog; Shepherds have a habit of being too mellow when shown by their owners but look much more alert when seeking their owners ringside. As a result, your odds of winning are greater with a professional at first (as long as the professional is a GSD specialist). Contact an organization such as the Dog Handler’s Guild (612-682-3366, or www.infodog.com/misc/dhg/dhgmain.htm) for a referral. Nonetheless, he’s your dog, and there’s nothing like the thrill of winning when you’re at the other end of the lead!

You may enter any class for which your dog is eligible:

• Puppy: For puppies between 6 and 12 months of age. This class is often split into two classes: Puppy 6-9 months and Puppy 9-12 months.
• 12-18 Months: For youngsters between 12 and 18 months of age.
• Novice: For dogs who have won fewer than a certain minimal number of first placements (depending on the class in which they were won).
• American-Bred: For dogs who were bred in the United States. This class is often used for dogs who are no longer youngsters or novices but are still inexperienced.
• Bred-by-Exhibitor: For dogs bred, owned, and handled by the same person (or an immediate family member).
• Open: For any dog over 6 months of age.
• Best of Breed: For dogs who have already earned their AKC Championships.

At a typical show, you enter the ring, pose your dog, trot around the ring, allow the judge to physically examine your dog while he’s posed, trot in a straight line to and from the judge, pose again, trot again, and then (hopefully) run to the first-place marker. The judge chooses first through fourth place in each class. After all the classes within a sex are judged, the first-place winner from each class is called back into the ring to compete against the other first-place winners for Winners, with the dog selected Winners winning points toward his Championship title. The number of points can vary from 0 to 5, depending on how many dogs are in competition — the more dogs who are competing, the higher the number of points awarded to the winner. To become an AKC Champion (Ch), your GSD must win 15 points including two majors (wins of 3, 4, or 5 points at one time).

PARTICIPATING IN SV SHOWS

Some GSD exhibitors prove their dogs at SV shows, which are held in the United States through the United Schutzhund Clubs of America (USA) and the Working Dog Alliance (WDA) section of the German Shepherd Dog Club of America. Classes are divided by age and sex, with no interage or intersex competition. Puppies are rated as very promising (VP), promising (P), or less promising (LP); older dogs are rated as very good (SG), good (G), or rarely sufficient, insufficient, or excused. Working class entrants must have a working title (either Schutzhund or the SV herding title — see the “Schutzhund” section at the end of this chapter) and certified hips. Only these dogs are eligible to receive a rating of Excellent (V). The Excellent Select (VA) title is awarded only at prestigious national shows, and dogs must have slightly higher levels of working certification to be eligible. The SV show ring is much larger, and a lot of running is involved. An outer ring is included for the double-handlers to run around and get the dogs’ attention. Unlike AKC shows, double-handling is expected and has reached the level of an art form. Also, unlike AKC shows, the judge critiques every entrant. In all but the puppy classes, a couple of gunshots are fired to evaluate the dogs’ temperament.

The Winners in each sex (that is, the Winners Dog and the Winners Bitch) then return to the ring to compete for Best of Breed against all the German Shepherds who are already Champions. (A dog who has already earned the Ch title is not required to compete in the classes.) The dog selected as the best GSD goes on to represent the breed in the Herding Group competition. German Shepherds have proven themselves to be formidable competitors in the group, and those who do win the Herding Group go on to compete for Best in Show. The winner of the most Best in Shows of all breeds in AKC history is (of course!) a German Shepherd bitch, Ch Altana’s Mystique.

Remember

Because a German Shepherd is so much a true family member, having your noble dog placed last in his class can hurt. To survive as a GSD competitor, you must be able to separate your own ego and self-esteem from your dog’s. Do not allow your dog’s ability to win in competition cloud your perception of his true worth in his primary role: that of friend and companion. A dog who is last in his class but first in his owner’s heart is far better off than an unloved dog who places first in any competition.

Scoring an A in Obedience

H.I.T. is obedience lingo for High in Trial: the supreme award given to the top dog at an obedience trial, and an award that is no stranger to German Shepherds. Generations of attention to temperament and intelligence have placed the GSD among the top competitors in trials.

Several organizations, including the AKC, the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), and the United Kennel Club (UKC), sponsor obedience trials for all breeds with progressively more difficult levels. The lowest level of AKC Companion Dog (CD) requires your dog to do the following:

• Heel on lead, sitting automatically each time you stop; negotiating right, left, and about turns without guidance from you; and changing to a faster and slower pace.
• Heel in a figure 8 around two people, still on lead.
• Stand still off lead 6 feet away from you and allow a judge to touch him.
• Do the exercises in the first item in this list, except off lead.
• Come to you when called from 20 feet away, and then return to the Heel position on command.
• Stay in a Sit position with a group of other dogs, with you 20 feet away, for one minute.
• Stay in a Down position with the same group, with you 20 feet away, for three minutes.

As the degrees get higher, the exercises get more difficult — but also a lot more fun. To earn the Companion Dog Excellent (CDX) degree, a dog must

• Heel off lead, including executing a figure 8.
• Come when called from 20 feet away, but drop to a Down position when told to do so partway to you, and then complete the recall when called again.
• Retrieve a thrown dumbbell when told to do so (see Figure 16-2).
• Retrieve a thrown dumbbell, leaving and returning over a high jump.
• Jump over a broad jump when told to do so.
• Stay in a Sit position with a group of dogs, with you out of sight, for three minutes.
• Stay in a Down position with a group of dogs, with you out of sight, for five minutes.

FIGURE 16-2: To earn the CDX title, a dog must retrieve a thrown dumbbell.

The Utility Dog (UD) degree is a chance for your canine Einstein to really show off! This title requires a dog to

• Heel, Stay, Sit, Down, and Come in response to hand signals.
• Retrieve a leather article scented by the handler from among five other unscented articles.
• Retrieve a metal article scented by the handler from among five other unscented articles.
• Retrieve a glove designated by the handler from among three gloves placed in different locations.
• Stop and stand on command while heeling and allow a judge to physically examine him with the handler standing 10 feet away.
• Trot away from the handler for about 40 feet until told to stop, at which point he turns and sits until directed to jump one of two jumps (a solid or bar jump) and return to the handler.
• Repeat the preceding exercise, but jump the other jump.

A judge scores every exercise. To receive a passing score, a dog must pass each exercise and receive 170 out of a possible 200 points. Each passing score is called a leg, and earning a title takes three legs.

Sound easy? Then why stop there? How about a Utility Dog Excellent, which requires your dog (who must already have his UD) to earn legs in both Open (CDX) and Utility classes at the same trials, not once but ten times?

Or how about an Obedience Trial Champion (OTCH, pronounced “otch”)? All that’s required is for your dog (already a UD, of course) to place first or second in either Open or Utility classes, including three first places, until he earns 100 points. For each placement, the dog is awarded a certain number of points, depending on how many dogs were in competition (but don’t confuse this point scale with the conformation point scale; they are entirely separate). Few dogs of any breed have earned the OTCH degree, but German Shepherds are among them.

The United Kennel Club offers comparable obedience titles: U-CD, U-CDX, and U-UD. The UKC titles are a little bit tougher, but the UKC trials have a more relaxed atmosphere that many exhibitors find refreshing. Many people enjoy competing in both UKC and AKC obedience trials.

Obedience clubs often sponsor dog obedience classes, which are a must if you plan to compete in trials. They are a valuable source of training advice and encouragement from experienced obedience competitors, and also provide an environment filled with distractions similar to the one you will encounter at an actual trial. Perhaps most of all, they provide a ready source of shoulders to cry on for all those trials you should have passed.

Remember

If you enter competition with your GSD, remember this golden rule: Companion Dog means just that. Being upset at your dog because he made a mistake defeats the purpose of obedience as a way of promoting a harmonious partnership between trainer and dog. In the scope of life, failing a trial is an insignificant event. Never let a ribbon or a few points become more important than a trusting relationship with your companion.

Tracking Down Titles

Of all the dog sports available to all the breeds, tracking is the least popular. Why? Could it be that people don’t enjoy sharing a quiet, misty morning in the field with their dogs? That they don’t enjoy watching a dog do what humans can scarcely comprehend? That they don’t want to teach their dogs one of the most useful skills a dog can know? These reasons seem unlikely.

Of all the breeds that participate in tracking trials, German Shepherds are among the most common. Could it be because German Shepherd people are a little different from other dog owners? Probably. Could it be because German Shepherds are good at tracking? Definitely.

The following list describes the AKC titles available in this sport:

• A dog earns the Tracking Dog (TD) title by following a 440- to 500-yard track with three to five turns laid from 30 minutes to 2 hours before.
• A dog earns the Tracking Dog Excellent (TDX) title by following an older (three to five hours) and longer (800 to 1,000 yards) track with five to seven turns, in some more challenging circumstances. One of these circumstances is the existence of cross tracks laid by another track layer about 1½ hours after the first track was laid. In addition, the actual track may cross various types of terrain and obstacles, including plowed land, woods, streams, bridges, and lightly traveled roads.
• A dog earns the Variable Surface Tracking (VST) title by following a three- to five-hour track, 600 to 800 yards long, over a variety of surfaces such as you might normally encounter when tracking in the real world. At least three different surface areas are included, of which at least one must include vegetation and at least two must be devoid of vegetation (for example, sand or concrete). Tracks may even go through buildings and may be crossed by animal, pedestrian, or vehicular traffic.
• A dog earns the Champion Tracker (TC) title by earning the TD, TDX, and VST titles.

The SV offers the FH and FH2 titles for tracking.

The way you should start training your dog depends on what motivates your dog. For chow hounds, you can begin by walking a simple path and dropping little treats along it. The dog will soon learn that he can find treats simply by following your trail. As training progresses, you drop the treats farther and farther apart, until eventually you leave only the mother lode of treats at the end of the trail.

If your dog is motivated more by the desire to be with you, you can have a helper hold your dog while you hide a very short distance away. Then have the helper allow the dog to find you. Gradually increase the distance and make sure that the dog is using his nose to locate you.

Of course, the actual tracking tests require considerably more training, but you’re on the right track in teaching your dog to follow his nose!

Jumping into Agility

German Shepherds set the standard for military and police dogs and early on excelled in jumping, sprinting, climbing, balancing, and crawling, overcoming just about any obstacle in their path. For years, pet owners wondered why only these dogs got to have all the fun. Today, the sport of agility — the fastest-growing dog sport in the United States — enables dogs of all breeds to hone their skills on an obstacle course made up of open and closed tunnels, an elevated walk-over, an A-frame climb-over, a seesaw, weave poles, a pause table, and several types of jumps. Not surprisingly, German Shepherds take it all in stride.

The obstacles are arranged in various configurations that vary from trial to trial. Handlers can give unlimited commands but can’t touch the obstacles or the dogs or use food, toys, whistles, or training or guiding devices in the ring. Dogs lose points for refusing an obstacle, knocking down a jump, missing a contact zone, taking obstacles out of sequence, and exceeding the time limit. To get a qualifying score, a dog must earn 85 out of a possible 100 points with no nonqualifying deductions.

Classes are divided by height, with most GSDs competing in the two highest height divisions (18 to 22 inches and 22 inches and over, at the withers). These dogs jump heights of 20 and 24 inches, respectively.

The obstacles and their requirements are as follows:

• The A-Frame requires the dog to climb over two 8- or 9-foot boards, each 3 to 4 feet wide, positioned so that they form an A-frame with a peak about 5 to 5½ feet off the ground.
• The Dog Walk requires the dog to climb a sloping panel and walk across a suspended section and down another sloping panel. Each panel is 1 foot wide and either 8 or 12 feet long; the horizontal bridge section is 3 or 4 feet high.
• The Seesaw requires the dog to traverse the length of a 1 foot x 12 foot sloping panel supported near its center by a fulcrum base, so that when the dog passes the center, the plank teeters to rest on its other end.
• The Pause Table requires the dog to stop and either sit or lie down for five seconds on top of a table approximately 3 feet square and 16 or 24 inches high (depending on the height category).
• The Open Tunnel requires the dog to run through a flexible tube that’s about 2 feet in diameter, 10 to 20 feet long, and curved so that the dog can’t see the exit from the entrance.
• The Closed Tunnel requires the dog to run through a lightweight fabric chute that’s about 12 to 15 feet long, with a rigid entrance of about 2 feet in diameter.
• The Weave Poles require the dog to weave from left to right through a series of 6 to 12 poles spaced 20 to 24 inches apart.
• The Single Bar Jumps require the dog to jump over a narrow bar without knocking it off.
• The Panel Jump requires the dog to jump over a solid-appearing wall without displacing the top panel.
• The Double Bar Jump (or Double Oxer) requires the dog to jump two parallel bars positioned at the jump heights specified for the Single Bar Jump, and situated a distance of one-half the jump height from each other.
• The Triple Bar Jump requires the dog to jump a series of three ascending bars, in which the horizontal distance between adjacent bars is one-half the jump height and the vertical distance is one-quarter the jump height.
• The Tire Jump (or Circle Jump) requires the dog to jump through a circular object resembling a tire suspended from a rectangular frame, approximately 2 feet in diameter, with the bottom of the opening at the same height as the Single Bar Jump.
• The Window Jump requires the dog to jump through a 2-foot-square (or diameter) window opening with the bottom of the opening at the same height as the Single Bar Jump.
• The Broad Jump requires the dog to perform a single jump over a spaced series of either four 8-inch-wide or five 6-inch-wide sections.

Because safety is of utmost importance, all official jumps have easily displaceable bars in case a dog fails to clear them. All climbing obstacles have contact zones painted near the bottom that the dog must touch rather than jumping off the top. Contact equipment surfaces are roughened for good traction in both dry and wet weather.

The AKC titles, in increasing level of difficulty, are Novice Agility Dog (NAD), Open Agility Dog (OAD), Agility Dog Excellent (ADE), and Master Agility Excellent (MAX). The United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA) and United Kennel Club (UKC) also sponsor trials and award titles.

Tip

Many obedience clubs are now sponsoring agility training, but you can start some of the fundamentals at home, making your own equipment:

• Entice your dog to walk through a tunnel made of sheets draped over chairs.
• Guide him with treats to weave in and out of a series of poles made from several plumber’s helpers placed in line.
• Make him comfortable walking on a wide, raised board.
• Teach him to jump through a tire and over a hurdle.

Contact the AKC, USDAA, or UKC for more information.

Herding

They’re called German Shepherds. Get it? Then why do so many people seem surprised to see them acting like shepherds in herding trials? Remember that they were shepherds first; all the other great stuff developed later. They’re in the Herding Group because sheep are in their genes.

Several organizations hold herding trials, with those sponsored by the AKC the most popular for GSDs in the United States. The AKC awards a series of titles:

• Herding Test (HT) and Pre-Trial (PT) are noncompetitive titles based on the display of basic herding instinct and ability.
• Herding Started (HS), Herding Intermediate (HI), and Herding Excellent (HX) represent progressively more demanding titles. A dog must earn three qualifying scores for each title.
• A dog earns a Herding Championship (HCh) by winning placements in the most advanced level after completing the HX title.

The basic moves required in herding are an outrun (in which the dog runs past the stock so that the stock is between the dog and handler), a lift (in which the dog begins to move the stock), a fetch (in which the dog brings the stock back toward the handler), a pen (in which the dog moves the stock into a small pen), and, for an HX title, a shed (in which the dog separates one or more head from the herd). Three types of courses are available: The A course requires working stock through obstacles and penning within an arena. The B course requires an outrun, lift, fetch, pen, and, for an HX, a shed. A dog performs the C course with larger flocks in more open areas.

The American Herding Breed Association (AHBA) also offers a variety of herding titles:

• Herding Capability test (HCT) consists of a test of basic instinct and basic stock-moving abilities.
• Junior Herding Dog test (JHD) consists of a simple course ending in a fence-line pen.
• Herding Trial Dog trials (HTD) include three successively more difficult levels (I, II, and III), all of which include an outrun, lift, fetch, drive, and pen.
• Herding Ranch Dog trials (HRD) include a greater variety of elements and tasks more like those a working stock dog might encounter.

To earn these titles requires two qualifying scores using sheep, goats, ducks (except for HRD), geese, or sometimes cattle. A small initial following the title signifies which species that title represents.

• The Herding Trial Championship (HTCh) title is awarded after a dog earns ten additional qualifying scores after completing the HTD III or HRD III title.

German Shepherds are known more for their expertise in handling very large flocks in open areas, where they act almost as moving fences, constantly patrolling a boundary to prevent sheep from crossing. In Germany, and more recently in the United States, German Shepherds can demonstrate their ability to control large flocks in HGH trials. HGH, a herding title recognized by the SV and the USA, stands for Herdengebrauchshund (Herding Utility Dog).

Whereas AKC herding trials usually make use of flocks of five to ten sheep, SV trials use flocks of at least 200 sheep. The tasks a Shepherd faces in these trials include

• Jumping into a pen of sheep and encouraging them to leave the pen calmly.
• Keeping the sheep away from obstacles or passing cars when walking on a pathway.
• Keeping the sheep contained within a large grazing area by patrolling its boundaries.
• Circling the sheep and approaching them from the far side until the sheep move toward the handler.
• Keeping the sheep contained within a long, narrow grazing area by patrolling its boundaries.
• Keeping the sheep confined to the boundaries of a narrow road as they’re moved along it.
• Preventing sheep from avoiding a bridge they are to cross.
• On command, gripping a sheep by grabbing it on the thigh, nape, or ribs without tearing the skin.
• Repenning the sheep.
• In general, demonstrating obedience, diligence, and self-reliance.

The best way to start herding is to find someone who’s experienced in herding. Attend a herding trial and find out whether someone in your area can show you the ropes. Besides profiting from their experience, you can use their stock that is already used to dogs and, best of all, you don’t have to buy the farm in order to keep the stock.

Scoping Out Schutzhund

Schutzhund is the epitome — the very title that says German Shepherd Dog. Schutzhund was developed specifically for German Shepherds (although other breeds may also compete) to test a wide range of attributes necessary for a working dog. A Schutzhund trial requires a dog to demonstrate his tracking, obedience, and protection abilities all in the same day.

What the heck does Schutzhund mean, anyway? It’s German for “protection dog.”

Schutzhund trials have never been as popular in the United States as they are now, nor have they ever been as controversial. This controversy is partly due to a public misconception that Schutzhund dogs are simply attack dogs. Unfortunately, this perception stems in part from some bad trainers who seem to share this idea. Attack or protection training without obedience training is not Schutzhund! You’re better off not to train your dog at all than to train him only partially in this area. I can’t overemphasize the importance of finding a proper instructor.

Even before competing in a Schutzhund trial, a dog must pass the Begleithunde (BH, or companion dog) test, which consists of a basic obedience evaluation and a traffic safety exam. No, your GSD doesn’t have to parallel park, but he does have to demonstrate that he’s under control around joggers, bicyclists, cars, strange dogs, and loud noises. The Schutzhund trial itself begins with a brief temperament evaluation in which overly aggressive or uncontrollable dogs are weeded out of the competition even before it starts. Then let the games begin! A dog must pass all three phases of competition on the same day to earn a Schutzhund title.

Dogs can progress from the easiest Schutzhund title (SchH1) through SchH2 to the most difficult level, SchH3. Each level requires a dog to demonstrate abilities in tracking, obedience, and protection.

Tracking

The first phase is tracking. Tracking for the SchH1 is actually a bit easier than the tracking required for a TD. The track is somewhat shorter, about 20 minutes old, and laid by the handler. The track for the SchH2 is more difficult, being slightly longer, older, and laid by a stranger. That for the SchH3 is even longer and older yet and requires the dog to locate three dropped articles. It is comparable in difficulty to the track for the TD degree (see the “Tracking Down Titles” section, earlier in this chapter).

Obedience

The second phase of a Schutzhund trial is obedience. The basic exercises for SchH1 include

• Heeling on and off lead (including heeling into a group of people and executing a figure 8, and ignoring two gunshots).
• While walking at heel, sitting on command and staying while the handler continues to walk.
• Downing while the dog and handler are walking, with the dog remaining down while the handler continues to walk, and then coming to the handler when called.
• Retrieving a thrown article on command, both on a flat surface and over a 1-meter jump.
• Going ahead of the handler for 25 paces and downing on command.
• Remaining in the Down position with the handler in view while another contestant performs the preceding exercises.

SchH2 adds a retrieve over a 5-foot wall and substitutes the flat retrieve article with a 1-kilogram dumbbell and the high jump retrieve article with a 650-gram dumbbell.

SchH3 exercises add a stand while the dog and handler are walking and a stand while the dog and handler are running (in both of these exercises, the dog heels at the handler’s side until the handler commands the dog to stand, at which point the dog stops and stands while the handler continues to walk or run). They also substitute the flat retrieve article with a 4-pound dumbbell, and substitute the 5-foot wall with a 6-foot wall.

Protection

The third Schutzhund phase is protection.

For the SchH1 degree, the dog must search two blinds (structures that look like half-tents, in which a person can hide), and when he finds the “helper” (a threatening or attacking person dressed in heavy padding) must hold him in position by barking. When the helper attacks the handler, the dog must attack and hold the helper by biting him, even when the helper hits the dog twice with a fiberglass stick. The dog must pursue and stop a fleeing helper. In all cases, the dog must release the helper immediately when commanded by the handler. (Parts of a couple of these exercises are done on lead.)

For the SchH2 degree, the dog must search six blinds. Upon finding the helper, the dog must bark but return to the handler when commanded. When the helper tries to escape, the dog must stop him by biting hard and must release when the helper freezes. The dog must again bite the helper when the helper threatens the dog with a fiberglass stick. The dog must watch the helper as the handler searches him. The dog must walk next to the handler as they escort the helper ahead of them; when the helper turns and tries to attack the handler, the dog must stop the helper by biting.

For the SchH3 degree, the dog performs similar exercises as for the SchH2 but does the whole thing off lead.

Remember

A well-trained Schutzhund dog is a dependable protector and a trustworthy companion. A poorly trained one is a danger to society. Do it right or don’t do it at all.

by D. Caroline Coile, PhD