“The Schutzhund bug – you can run, but you can’t hide!” I saw this on a t-shirt somewhere and thought, HOW TRUE IS THAT! I have been competing in schutzhund since the year 2000, a comparative newbie in some circles, though in it long enough to have gained an appreciation for the work involved and to have put some titles on a few different dogs. The day my first dog Zeppe got his Sch3 with a 274 was one of my happiest moments (he went on to get an IPO3 as well). The work of handling and training my own dog had finally paid off. I’ve worked a few dogs since then, but am now working with Zeppe’s son Phoenix, a true joy.
I’ll never forget my initial thought about schutzhund. My mom had seen something about it on the internet and suggested I try to get involved. I thought “those people are MEAN to their dogs to get them to do those kinds of things! The dog can’t possibly enjoy it!” How WRONG I was. A few months later I was working at a facility and the owner brought out his belgian malinois. A decoy stood in front of this beautiful dog and she just shook with anticipation. The look in her eyes said she could hardly wait. The minute the cue was given it was like her body came to life and she launched to “play the game”. I was bitten by the bug. A few months later and I had Zeppe (an import from Belgium) and was involved with a schutzhund club.
There’s no describing the bond a dog and handler develops while competing. While I understand it is a sport, it also serves a purpose. Schutzhund was initially designed to be a breed evaluation test for German Shepherd Dogs. 3 phases must be passed with qualifying scores (tracking, obedience, and protection). Considered a “dog marathon”, It has throughout the years developed into an intricate dog sport, however many working dogs (law enforcement etc) come from dogs with schutzhund titles on them. A truly great handler/dog team is something beautiful to behold.
But, it DOES require a lot of work and dedication to compete in the sport and it is not for everybody. With Zeppe, I was in a club that initially trained 3 days a week. 2 weeknights (we usually started at around 5pm and went to about 10 or 11pm depending on how many club members were there) and on Saturdays we would meet at 6am at the latest and train sometimes until about 2pm. In between training sessions I would spend at minimum 20-30 minutes a day practicing at home. There was heartache when we failed a few trials, and exultation when we would pass with high scores. There was also work to be done to help out at the club events etc. My current club trains at least 1 day a week, and training sessions can last 8 hours. THere is still time needed to work my dogs at home in between training sessions, and club members often get together on the side to work dogs.
And you are not always handling a dog throughout the day at club training. Normally you might actually work a dog for about 20-30 minutes in obedience, and 20-30 minutes max in protection. You might spend about that long during the tracking phase. THe rest of the 8 hours is spent waiting for your turn. Many people coming out for the first time think they are coming out to a “schutzhund class” and are disappointed when they sit around for hours just to get a few minutes on the field. The trick is to enjoy the journey. Because schutzhund is just that, a journey. It becomes a social outlet for dogs and handlers. Most good clubs become like families, after all, we spend a LOT of time together. Unlike a “class”, in most schutzhund clubs, much of the criteria for doing well depends on the ability to get along with the people in the club, and to sift through the variety of training mentalities to find one that best suits you and your dog.
The upside though includes a tremendous relationship with your dog. If you can set aside the competitiveness to a degree and just enjoy training with your dog, the “schutzhund bug” will bite and it’s one heck of a roller coaster ride from there. You learn to work well as a team, and you’ll determine what you AND the dog are really made of. It’s not an easy sport, but it’s worth it!
