German Shepherd Schutzhund Training
Schutzhund German Shepherd training is a sport that developed in Germany during the early Twentieth century so as to test various German Shepherd breeds regarding possible use as law enforcement dogs. Rather than using a dog’s appearance as a way of determining if the dog would be effective, Schutzhund permitted trainers to find the best suited animals for the job. Today, many breeds are permitted to participate in Schutzhund training, though very few dogs actually pass.
The fundamentals of German Shepherd Schutzhund Training
Schutzhund training is certainly a rigid, highly structured process that has evolved over the last 100 years. It’s markedly less abusive toward the dogs than when it started, but nonetheless just as strict, as necessary to fully evaluate each animal. During the past, the majority of the Schutzhund training that happened took it’s origin from a handful of manuals and arranged courses, these days you will find DVDs and videos that assist pet owners start the training process.
The specific training will test your dog in many different specific behaviors that are suitable for police work, including tracking, sniffing, protection, and retrieving. Most Schutzhund German Shepherd dog training begins once the dog isn’t any more than a few weeks old and can continue for weeks or perhaps months to be sure the dog is suited to the job.
The Essence of Schutzhund
There are several facets of Schutzhund training. The course you use will also depend on which videos or obedience program you prescribe to. Most Schutzhund courses will concentrate on the following, however:
Clicker Training – Not all Schutzhund trainers uses clickers, but it is considered a virtually universal method that works extremely well with German Shepherds and other Schutzhund suitable breeds. Training with a clicker should be begin at a very young age – about 10 weeks.
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Obedience – Basic dog obedience training is the first true test in German Shepherd Schutzhund training. There are 10-11 basic obedience commands utilized in most programs. Examples 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 11 training points.
Tracking – Dogs training to track different objects, including drugs, bombs, and cadavers, are going to be trained exclusively in tracking methods. Using the “targeting” and “pointing out from an object” obedience cues, Schutzhund canine training will teach the dog to recognize the specific scent of their target and then to pursue until called off.
Protection – Dogs can also be trained to protect, as is the situation 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 can be trained to protect a particular object or person without commands.
The essence of German Shepherd Schutzhund will be to provide a dog with a very highly specific set of skills they can use to complete a certain task efficiently. Dogs in official training programs might complete training at a rate of 20% or lower. However, Schutzhund canine training could be equally as effective as an obedience regimen for pet owners at your home.
If you are considering using Schutzhund to train your dog, be sure to investigate the various courses based on their success rates and also the underlying philosophies used.
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