Education Center

How do I become a member?

By either contacting the club Secretary or coming down to our sports grounds on training night.

Is this a family sport?

Yes we encourage family members along on training days, and often hold family days and BBQs.

Where is your training ground?

Eastern Parade Ottoway S.A.

What is Schutzhund

Schutzhund, which means "protection dog" in German and is a sport that was developed as a test for German Shepherd Dogs to evaluate the dogs' training and character quality. The use of the word Protection Dog can be quite misleading. Schutzhund exposes the character and quality of a working dog and weeds out any animal that is not physically or temperamentally suited to working. Other working breeds may also compete.

It is a three phase three level sport that is demanding and physical. It is a sport in which dog and handler work as one, at optimum discipline, an illustration of the partnership of dog and handler. Tracking -The dog is required at the highest level to track the path laid out by a human and follow this with a deep nose (nose to the ground) not in a natural way, which would allow the dog to both nose and air scent. He is required to find lost articles along the way.

Obedience-Heeling both on and off lead, dumbbell retrieve over a flat surface a scaling wall and a one-meter hurdle. A send away and long down stays for up to 20 minutes, dogs must show a sound temperament while being exposed to distractions both physical and audible.

Character assessment -The last phase is the character assessment in which your dog must show reliable temperament and character without aggressiveness. It also demonstrates the highest level of obedience, obeying commands whilst in highly stimulated circumstances. It assesses your dog’s physical strength and agility. Your dog must have steadiness of nerves, balanced drives, self-confidence and the ability to withstand pressure.

In Europe, breeding stock must have passed at least Schutzhund I.

Titles Sch 1 (Novice)

Sch 11 (Intermediate)

Sch 111 (Mater Level)

A tracking degree is also offered –FH

Will training in this method make my dog aggressive?

Schutzhund training is not based on aggression, in fact aggressive behaviour is not tolerated. Dogs that display aggressive tendencies tend to be insecure due mainly to lack of socialization, cruelty, no obedience and bad breeding. A dog that is aggressive during a trial will be disqualified immediately. Dogs that lack confidence and obedience are unpredictable and dangerous.

Dogs that are trained in Schutzhund enjoy the work, which is based on a game of tug of war; it is played more often than not with a waggly tail and barks of excitement. Schutzhund training gives you a great deal of control over your dog. Your dog will become a more confident, secure and predictable member of the community.

How do I know if my dog is suitable for this sport?

We have attached a questionnaire to help you assess your dog for kind of sport but welcome everybody down to our training grounds to watch and talk to us about the suitability of both you and your dog.

Is Schutzhund training the same as Protection work?

NO is the simple answer. In Schutzhund work there is three phases of which the character work is only one phase. In protection work a dog is trained to attack a person, in Schutzhund the dog is trained to bite a sleeve and when the sleeve is removed the dogs focus remains on the sleeve NOT the person.

When was the first Schutzhund competition held?

1901

What is the helper?

A person who wears the sleeve during the character assessment phase of Schutzhund training.

 Schutzhund Australia Information Brochure

 Schutzhund Australia FAQ Document

 Schutzhund Australia - The Schutzhund Sportsdog

 Schutzhund Australia Updates