Once you and your dog have passed the BH, you will be eligible for IPO titles. But before you start training for Schutzhund, you should know more information about each level. Then, you might also wonder what the difference is between IPO 1, 2, and 3.
What Is The Difference Between IPO 1, IPO 2, and IPO 3?
The principal difference between the IPO titles is the difficulty. IPO 1 is the first Schutzhund degree, IPO 2 is the intermediate level, and IPO 3 is the most advanced title. They all involve obedience, tracking, and protection. The only differences are in the exercises and how they are performed.
Schutzhund Titles & IPO Levels
There are 3 main titles you can get in this dog sport. IPO 1, IPO 2, and IPO 3. Some people will also use the abbreviation of Schutzhund (SchH1-SchH3) or the most recent term IGP instead of IPO. However, they all mean and are the same.
Learn more about Schutzhund terms!
Before your dog can get Schutzhund titles, you will have to pass the BH together. It’s a test that evaluates the dog’s temperament, obedience, and behavior in public traffic. Passing it is a prerequisite to participate in more advanced IPO levels.
There are also many other titles related to Schutzhund training. But let’s keep our focus on the three we’re interested in for now. So here’s more information about every IPO level to give you a better idea of the difference between each of them.
IPO 1
The first Schutzhund title you can get after passing the BH test is IPO 1. Your dog must be at least 18 months old to be eligible for this level. Before starting the trial, he will have to pass an initial temperament examination by the judge.
In the tracking phase for IPO 1, the dog has to follow the track of his owner made at least 20 minutes ago. For obedience, the test includes heeling routines, retrieving exercises, climbing over a scaling wall, a sit out of motion, down with recall, send out with down, and down under distraction.
On the protection side of things, IPO 1 is relatively simple. The dog will have to search for the helper behind one blind, hold and bark, prevent an attempted escape, and defend himself when attacked. The dog must show confidence and remain in control of the handler.
IPO 2
To be eligible for the second level of Schutzhund, your dog must be at least 19 months old and have the IPO 1 title. For the IPO 2 tracking phase, the dog will need to follow a track of a stranger made 30 minutes earlier or more. The minimum length is also 100 paces more than in IPO 1.
For obedience, the exercises are the same as in the first level of Schutzhund, plus the stand out of motion. There’s also a change in how the dog needs to climb over the scaling wall. For IPO 2, the dog must do it both ways and retrieve a dumbbell.
When it comes to protection, two new exercises are adding up to what was in IPO 1. The back transport and another defense of an attack from the guarding phase combined with a side transport. Besides that, a couple of protection exercises will increase in difficulty for IPO 2.
IPO 3
The third and last level of Schutzhund is the IPO 3, which requires your dog to have the previous titles (IPO 1 & IPO 2) and be at least 20 months of age. In tracking, the dog must follow a longer track laid by a stranger with more corners and legs made at least 1 hour earlier.
For the obedience and protection part, the dog has to be off-leash. There are also new exercises, and some are modified to be more difficult. For example, the down with recall and stand out of motion must be performed at a running pace.
The protection phase in IPO 3 has one additional exercise too, which is the attack on the out of the back. Besides that, there are now 6 blinds for the dog to search and find the helper. So it’s the ultimate Schutzhund title to test your dog’s obedience, tracking, and protection skills.
The Differences Between IPO 1 / IPO 2 / IPO 3
Now that you have a better idea of what each level of this dog sport is and involves, let’s compare them together. At first sight, the titles might seem very similar. But with more in-depth analysis, you can find many differences between IPO 1, 2, and 3.
Difficulty
As you go from IPO 1 to IPO 3, passing by IPO 2, it will get more and more challenging for your dog. That’s why you will have to improve his obedience, tracking, and protection skills between every title. So the first and foremost difference is the difficulty of each level.
- IPO 1 is the beginning level of Schutzhund
- IPO 2 is the intermediate level of Schutzhund
- IPO 3 is the advanced level of Schutzhund
How hard is it to go from one title to another? It will depend on the dog, the training method you use, your handling experience, and many other details. But the difficulty increases gradually and slowly from IPO 1 to IPO 3, so your dog should be able to keep up.
Exercises
What makes IPO 3 more demanding than IPO 1? It all comes down to the exercises and how the dog needs to perform them. As you go up a level, there might be new exercises and some can increase in difficulty. So let’s take a look at them for each phase and title.
Tracking
| Tracking Details | IPO 1 | IPO 2 | IPO 3 |
| Track Made By | Owner/Handler | Stranger | Stranger |
| Length (Minimum) | 300 paces | 400 paces | 600 paces |
| Corners | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Legs | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Articles | 3 (Handler’s Articles) | 3 (Stranger’s Articles) | 3 (Stranger’s Articles) |
| Aging Time | 20 minutes | 30 minutes | 60 minutes |
| Working Time Limit | 15 minutes | 15 minutes | 20 minutes |
Obedience
| Obedience Exercise | IPO 1 | IPO 2 | IPO 3 |
| Heeling | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sit Out Of Motion | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Down With Recall | Yes (Walking Pace) | Yes (Walking Pace) | Yes (Running Pace) |
| Stand Out Of Motion | No | Yes (Walking Pace & Pick Up) | Yes (Running Pace & Pick Up) |
| Retrieve On The Flat | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Retrieve Over 1 Meter Jump | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Climbing Over The Scaling Wall | Yes (One Climb Only & No Retrieve) | Yes (Climbing Both Ways & Retrieve) | Yes (Climbing Both Ways & Retrieve) |
| Send Out With Down | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Down Under Distraction | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Protection
| Protection Exercise | IPO 1 | IPO 2 | IPO 3 |
| Search For The Helper | Yes (1 Blind) | Yes (4 Blinds) | Yes (6 Blinds) |
| Hold & Bark | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Prevention Of An Attempted Escape Of The Helper | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Defense Against An Attack From The Guarding Phase | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Back Transport | No | Yes | Yes |
| Attack On The Dog Out Of The Back | No | No | Yes |
| Attack On The Dog Out Of Motion | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Defense Against An Attack From The Guarding Phase With Side Transport | No | Yes | Yes |
Points Distribution
For every IPO title, each phase is worth 100 points for a total of 300 points. But since there are different exercises for one level of Schutzhund to another, the distribution of points isn’t the same. Therefore, some of them have more value in IPO 1 than in IPO 2 or 3.
In the tracking phase, the points distribution stays the same. The judge has to evaluate the dog and handler’s performance and deduct points if applicable. Faults include touching the dog, using additional commands, praising, falsely indicating an article, urinating or defecating, etc.
Obedience
| Obedience Exercise | IPO 1 | IPO 2 | IPO 3 |
| Heeling | 15 Points | 15 Points | 15 Points |
| Sit Out Of Motion | 10 Points | 10 Points | 5 Points |
| Down With Recall | 10 Points | 10 Points | 10 Points |
| Stand Out Of Motion | – | 5 Points | 10 Points |
| Retrieve On The Flat | 15 Points | 10 Points | 10 Points |
| Retrieve Over 1 Meter Jump | 15 Points | 15 Points | 15 Points |
| Climbing Over The Scaling Wall | 15 Points | 15 Points | 15 Points |
| Send Out With Down | 10 Points | 10 Points | 10 Points |
| Down Under Distraction | 10 Points | 10 Points | 10 Points |
| Total Score | 100 Points | 100 Points | 100 Points |
Protection
| Protection Exercise | IPO 1 | IPO 2 | IPO 3 |
| Search For The Helper | 5 Points | 5 Points | 10 Points |
| Hold & Bark | 15 Points | 15 Points | 15 Points |
| Prevention Of An Attempted Escape Of The Helper | 20 Points | 15 Points | 10 Points |
| Defense Against An Attack From The Guarding Phase | 30 Points | 20 Points | 15 Points |
| Back Transport | – | 5 Points | 5 Points |
| Attack On The Dog Out Of The Back | – | – | 15 Points |
| Attack On The Dog Out Of Motion | 30 Points | 20 Points | 15 Points |
| Defense Against An Attack From The Guarding Phase With Side Transport | – | 20 Points | 15 Points |
| Total Score | 100 Points | 100 Points | 100 Points |
Minimum Age
Another difference between the IPO 1, 2, and 3 is how old your dog must be for participating. The minimum age is respectively 18, 19, and 20 months old to be eligible for those IPO titles. It shouldn’t be a problem because Schutzhund training takes a lot of time.
Want To Learn More About IPO 1, 2, and 3?
Most information in this article was retrieved from the United Schutzhund Clubs of America Rulebook. If you want more details about the exercises, rules, and variations from one title to another, you can read it. Every IPO handler should know and use this resource.
Other Schutzhund Titles!
IPO 1, IPO 2, and IPO 3 are the only degrees related to this dog sport. There are many other titles that you might consider too. You and your dog have passed the BH, but you don’t think you’re ready for the first level of Schutzhund yet? Well, the IGP-V is a pre-IGP-1 test that might be more appropriate for you.
You and your dog aren’t into protection or don’t have what it takes for this type of work? It’s not a problem because there are titles specific to tracking and obedience, such as the FH and RH. There’s also a degree to test your dog’s endurance, which is the AD.
Last Thoughts About The Difference Between IPO Levels!
Finally, IPO 1, 2, and 3 have a few differences. The tracking, obedience, and protection exercises will change and increase in difficulty when passing to another level. So it’s very similar to school degrees, but for working dogs.
Now it’s time to find what’s the next title you’re going for and how you will get there. As long as your dog is old enough, you’ve passed the BH together, and you put in the effort, I’m sure you can go through all the Schutzhund levels. Have fun training and working with your dog.
Let’s Get Those IPO Titles!