Schutzhund is a sport that involves protection work. When you hear commands such as “Bite” and “Attack”, it’s understandable to wonder if this type of training can make dogs who practice it more dangerous. Nobody wants a mean and aggressive companion.
So you should know if this activity may change your dog’s temperament and behavior for the worst before getting started. When I first heard about Schutzhund training, I also had many questions concerning whether it’s good or not for dogs. Here’s what I found out!
Does Schutzhund Make A Dog Dangerous?
No, Schutzhund training does not make your dog dangerous. In fact, this canine sport will improve his obedience and self-control. It will also increase the control you have over your companion. Thus, Schutzhund training can actually make a dog more reliable, obedient, and less dangerous to other people or pets.
Does Schutzhund Training Make Dogs More Aggressive?
No, Schutzhund won’t make your dog more aggressive. Training a dog to “Bite” or “Attack” an intruder through this sport doesn’t make him more likely to do it elsewhere. On the contrary, Schutzhund allows the handler to learn how to control the dog’s impulses and aggressivity effectively and reliably if it’s necessary.
Schutzhund Is All About Obedience & Protection!
It’s essential to understand what Schutzhund training is before judging it. It was originally developed in Germany as a breeding selection test for German Shepherds. The goal of Schutzhund was to evaluate the GSD’s capacity to be a good working dog.
Then, it becomes a sport that tests a dog’s obedience, tracking, and protection skills. For this article, let’s focus only on two phases of this canine sport: obedience and protection. The tracking part won’t make your dog more dangerous, aggressive, or safe.
Schutzhund Dogs Are Not Dangerous!
Obedience is the base of Schutzhund. With a lot of training and practice, you can make your dog more obedient and reliable. That control over your companion makes him less likely to do something without your consent, such as attacking or aggressing someone for no reason.
Besides that, protection might be the phase you think can make a dog more dangerous. Yes, Schutzhund indeed involves bite work. However, you train your dog to protect you from the helper (the attacker with a bite sleeve) in a safe and controlled manner.
In Schutzhund protection training, the dog must:
- Protect the handler from the helper on command or if the handler attacks.
- Only grip the sleeve of the helper, nothing else.
- Release on command.
- Perform protection work under voice control.
- Guard without biting or attacking the helper when he becomes passive.
- Escort the helper without engaging or biting him.
- Be neutral and not dangerous or threatening to other people.
With those rules in mind, you can see that Schutzhund training is very safe and controlled. The dog needs to understand who is a menace for the handler and who’s not. He must also be obedient and reliable enough to protect the handler without unnecessary aggression.
So with proper training, Schutzhund won’t make dogs dangerous. On the contrary, it will allow them to develop self-control and behave well in public.
Schutzhund Dogs VS Aggressive Dogs.
The main difference between an aggressive dog and a Schutzhund dog is the control. An aggressive dog is ready and likely to attack, bite, or harm people. So it’s a threat and can be considered dangerous. The lack of self-control is also common in aggressive animals.
Schutzhund dogs aren’t aggressive at all. They are ready and trained to protect their handler from an attacker on command or when it’s necessary. But a good protection dog won’t attack or harm someone for no reason.
If your companion is aggressive, training for Schutzhund might be good for him. Improving your dog’s obedience and self-control can be an excellent way to manage his aggressivity. This sport will teach him to protect when necessary instead of attacking by impulse or fear.
Temperament For Schutzhund Training!
Dogs that participate in this sport must have a stable, confident, and social temperament. Your Schutzhund partner should also show courage, obedience, versatility, self-control, and enthusiasm during training. Thus, there’s no place for aggressivity in protection work.
Each dog will have to go through the BH test, which evaluates the dog’s temperament and obedience, before competing in IPO. Then, the judge also evaluates the dog’s temperament at the beginning of every trial. So aggressive dogs aren’t well-suited for Schutzhund.
Can Schutzhund Change Your Dog’s Temperament?
Regardless of how much training or whatever sport you enjoy with your dog, it won’t change his temperament. Getting into Schutzhund and learning to bite or attack the helper won’t make him more aggressive or less friendly if you do it properly. However, training can improve your dog’s obedience and self-control.
Don’t blame Schutzhund because dog aggressions occur in other sports too. The real problem is generally poor training or bad genetics. That’s why it’s essential to make sure your companion is suitable for protection work and find a qualified trainer to help you out!
Find Out If Your Dog Is Suitable For Schutzhund Training!
Does Your Dog Carry Aggression?
Some dogs are naturally aggressive, whether they do Schutzhund or not. Protective breeds often used for this sport, such as German Shepherds, may carry aggression in their DNA. But some of them can channel it with training to become good protection dogs.
If your dog isn’t mentally well-balanced or can’t control his aggressivity, bite work is probably not a good idea for him. However, the rest of Schutzhund might make him less dangerous. Obedience training and exercises involved in this sport are beneficial for aggressive dogs.
Schutzhund Training Can Make Your Dog Safer!
Improving your dog’s obedience, self-control, and protection skills through Schutzhund can make him less likely to attack, bite, or harm someone out of nowhere. This sport gives the dog strict rules on how and when it’s appropriate to protect the handler.
It also develops the dog’s capacity to think before acting and puts him under the handler’s verbal control. Then, Schutzhund is an excellent source of exercise to burn pent-up energy, and everyone knows a tired dog is a good dog.
Above all, this type of training allows you to know your companion better and strengthen your bond. It’s essential to understand who your dog is before handling it and ensuring he’s not a danger to anyone.
Schutzhund Is A Fun Dog Sport!
Before letting you go, please note that Schutzhund might seem like a game for dogs. Biting on a bite sleeve is the same principle as playing with a tug. So it doesn’t encourage aggressivity and shouldn’t make your dog dangerous as long as training is controlled and done the right way.
Last Thoughts About Schutzhund Training & Dog Aggressivity!
Finally, Schutzhund is an effective way to train dogs for protection work without being aggressive or dangerous to others. The ultimate goal of this sport is to get closer to the perfect working dog. So if it changes a dog’s traits and behaviors, it will be for the best.
You shouldn’t be scared of starting Schutzhund training with your companion. It won’t make him more aggressive and dangerous; those are misconceptions. On the contrary, this fun activity will improve his obedience and self-control to be more reliable.
Give Schutzhund A Try & You Will See!