Schutzhund

Glossary of Schutzhund Terminology

AD The endurance degree awarded. The dog must have sufficient energy and stamina to trot beside its handler’s bicycle for a twelve-mile distance. At the conclusion of the run the dog must be willing to do a few simple obedience exercises.

Agitator (helper, decoy) Person used to sharpen and mold the dog’s aggressiveness by agitating it. An agitator is needed for the protection portion of the Schutzhund Trial.

Air Scent The airborne scent left by a person, animal or object.

AKC (American Kennel Club) The major governing body in the United States which regulates the breeding and training of purebred dogs.

Article The term used to describe the object first handled by the tracklayer, then dropped on the track during the tracking test. It should be neutral in color and approximately hand-sized.

“A” Stamp German certificate that a dog’s hips are of a certain quality. The dog must have an “A” stamp to be used for breeding in Germany. The dogs are given the stamp with a rating of normal, fast normal (almost normal) or noch zugelassen (acceptable).

Attack Training (protection training) The training given to the dog so its aggressiveness toward man can be elicited under certain circumstances.

BLH (Blindenhund) Guide dog for the blind.

Blind The object or structure behind which the agitator hides during the protection portion of Schutzhund. The handler also hides behind it during the long down in the Schutzhund III routine of the obedience portion.

Body Scent The unique aroma surrounding each individual.

BpDH I, II (Bahnpolizeidiensthund) Railroad police service dog.

Bringst Retrieve.

Bundesleistungssieger German National Working Dog Champion.

CD (Companion Dog) The most elementary obedience degree awarded to the dog by the AKC or CKC. The dog must be able to heel on and off leash, come when called, stand without moving while being examined by the judge, remain in a sit and down position with the handler approximately twenty-five feet in front of it.

CDX (Companion Dog Excellent) Intermediate degree granted by the AKC or CKC. The dog must heel off leash, retrieve on the flat and over a jump, lie down on command during the recall, jump a broad jump and stay in a sit and in a down position while its handler is out of sight.

Civil Agitation When the agitator is unarmed and unprotected, he agitates the dog using threatening body gestures, particularly hand movements and facial grimaces.

Correction The negative inducement given to the dog to encourage an appropriate response. It should not be given for slowness in learning or inability to understand. The most effective corrections are given with the collar and leash and are followed immediately by the positive inducement of praise.

Courage The willingness of the dog to subjugate its own personal safety in order to protect itself and/or its handler. In competition the dog’s courage is rated “Pronounced,” “Sufficient” or “Not Sufficient.” Courage and fighting instinct are more than fearlessness. The dog must be willing to fight when threatened, even when the option to escape is present.

Cross Track The track laid by another individual which intersects the original track in an FH or TDX tracking event.

Deep Nose The dog’s characteristic in tracking whereby it takes full scent and tracks with its nose close to the ground. This is a desirable quality.

DH (Diensthund) Service dog.

Disposition The total characteristics of the dog’s ability to perform what by breed standards it is intended to do.

Dumbbell An object, with a cylinder in the center and two end pieces, to be retrieved by the dog. The dumbbell is weighted according to the level at which the Schutzhund dog is working.

DVG (Deutscher Verband der Gebrauchshundsportvereine) German Alliance for the Utility Dog Sports.

Europameister World champion Schutzhund III dog.

FH (Fahrtenhund) The most advanced tracking title awarded by the SV. The dog must follow a stranger’s track approximately 1,300 paces long. The track has four articles and is intersected by cross tracks laid by another stranger and is a minimum of three hours old.

Fuss Heel.

Gebrauchshundklasse Adult class.

Hardness The dog’s capacity to forget unpleasant experiences during the protection phase and to demonstrate maximum courage and fighting spirit.

Hard Sleeve A protective garment worn around the arm of the agitator. The hard sleeve is designed for the dog with a particularly hard bite and to protect the agitator from injury. It is usually constructed from heavy jute over a leather frame.

Hart, Mut und Kampftrieb ausgeprägt Hardness, courage and fighting instincts are pronounced.

Heel The dog walks or sits at its handler’s left side, with the dog’s right shoulder in line with the handler’s left knee. The dog’s body should be parallel with its handler’s. The dog should not forge ahead or lag behind.

Henze Courage Test The test that evaluates the dog’s courage by having the agitator run at it in an aggressive way. The dog should attack the agitator aggressively.

HGH (Herdengebrauchshund) Herding dog.

Hier Come.

High Nose The dog’s characteristic in tracking whereby it tracks with its nose too high above the ground. A dog with high nose is using air scent as well as the track scent and will lose points during the tracking portion of the Schutzhund evaluation.

Hütesieger Herding Dog Champion at the German herding dog championship.

INTI (Internationale Prüfungsklasse) International training degree.

Intelligence The dog’s ability to retain what it has learned and to profit from experience. This is an important trait in Schutzhund work.

IPO I, II, III Schutzhund III according to the international rules.

Jugendsieger First place winner (SG-1) in the youth class (twelve to eighteen months) at the Sieger show.

Junghundsieger First place winner (SG-1) in the young dog class (eighteen to twenty-four months) at the Sieger show.

Kampftrieb vorhanden Instincts present but not pronounced.

KKL I (Korklasse I) Recommended for breeding.

KKL II (Korklasse II) Suitable for breeding.

Landesgruppensieger The first place winner (V-l) at the regional show in the adult class.

Lbz (Lebenszeit) Breed surveyed for lifetime.

Leg Each straight portion of a track. Also, in AKC obedience, each time a dog qualifies in an obedience competition, it earns a “leg.” A dog needs three “legs” to receive a title.

Long line A leash approximately thirty feet in length which is used during the tracking portion of Schutzhund. A heavier version is also very helpful as a training aid during the obedience and protection phase of the training.

M (Mangelhaft, Faulty) Show or performance rating.

Motivation The system of inducements given to promote desired behavior. Intangible rewards are praise and affection; these are the most effective ways to increase motivation. A tangible reward is food.

NASA (North American Schutzhund Association) A relatively small group promoting the Americanized version of Schutzhund. It uses a modification of the VDH Schutzhund rules.

OF A (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) The rating from this medical group certifies that a dog’s hips are of a certain quality. If the dog receives an OFA number, it is certified free of hip dysplasia. Temporary numbers may be issued by the OFA if HD-clear radiographs (X-rays) were taken when the dog was under twenty-four months of age. Permanent numbers are issued to dogs with HD-clear radiographs taken at twenty-four months or older.

PH (Polizeihund) Police dog.

Platz Down.

PSP (Polizeischutzhundprüfung) Police protection dog degree.

Quartering A dog’s habit of crossing back and forth over the track, an undesirable characteristic in Schutzhund. The dog will lose points during the trial if it quarters over the track.

Revier The exercise in the protection phase of Schutzhund in which the dog is sent to a blind where the agitator is hiding. The dog is to harass and detain the agitator by aggressively barking at him from a close position. The agitator is to remain still.

Schutzhund A sport originated in Germany to evaluate a dog’s ability in tracking, obedience and protection. There are three levels: A Schutzhund I degree is the most elementary and Schutzhund III is the most advanced.

SG (Sehr gut, Very Good) Show or performance rating.

Sharpness The sharp dog has a low threshold for sensation and has a tendency to overreact to stimuli. It often has a strong desire to bite and is sometimes a fear biter. It is not desirable in Schutzhund work if the dog’s sharpness is not balanced with prey drive and good character.

Shyness Generalized avoidance behavior that shows itself as fear or desire to escape from a situation.

Sieger Grand Victor (VA-1) title at the German Sieger show.

Sitz Sit.

Sleeve The protective covering over the arm of the agitator used during protection training.

Spirit The zest and enthusiasm the dog shows for its work. This is a very desirable quality in Schutzhund.

Stake A dowel or other object which can be secured in the ground and is helpful in letting the tracking dog’s handler know the location of the track during training. A stake is always used to indicate the start of the track during a trial.

Stick A flexible, lightweight weapon used to evaluate the dog’s ability to withstand a threat. It is not meant to inflict injury.

SV (Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde) The German Shepherd Dog Club of Germany, founded by Max von Stephanitz.

TD (Tracking Degree) Awarded by the AKC or CKC for dogs completing a track that is laid by a stranger and is approximately 600 paces long. A dog completes the test by locating the article dropped by the track layer at the end of the track. The track usually has three or four turns on it.

TDX (Tracking Degree Excellent) The most challenging degree awarded by the AKC and CKC in tracking, roughly equivalent to the FH.

Temperament The dog’s attitude toward people. If a dog has a poor temperament, it could be shy, vicious, distrustful or nervous. Temperament can also refer to the dog’s steadiness and stability.

Track Scent The scent, left by a person, animal or object, that is produced by the change in the ground.

Training Collar Sometimes referred to as a choke chain, this collar becomes tighter or looser on the dog’s neck as pressure on the leash is applied or released. Use of this collar serves as a correction to the dog.

U (Ungenügend, Insufficient) Show or performance rating.

USA (United Schutzhund Club of America) The largest Schutzhund organization in America. It follows the SV rules and regulations.

UD (Utility Degree) The most challenging obedience degree granted by the AKC or CKC: The dog responds to hand signals, performs scent discrimination work, and stands for examination by the judge.

V (Vorzuglich, Excellent) Show or performance rating.

VA (Vorzuglich-Auslese, Select) Show rating given at the Sieger show.

VH (Vorhanden, Sufficient) Show or performance rating.

Viciousness Unjustified aggression; biting without provocation.

Wall The scaling or climbing jump which is part of the Schutzhund II and III obedience routine.

WDA (Working Dog Association) Schutzhund organization that is a branch of the German Shepherd Dog Club of America. It follows SV rules and regulations.

Weltsieger World Champion title at the show of the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI).

Willingness The dog’s positive reaction to its handler’s commands. The dog is enthusiastic and cheerful, even without a reward.

ZB (Zuchtbewertung) Conformation show rating.

ZH I, II (Zollhund I, II) Customs dog.