Colorado Alpine Schutzhund Club

A full member club of the United Schutzhund Clubs of America

 

The Colorado Alpine Schutzhund Club will host several exciting events during 2008

Working Dog Seminar with Bernhard Flinks, March 7th, 8th and 9th

SV Judge and Körmeister Peter Arth (Germany) May 24 and 25th - Schutzhund Trial, Conformation Show and Körung

SV Judge Heiko Grube (Germany) September 27 - Schutzhund Trial

Training Seminar with SV Judge Heiko Grube and Schutzdiensthilfer Joe Niemayer September 26, 28 and 29.

For more information on these events click here: 2008 Events

 

Thor retrieves the dumbell over the 1 meter jump.	Thor working on the "hold and bark".

 

Colorado Alpine Schutzhund Club

The Colorado Alpine Schutzhund Club is a United Schutzhund Clubs of America full-member club. We usually meet on Saturday. At each club meeting we join together to enjoy each other and each dog. This is a club that welcomes anyone with a love of the German Shepherd dog or other breeds, regardless of bloodlines or prior training. Our goal is to improve ourselves and our dogs. We also want to help people learn more about German Shepherds, working breeds, and Schutzhund. Dues are required of members, as is a committment to the club and to training your dog. Safety is of paramount importance at all club meetings. Watching a well trained dog makes Schutzhund look much easier than it is. It is extremely time consuming and for human handlers without experience, requires a serious commitment. We do not accept probationary members who cannot make such a long term commitment.

We adhere to a strict code of ethics concerning responsible dog ownership. Schutzhund is not personal protection training. It is about discipline and control of dogs who have stable temperaments and are well socialized. To meet our members and human handlers click here. Contact us for more information. If we feel we might be a good match and you are able to make a commitment we may invite you to observe training sessions to see if it really is something you will enjoy and be able to commit to.

What is Schutzhund ?

Schutzhund (pronounced "SHUTS-hund," where the "u" sounds just like "book") is a German word meaning "protection dog". It was first developed in Germany at the turn of the century as a comprehensive test of the German Shepherd Dog to evaluate its suitability for breeding as a working dog, especially a herding dog. One hundred years later, the many thousands of German Shepherd Dog owners and breeders who are members of United Schutzhund Clubs of America (USA) continue to utilize Schutzhund as a test of their breeding program.

USA members also compete in the sport of Schutzhund because it focuses on developing and evaluating those traits in the dogs that make them more useful and happier companions to their owners. The superior dogs that achieve their Schutzhund titles, show ratings, and breed surveys are selected by discriminating breeders of the German Shepherd Dog in America and around the world to be their foundation sires and dams. Schutzhund is the cornerstone upon which today's most breedworthy and historically proven working, sporting, and companion German Shepherd Dog bloodlines have been established.

The core Schutzhund titles -- SchH1, SchH2 and SchH3 -- require successful completion of three distinct phases: tracking, obedience, and protection. If you are familiar with the advanced obedience and tracking disciplines offered by the American Kennel Club, you may see some similarities in Schutzhund obedience and tracking. Schutzhund protection standards are similar to those for dogs in police work. Recently, the rules have been changed to allow competition for the obedience titles, or tracking titles alone.

While dogs of other breeds are welcome to compete at USA-sanctioned Schutzhund trials, this breed evaluation test was developed specifically for the German Shepherd Dog. Schutzhund is intended to demonstrate the dog's intelligence and utility. As a working trial, Schutzhund measures the dog's mental stability, endurance, structural efficiencies, ability to scent, willingness to work, courage, and trainability, all important factors of the comprehensive German Shepherd Dog Breed Standard.

This working dog sport offers an opportunity for dog owners to train their dog and compete with each other for recognition of both the handler’s ability to train and the dog’s ability to perform as required. It is a sport enjoyed by persons of varied professions, who join together in a camaraderie born of their common interest in working with their dogs. Persons of all ages and conditions of life -- even those with significant disabilities -- enjoy Schutzhund as a sport. Often, it is a family sport.

To learn more about a Schutzhund Trial, click the NEXT button below. To learn more about the titles used in Schutzhund, click HERE.

(Adapted from the United Schutzhund Clubs of America web site)