• See General Precautions.
• Due to the nature of the sport, keep an eye on the jaw, mouth and neck for injuries.
• If you are training your dog, you must also be in shape physically, as well as mentally.

Breed type and/or Body type: Working dogs, to include breeds like the German Shepherd, Malinois, Giant Schnauzer, Black Russian Terrier, Tervuren, Beauceron, Doberman Pincher.

• In German, Schutzhund means ‘protection dog’, although this sport involves much more than this.
• Although any size dog can compete, the dog must be large enough to jump a 40 inch hurdle, for example.
• Unlike agility trials the equipment is not adjusted per size of the dog.
• This is why you will see larger breeds, such as the German shepherd and Giant Schnauzer.
• The dog must also pass “a temperament test called a B or BH (Begleithundprüfung, which translates as “traffic-sure companion dog test”).
• The B tests basic obedience and sureness around strange people, strange dogs, traffic, and loud noises.
• A dog that exhibits excessive fear, distractibility, or aggression cannot pass the B and so cannot go on to Schutzhund’. Wikipedia: Schutzhund.
• There are three titles: Sch H I (novice); Sch H II (intermittent) ; Sch H III (Master).
• A properly trained Schutzhund dog will also make a great family pet as well.
• Although any dog can participate, make sure your dog has the following traits: Trainable, intelligent, strong bond to handler, protective instinct (not aggressive), courageous, and a strong desire to work.
• This is not a sport for an aggressive dog or one that does not obey commands.
  • Unless you are hiring a handler, you must also be willing to be patient, consistent with commands and dedicated to the sport.

TRAINING PHASES: (This is a sport where you really need to join a club for proper training, but these are the phases). Here is a website that may help:

COMMANDS in ENGLISH to GERMAN
Mittelwest German Shepherds 
Heel – Fuss (fooss)
Sit – Sitz (siitz)
Stay – Bleib (bly’b)
Down – Platz
Come/Here – Hier (hee er)
Stand – Steh (shtay)
Retrieve/Fetch Bring (brrring)
Jump – Hopp
Go Out – Voraus (for owss)
Track – Such (tsuuk)
Guard Pass – auf/Wache
Bite – Packen/Fass
Out/Let Go – Aus (owss)
Speak/Bark – Gib Laut (geblout)
Narcotics/Dope – Rauschgift
Find narcotics – Such Rauschgift
Building/Blind – Search Voran/Revier
Kennel/Crate – Zwinger/Box
Go Outside – Geh Raus/Geh Draussen
Go Ahead – Geh Voraus
Go Inside – Geh rein (gay rine)
What is going on? – Was ist los?
Good (praise) – So ist brav
Correction Word “No” – Pfui (fooey) Nein (nine)
Don’t do that! – Lass das sein
OK- In Ordnung
Eat food – Nimm Futter
Helper Stand Still – Bleiben Ruhig/Steht Noch
Article Search – Such Verloren
Leave it – Lass es

EQUIPMENT

Harness:

• PROTECTION: You will need a sturdy harness for you to hold onto.
  • Make sure the harness disperses the pressure across the chest instead of the neck. P
  • adding will help for extra comfort.
  • I also suggest a strong D ring for the leash.
• TRACKING: A Bottcher harness is made to keep the dogs head down.
  • If this is not a problem with your dog, there are many multipurpose harnesses you can use.

Fur Saver Collar:
Although this is a type of ‘choke collar’, it is usually not used for that purpose, as the leash is usually attached to the D ring.

• In competition, regular collars are not allowed.
• These can be made from several metals, but if your dog is light colored or has any skin allergies, stainless steel is your best bet.

Lead/Line:

• Standard leash and a 33 foot tracking line.

Tug Toys / Dumbbells (different weights).

• These are good training tools.
• For example, your dog will need to carry different weighted dumbbells over a ramp, and retrieve on flat ground.

Bite Sleeves, Ramp, etc.

• These are some of the items you may need when you get past the initial training of the sport.

Breed type and/or Body type: Working dogs, to include breeds like the German Shepherd, Malinois , Giant Schnauzer, Black Russian Terrier, Tervuren, Beauceron, Doberman Pincher.

• French Ring is another protection that differs a little from Schutzhund.
• In F.R. the decoy must wear a bite suit, as the dog is allowed to attack anywhere on the body.
• The exercises are random and not broken up as in Schutzhund, and there is no tracking portion.
• To participate in French Ring Sport, a dog must first pass the Certificat de Sociabilité et d’Aptitude à l’Utilisation (Certificate of Sociability and Aptitude for Work) temperament test.
• There are three levels which include Brevet, Ring I, Ring II and Ring III. Each introduces progressively more difficult situations and makes greater demands from the dog.
• The trial is divided into three sections: Jumps, Breaking in exercises, and Protection’.
• The jumps come first, followed by obedience and then protection.
• For more information look up the North American Ring Association NARA 
• Like the above sport, any dog can participate (see Schutzhund above), but Malinois tend to do well in this sport over German Shepherds because there is a lot more agility and speed in F.R.

TRAINING:

This is a sport where you really need to join a club for proper training, but here are some of the events the dog should be able to do when reaching Ring III .
• Heel on a leash
• Heel with muzzle
• Long sit/down
• Food refusal
• High Jump
• Palisade
• Long Jump
• Thrown Retrieves
• Unseen Retrieve
• Seen Retrieve
• Send Away
• Face Attack
• Fleeing Attack
• Defense of Handler
• Attack with Gun
• Search, Hold, and Bark with Escort
• Stopped Attack
• Guard of Object

EQUIPMENT for Ring Sports – See Schutzhund (Do not need tracking gear)

Bite Suit

Here are a few websites for more information:

Dantero Malinois

All American K9 Training
North American Ring Association NARA

Breed type and/or Body type: Working dogs, to include breeds like the German Shepherd, Malinois, Giant Schnauzer, Black Russian Terrier, Tervuren, Beauceron, Doberman Pincher.

• This is a protection ring sport that tests coordination and precision.
• Although like all ring sports, any breed can join, it is dominated again by the Malinois.
• As with French Ring Sport, this sport has more hurdles and jumps than Schutzhund.
• There are three sections: Obedience, Jumps, and Protection.

TRAINING:  This is a sport where you really need to join a club for proper training, but here is a website that shows the rules of Philippine Mondio 

US Mondio Ring Association

Breed type and/or Body type: Working dogs, to include breeds like the German Shepherd, Malinois, Giant Schnauzer, Black Russian Terrier, Tervuren, Beauceron, Doberman Pincher

• Like the Mondio Ring, Belgian Ring has three sections that include obedience, jumping (bursting) and Protection (bite work).
• Also like the other sports, any dog that is able to participate physically and mentally are able to compete, although this sport is also dominated by the Malinois.

TRAINING: (This is a sport where you really need to join a club for proper training. Here is a website that may help:

Leerburg

Dantero Malinois – Differences Between French Ring and Schutzhund – https://dantero.com/articles/ 

Schutzhund / IPO

Schutzhund Training. com – https://www.schutzhund-training.com/index.html

Schutzhund Life – Schutzhund 101 – https://www.myschutzhundlife.com/single-post/2017/04/24/Training-101

United Schutzhund Club of America– Schutzhund Training – https://www.germanshepherddog.com/about/schutzhund-training/

Ring Sports

Ring Sport – All American K-9 –  https://all-americank-9.com/no-leash-dog-training-arizona/

North American Ring Association – http://ringsport.org

Leeburg – What is Mondioring – https://leerburg.com/mondioring.htm

United States Mondio Ring Association (USMRA) – Mondio Ring – https://www.usmondioring.org/mondioring/