Can you tell me why GRIP is so important to train in Schutzhund?

The most important aspect of schutzhund training is GRIP training. When I say GRIP I mean the quality of the bite on the helpers sleeve. The perfect GRIP is a calm full mouth bite in the middle of the sleeve. A dog that mouths or chews on the sleeve or bites the end or elbow of the sleeve does not have a correct grip. A dog that does not have a good grip will never receive more than 90 to 92 out of 100 points in protection (under an honest judge).

The three parts of schutzhund are Tracking, Obedience and Protection. Tracking and Obedience can be trained to almost any dog.

Some people think that Schutzhund tracking is actually teaching a dog to track. Nothing is further from the truth. Schutzhund tracking is strictly obedience training. EVERY dog can be trained to follow a schutzhund track. Just as every dog can be trained to do the obedience work of schutzhund.

Schutzhund protection training involves GRIP on the sleeve, SPEED in the exercises and GUARDING. GRIP and SPEED in protection are genetic issues while GUARDING is an obedience issue.

The trainers that concentrate and focus their training on GRIP will always have better scores. A dog can do every exercise perfectly but if his grip is not perfect he will never score a "V" (excellent - 0ver 95 out of 100 points ) in protection. The most a handler whose dogs chew on the sleeve can expect (if everything else is perfect) is 90 points.