I haven´t found any detailed rules written in english, but the article search is in an area of 50x50 meters, where 4 items(wallet, a glove or similar) should be found within 5 minutes, a systematic search directed by the handler. The search for helpers in the woods are in an area of 100x150 meters, where the handler walks in an midlepath an directs the muzzled dog, who should find 2 persons hidden if possible in natural hiddingplaces. The tracking is 600m, about 80 minutes old, several angles and 4 items should be found. The tracking in the woods is not judged so strict like in SCH, it´s more a practical type of tracking where the importance is laid on finding the objects within the timelimit. The obedience part is similar to what you can find in policedogtrials, crawling,heeling, climbing a ladder, longdown with a group of dogs and five shoots being fired, heeling thru a group of people and so on.


Regarding the mentaltests and change in the german korung, don´t now much about what happening in Germany on that front, but it seems like they are using some elements from
nordic mentaltests and some other stuff, like Kevin mentioned. Probably similar to the video I posted a while ago of a test/korung in germany.

I do know that here in Sweden they are working on a modified test of our old mentaltest that should be finished in 2007. I have seen a written prototype of this test, but nothing is written in stone yet. New things in this korung is added environmental tests, heights, slick floors, darkness and such. Also a simple test of the concentration and endurance in spontaneous searchwork and tracking. To get a dog koerd the dog should go thru a serie of tests, a mentaltest for the younger dogs, then an environmental and workingpart(nosework), and last the korung where the dogs
intresst/intensity in playing with a bite tug with a person 40 meters away from the handler are noted, his disposition for agressivness under threat, sociallevel of the dog, surprising loud noise, a helper trying to stimulate prey/fighting behaviour in the dog with his bodymovemnets, and a few other things are things that are part of the new swedish korung.
I think this new test are an improvement from the old test, the group working on it are also some very experienced people, responsible for education and selection of police and militarydogs here in Sweden, and some other dog-gurus.
The difference between this test and what they use in Germany is that in the swedish test you basically could enter with a green dog, without any pretraining, making it possible for a larger amount of dogs and persons to participate, which is good for all dogs that aren´t fully trained sport or servicedogs, so the breeders can check what their breedings produce for type of character without relying on puppyowners to title their dogs, that not all do anyway.

Anyway, the Swedish programm may not be perfect, but it sure
is more action than watching a regular IPO-trial, more exciting couragetest and long attacks with both muzzle and a sleeve, which often take the helper to the ground, fun to watch <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
Some pics of the event can be found here,
http://www.lindjax.com/Lei-Anns_ture_filer/Bilder%20SM%202005.htm

Or click at "kolla in marungas häftiga skyddsbilder", just above the rottweiler at this site,
http://www.brukswebben.se

I'm sorry but i watched the video and didn't see any semblance of a courage test and didn't see the dogs tested by the Helper/Decoys.

No attack on the dog at the level i'm accustomed too, with respect to a drive, and no stick hits at all.

I don't see the pressure you claim these dogs see.

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...the article search is in an area of 50x50 meters, where 4 items(wallet, a glove or similar) should be found within 5 minutes, a systematic search directed by the handler. The search for helpers in the woods are in an area of 100x150 meters, where the handler walks in an midlepath an directs the muzzled dog, who should find 2 persons hidden if possible in natural hiddingplaces. The tracking is 600m, about 80 minutes old, several angles and 4 items should be found. The tracking in the woods is not judged so strict like in SCH, it´s more a practical type of tracking where the importance is laid on finding the objects within the timelimit. The obedience part is similar to what you can find in policedogtrials, crawling,heeling, climbing a ladder, longdown with a group of dogs and five shoots being fired, heeling thru a group of people and so on...

While I'm certainly no expert at the Czech system, this sounds very similar to the current Czech ZVV titles, especially ZVV 3.

Thoughts/comments?

I would assume so but I don't know that for a fact. Personally if the kor had a difficult test for the courage test, long pursuit, and a test of playing with various object/searching for objects maybe it would suffice instead of a title. It would leave schutzhund to people interested in working dogs and the continual watering down of the sport might be reversed. But, I don't see it going that way.

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Do you know if the dog's will still have to have a VPG or IPO title and show rating to enter teh Kor?

I would enjoy seeing this trial in its complete form and the training associated with it.
Often the pressure is in the magnitude of the events taught. One of the weak points in schutzhund is familiar field, familiar helper. Then the stick hits mean nothing nor does the courage test.
Much like the NVBK work the environment and conditions under which the trial occurs may have as much or more impact as the actual decoy behaviors in a protection test.
Like in the KNPV the actual events are not that hard...it is the entire procesws of training, trialing, and rearing a dog for the event that gives KNPV its unique feel and the resultant excellent working dogs.
The feel of schutzhund has changed. Not just because of the soft stick and the long term effort to bring schutzhund and IPO together in regards to the rules, but the entire feel of the event. people used to oooh and aww the really powerful dog even if the handler was struggling to keep it from bursting at the seams. Now, I see people worry openly about the impact of such dogs on the image of the sport. Truly civil dogs scare people in the sport where int he past a serious dog that passed well was admired.
The sport is changing....not for the better.
I used to get inquiries about the club from people interested in protection training. Now I get inquiries from people who want something to do with their oooh sooo smart dog.
If people demanded powerful dogs the rules of the sport would not mean nearly as much since the interpretation of the rules is much more important.

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I'm sorry but i watched the video and didn't see any semblance of a courage test and didn't see the dogs tested by the Helper/Decoys.

No attack on the dog at the level i'm accustomed too, with respect to a drive, and no stick hits at all.

I don't see the pressure you claim these dogs see.

Those are excellent points.

I too would like to see the training aspect towards trialing in this program.

Training is where a dog will show it's weakness, and where the dog should be shown it's hardest tests.

Cheers,
Chello...

Email: Mr_Chello@hotmail.com

For those reading this it might be good to note that the muzzle work in and of itself changes the skills dramatically.

One of the big downfalls in testing sport dogs to be police dogs is the muzzle testing. Many many sport dogs will not display fighting character when placed in a muzzle. For a dog to pursue a suspect in a muzzle and do combat with that person upon arrival is a much stronger test than the schutzhund long bite.
In another thread i spoke for the idea of a guard and bark in the open field much like is done in DPO. If a strong and surprising attack on handler is not left out of the routine a strong pursuit, and strong focused barking is more of a test than the long bite. If then done in a muzzle on a strange decoy in street clothes we now have an even harder test.
these tests would help the GSD from fading into another one of those breeds with a historic use and no ability to perform that task.

It´s true that muzzlework separates the boys from the men, or the puppies from the grown dogs in this case. Many different breeds with enough preydrive could do decent sleevework, but if you put a muzzle on them and expect a strong and correct attack the dogs suitable are strongly reduced. It´s way more difficult to send a dog with muzzle after a decoy wearing no suit/sleeve, compared to sending a dog after someone wearing a sleeve/suit where the dog doesn´t need to end the persuit with a serious attack and a serious bark and hold with the right attitude.

Forgive me for sounding naive...I am quite new to all of this. I can understand how many dogs might shut down while wearing a muzzle, but how serious could a bark and hold really be from the detainee's perspective, if the dog is muzzled? I'm talking a real-life scenario. Isn't it the bite that would concern most would-be bad guys?

Tracy