-A SOCIAL WORKING DOG-
Striking a Balance through Schutzhund
The most important thing any person can know about dogs is that they are animals. Of course dogs are domesticated and therefore far less dangerous than wild animals, but in the end they are still animals with instincts very similar to their wild ancestors the Canis Lupas-the Grey Wolf. Remains of dogs have been found as far back as 10 to 15 thousand years ago among human families so there has been a long period of training and selective breading in play to further facilitate their co-existence with humans as well as their utility in assisting us. Schutzhund is a recent and proven structured way to facilitate the continued co-existence and utility of dogs.
No type of training will insure that a dog will be able to maintain acceptable social behavior in all instances, but certainly training and testing of that dog and most importantly of its parents can decrease the chances of unacceptable behavior. How much training will improve the ability of the dog to control itself in various social environments will always be limited by that dog’s genetic mental predisposition or temperament as we call it.
Schutzhund is a dog sport that was developed in Germany in the early 1900s to test for desirable working traits and behavior so as to identify German Shepherd Dogs that were suitable for breeding. The same goal of testing for desirable working traits and behavior to identify dogs that are suitable for breeding is the primary purpose of Schutzhund today. Think of Schutzhund as a recent, but important step in improving and continuing the domestication of dogs. Few dog sports are as well structured and as wide spread in helping to improve dogs as a species.
A Schutzhund dog must be the very picture of control and predictability in order to excel at the sport. The higher the Schutzhund title the more tests of that dog’s self-control and obedience it has passed. Aggression toward the handler, judge, or spectator as well as any sign of an inability to be controlled by its handler will results in automatic disqualification from a trial and in some instance suspension from the sport for that dog and trainer.
So, will Schutzhund training in and of itself tell you whether that dog will be good with children? No, but what it does do is take dog owners out of working in the dark in terms of wondering what kind of dog we are about to purchase to be around our children by looking at the parents' titles. Thanks to Schutzhund, we now can know with reasonable certainty that we are purchasing a dog that is high in drive and that will require training to become obedient, but is at the same time very capable of outstanding obedience. The more a dog owner is able to achieve with his dog in obtaining Schutzhund titles the less unpredictable that dog’s reactions will be.
Schutzhund training is as much a benefit to the owner/handler as it is to the dog itself as it helps identify the dog being trained individual weaknesses and strengths in terms of behavior. Believe me even after a few months of training your dog you will learn a great deal about him or her that you would not have learned absent the training.
So, in the end it is my firm belief that Schutzhund is a valuable thing in terms of striking a balance to achieve a better domesticated utilitarian dog. Obedience and experience with your dog will lead to improved predictability of your dog’s actions. Schutzhund training will help you to recognize certain behavior that will dictate whether it is capable of being with children and also help you identify unacceptable behavior while socializing your dog to your children. As long as you are present with your small children and have taught your children regardless of age to respect the dog I do believe that a Schutzhund trained dog is as good a family dog, if not better, than any other large breed dog not trained in Schutzhund.
"Utility and intelligence." Rittmeister Max Emil Friedrich von Stephanitz.
Re: Can there be a balance
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