No one is calling you stupid here Catherine!

It is common for people new to Schutzhund to read "working" dog as a training program for service type dogs (search and rescue, police, personal protection, etc.) yet, it is far from that.

It is a method of choregraphing skills that have been identified (correctly or incorrectly) as important to the breeds so that all the examples of the breed can be viewed for their POTENTIAL, not their ability. It then developed into a sport where competitors (people not dogs) wanted to be evaluated for prestige and notariety among dog enthusiasts. As a result, the sport has flowed away from any sense of practicality. It is possible to have a practical dog that can be titled but seldom is a titled dog practical. Practical behaviors often injur the competitor's score and thus seen as a less than desireable performance. Demonstrating a practical dog in the sport of schutzhund is more difficult than demonstrating a dog trained exclusively for the point structure of the sport. Few people have the experience or skill to do so at a reasonable level.