Many people are not interested in Schutzhund style training, but I found this article very useful as most people have a misshapen idea of what a good Schutzhund dog looks like. Whether you do shutzhund sport or any other dog sport I think this applies very well. It is also the “overall picture” I expect to see from any working dog whether it is pet therapy, service work, military or sport. Even if you are just walking your dog at the park, let us try to create these kinds of dogs in our training programs.

2008 WUSV Judge's Meeting

September 24, 2008

USA Director of Judges, Mark Przybylski, attended the 2008 WUSV Judge's Meeting in Darmstadt, Germany. There were 59 Judges there from 30 different countries. The emphasis on the meeting was strongly geared to rules applications, evaluation of exercises, and point assessment based on quality of work, training, and behaviors. This meeting emphasized proper judging in accordance with the current rules.

The dog's temperament must be tested throughout. It starts at the beginning. It is strongly recommended that we use many of the adjective descriptors available to us to note what the animal demonstrates from the onset. This will help place the dog in the appropriate category and rating. In order for the dog to receive an excellent rating he must demonstrate the following;
Must be happy
Must be free Must be correct in all parts of an exercise
Must be well trained
Must show harmony between dog and handler
Must show drive (temperament and character)
Must show balance in drives