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Vielseitigkeitspruefung für Gebrauchshunde VPG is short for the German "Vielseitigkeitspruefung für Gebrauchshunde" which roughly translates to mean "Versatilty Test for Working Dogs." VPG is the new name for "Schutzhund," although people still mainly refer to the sport as such. The new title for the sport has been deemed more fitting. In German, the word Schutzhund means literally "Protection Dog," but since protection work is just one part of the sport, it was time for a name change. The following is a description of the sport written by the members of Allgemeiner Hundesport Klub.
Schutzhund is a German dog sport that is over 100 years old. The sport involves three phases of competition for dog/handler teams. The phases are tracking, obedience and protection. There are three levels of competition, Schutzhund I (SchH I), Schutzhund II (SchH II) and Schutzhund III (SchH III). The degress become progressively more demanding, from the beginning level I to the most advanced level III. The Tracking Phase tests the dogs perseverance, natural scenting capacity, and willingness to work. In the test the dog must follow a persons track. As the levels of difficulty increase, the tracks are older, longer and have more articles that the dog must find. The Obedience Phase tests the dogs reliability and responsiveness to the handler. The dog must heel at the handler's side, retrieve, jump, sit, go away from the handler on command and down under distracting and challenging circumstances. The Protection Phase tests the dogs courage, obedience and self-reliance. The dog must find and warn the handler of a hidden villain, aggressively stop an assault on his handler and prevent the escape of a menacing intruder. Each phase has 100 possible points, for a combined total of 300 points. A judge determines how many points each dog/handler team gets. The "team" concept is a very important one. A poor handler can cost a good dog many points, and a good handler can make a modest dog look great. In order to pass, a team must score 70 points in tracking, 70 points in obedience and 80 points in protection. Testing is designed to be fair and comprehensive. There are other Schutzhund titles that can be earned. There is Traffic Secure (BH), which tests a dogs ability to function in a normal city street environment, Watchdog (WH), which tests a dogs guarding instincts, an endurance test (AD), and an advanced tracking degree (FH), etc. The protection phase is the source of much confusion. Schutzhund dogs are NOT ATTACK DOGS, guard dogs, sentry dogs or police dogs, although Schutzhund training is often used as a prelimanary to police training. The Schutzhund dog is A FRIENDLY, GOOD NATURED FAMILY MEMBER, an alert courageous protector, and an obedient and reliable companion. Schutzund originated in Germany, when early in the 1900's Max von Stephanitz structured and formalized training contests, mainly in order to test German Shepherds for their suitability as a breeding stock. The Schutzhund sport is supported in the U.S.A by numerous local clubs, which are affiliated with various national organizations. Some of these are USA (United Schuzhund Club of America), WDA (Working Dog Association), NASA (North American Schutzhund Association), and DVG America. DVG America is associated directly with DVG (Deutscher Verband der Gebrauchshundsportvereine) in Germany. Dogs of Working Groups are generally recognized as being better suited for this sport than others. In Germany, the traditional Schutzhund breeds are German Shepherd, Rottweiler, Doberman, Airedale Terrier, Boxer, Bouvier de Flandres, Giant Schnauzer and Hovowart. However, all breeds, and mixed breeds, are allowed to compete. The usual requirements for entering into a Schutzhund I trial are that the dog is 14 months old, you have a valid scorebook and the dog is in good health. |