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About schutzhund not testing for the qualities that you want, what is it that you are looking for? (I'm too lazy to go back and read) I want a GSD that is protective. Loyal. Smart. Obedient. Works well with me. Has an off-switch. All of those are easily tested for with schutzhund.
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I have been working dogs in SchH as the handler and the helper for my entire adult life. I have also witnessed and entered more than one "dog show". So, before anyone gets the idea that I am just "sitting on the sidelines", let me make that point clear.
The above comment is simply not accurate. Maybe it used to be but overall, SchH is not testing protectiveness and a person can pass the protection portion, ( with a very high score), with a dog who doesn't have a protective bone in his body.
As for an "off switch", ( another term I am learning to not like), SchH is not testing that either, not that it should really. What SchH should test is the dog's ability to remain clear under stress and pressure. Many people are claiming this is the case but I am talking about a dog who can work in aggression, mean business in protection but still be able to hear his handler and comply. Asking a dog to stop gripping the big toy and asking him to disengage from a fight are two TOTALLY different things. Mostly the former is what is going on in SchH and that alone is one of the biggest reasons that SchH no longer does what it was intended to do. You can read that a few times if you do not understand what I am saying because it is a very important point.
Also, as I said on this board maybe about 7 years ago now..... one type of dog is being promoted over the other. There is a lack of balance in what dogs are available for breeding in that many are simply too driven, possessive and excitable. Continuing to breed these types of dogs together is going to lead, (and already has), to problems. That being weaker nerves and problems with fear/unprovoked aggression. The more solid dogs with the unshakable nerves are becoming extinct in SchH. Used to be those dogs were held in the highest regard but now they are too slow in obedience, not edgy enough and require real knowledge from the helper to work . That's just too much trouble. People want dogs who will light up with very little provocation. Again, that's not a German Shepherd. GSDs are supposed to be a thinking breed and a breed that can discern a threat from a non-threat. The helper used to be a "bad guy" not a "sparring partner" or the dog's friend.
SchH itself was once a very good test of German Shepherd temperament. Then people got too cleaver with the training because they just had to have a trophy or ribbon. The focus shifted away from testing the dogs to looking at who the trainer is. It is the lack of understanding by the people training in SchH that is leading to the problems. Most do not have a clue what SchH was testing for way back when. It is now a sport to most people and they train with points in mind. It has moved away from it's original purpose in more ways than most people can understand. Most people don't seem to want to understand either and that is a real tragedy.