Schutzhund is a sport whose purpose is to evaluate a dog's character, by giving it work to do, then comparing its performance to certain guidelines as well as the performance of other working dogs. Schutzhund evolved around the turn of the twentieth century as a means of testing and preserving the character and the utility of German military and police dogs under extreme conditions.

The Schutzhund test is a day-long event which tests each dog's mental stability, drive, concentration, ability to scent, courage, and willingness to work. In one day it must compete successfully in three entirely different phases: tracking, obedience, and protection.

The dog must follow the handler's orders to heel off leash, heel through a crowd of people, perform a long down, a send away, a recall, be indifferent to and undistracted by a gunshot, perform a long down under distraction, retrieve on flat ground, retrieve over a 1metre jump, and retrieve over a 6 foot wall.

People do not wish to share their house or community with a potentially dangerous dog. ANY large dog is potentially dangerous. The large dog needs to be handled by a responsible, knowledgeable person who will give a lot of understanding, affection, love, attention, and MOST IMPORTANT of all, TRAINING to the dog. Anyone who lacks these basics should not even consider owning a dog, and definitely not one of the working breeds.

For the responsible, private working dog owner, the Schutzhund sport has proven to be an ideal program. Training can be done in very small groups, training locations are readily available, time requirements are reasonable, and benefits are obvious. Knowing how a dog behaves in critical situations is reassuring and provides better control over the animal, eliminating in fact, so-called viciousness. The result is a happy, friendly but alert, controllable family dog that becomes an asset, not a nuisance or even a danger to society.