The American Rottweiler Verein

The American Rottweiler Verein Dedicated to Preserving the Total Rottweiler

What is Schutzhund?

There are three levels of Schutzhund (I, II and III) with increasing difficulty at each level. Schutzhund is a sport which involves tracking, obedience and protection. Tracking proves the dog's ability to use its olfactory senses to follow a scent trail. Obedience demonstrates the dog's willingness to obey commands and be a working partner to his or her handler.

The protection phase, the most misunderstood part of Schutzhund, tests the dog's willingness to protect himself and/or his owner against attack. A Schutzhund dog is a sport dog. The sport of Schutzhund is designed to show a dog that is sound in nerve, temperament and body. Schutzhund is actually a high caliber temperament test. A true Schutzhund dog is equally as comfortable in a kindergarten class as he is on the protection field.

Interestingly, in Germany, a Schutzhund degree, as well as the mandatory ZTP, is required on at least one parent before a breeding is allowed. This requirement promotes correct working drives in the Rottweiler, thus eliminating unsatisfactory temperament from being bred. To register a litter with the ARV and have it listed in the Körbuch, the same requirements must be fulfilled.

What is a ZTP?

Zuchttauglichkeitsprufung (called the ZTP or BST) translates as "breeding suitability test," and certifies that a Rottweiler is acceptable as breeding stock. In Germany, a Rottweiler must attain this degree before being bred. The ARV offers the ZTP to its members. The dog to be tested must be at least 18 months of age and be tattooed. The dog must not have any disqualifying faults according to the January 16, 1996, FCI standard. The dog must have successfully completed an ARV BH or a VDH sanctioned BH. The ZTP is provisionally awarded until the dog attains OFA certification or has ADRK HD hip approval.

There are several phases in the ZTP. First, the dog is measured and weighed. A conformation critique is given, which includes the dog's eye color and any abnormalities in dentition.

The dog then performs a light obedience pattern during which a gun is fired twice, to test the dog's sureness in the face of noise. The dog must heel through a crowd and allow several people to close in on him without a display of fear or unwarranted aggression.

The dog is then rated on the characteristics of self sufficiency, temperament, tractability, courage, protection drive, excitability, fearlessness, attentiveness, mistrust, fighting drive, and hardness. All of these, plus the reaction to the gunshots, are noted on the dog's ZTP form, along with his measurements and critique, which is kept on record by the ARV and entered into the Körbuch. The ARV strongly holds that the ZTP is imperative to preserve the correct Rottweiler in both conformation and character, and is highly recommended for all dogs before breeding.

In addition to the gun sureness test and the crowd test, a courage test is also performed. In the courage test, the Rottweiler must bite the padded sleeve on the agitator's arm, take threats of two hits over the withers with a padded stick, be driven in the fight, and release the sleeve upon command at least once during the exercises. Then the Rottweiler must guard the agitator until the judge signals the handler to pick up his dog.

What is a BBT?

The ARV offers the BBT to test the temperament and breed suitability of Rottweilers whose owners have chosen not to perform grip or protection work, or who do not have a convenient place to train their dog for protection work. The dog does not need to have completed a BH. The BBT is comparable to the ZTP in all other respects. Additional temperament tests are given which include an unfriendly stranger who approaches the dog and retreats without any physical contact.

Dogs to be tested for the BBT must be at least 18 months of age. The dogs must also be tattooed and have no disqualifying faults according to the January 16, 1996, FCI standard. The BBT is only provisionally awarded until the dog attains OFA certification or has ADRK HD hip certification.

What is a KÖRUNG?

The Körung is an advanced breeding suitability test for the very best Rottweilers who have already achieved their ZTP. To apply, the dog must have an eye color of 3A or darker and their mouths must be at least fifty percent dark. The dog must have received conformation ratings of SG or V at least three times by at least two different judges.

Males are required to be titled through Schutzhund III and have attained an AD. Males must be at least thirty-six months of age. Females must have at least a Schutzhund I and be at least thirty months of age.

Rottweilers that pass this test are endorsed for a two year period. At the end of that time, the dog can take the Körung test again and must additionally provide proof of correct progeny. If the dog passes the second time, it is endorsed for breeding until the age of nine years for males and eight years for females, at which time the dog is to be retired.

How are German-style conformation shows different?

In German-style conformation shows, a dog is exhibited naturally. Hand stacking, such as seen in the AKC ring, is not promoted. Instead, the dog, is brought to an alert, natural stance by a second handler wh o attracts the dog with a toy or ball from outside the ring while the judge critiques the dog. The judge often speaks into a microphone so that everyone can hear, see and understand the dog's good points and faults, if any. After all the dogs have been critiqued, the judge will have them trot around the ring, looking for a powerful and athletic dog who also fulfills the conformation requirements to be considered a complete Rottweiler.

As the judge verbally critiques a dog, a typist records his or her exact words. A typed and signed critique for each dog entered. Copies are kept by the judge and the ARV. The original copy is given to the owner to display.

Each dog in the class receives a rating. There is a special class for Rottweilers with a Schutzhund title which is called the Gebrauchshund class.

Sieger show ratings are translated as follows:

Puppies

VP-Very Promising
P-Promising
G-Good
U-Unsatisfactory

Adult Dogs

V-Vorzuglich (Excellent)
SG-Sehr Gut (Very Good)
G-Gut (Good)
S-Genugent (Satisfactory)
U-Ungenugend (Unsatisfactory)

Titles awarded are: Best Puppy (male and female) from the 4-12 month classes; Youth Sieger and Youth Siegerin from the 12-24 month classes; Sieger and Siegerin are chosen from the Open, Gebrauchshund and Sieger classes. Most Beautiful Male and Female in Show are chosen from the winners of the above titles, 12 months and older. Owners usually show their own dogs because German-style conformation showing is relatively easy.

What is the difference between an 'A' judge, 'B' judge and a 'C' judge?

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What is the ARV Point System?

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Last Updated November 20, 2001

Website created & maintained by Joan Foote