Schutzhund is a three-part dog sport that heightens tracking, obedience, and protection skills. The right equipment can help you and your dog enjoy training, stay focused on what matters, and understand your progress.
Find a mentor who will enjoy working with your pet and recommend appropriate collars, harnesses, long lines, toys, flags, track articles, protection blinds, and other training gear.
Collar
To train your dog, you will need a collar and harness. Suitable training collars are those that do not constrict the neck and don’t cause any respiratory issues in smaller breeds.
The e-collar is a great option as it gives you more control for training and corrections. You can also use it to attach important information like rabies and city tags to your dog. Tug toys and agility tools help build drive and motivation in dogs and strengthen the bond between handler and animal.
Harness or vest
A quality harness or vest is essential to control your dog during Schutzhund training. Choose one that is breathable and offers movement control.
This Schutzhund training gear model is crafted of cushioned polyester covered in tiny pinholes to allow airflow. It also has a D-ring on the back to connect a leash and features bright service dog patches.
Schutzhund requires obedience training, tracking, and protection. Your club may provide these obstacles, but having some of your own for home and road training is a good idea. They include hurdles, which are used during tracking exercises, and protection blinds, which are used in the protective phase.
Leash
A leash is a cord or rope attached to a dog’s collar, allowing the owner to control the animal. Leashes come in various styles, including flat collars and limited slip martingale leashes.
An indestructible leash is recommended for dogs that chew, as it’s durable and coated to prevent water damage. It also features a padded handle to prevent choking and offers two clips so the leash can be used from either side of the neck. It’s available in various lengths and colors.
Toys
Schutzhund is a three-part sport that heightens your dog’s tracking, obedience, and protection skills. It requires specific training equipment, including tracking articles, flags, and protection blinds. You’ll also need a tracking line that is standard and 33 feet long.
Tug toys encourage drive and motivation, while Kongs keep dogs occupied during long training sessions. You’ll also need a tote bag to carry all your gear. Other essential equipment includes a crate for transporting your dog, a dog whistle, potty bells, and heel sticks. This high-quality synthetic jump is a helpful tool during all kinds of training.
Bite pillow or sleeve
Schutzhund is an intense canine sport that heightens obedience, tracking, and protection skills. It also builds a stronger bond between the dog and the handler. It requires specific training equipment like a collar, harness, and vest. Other gear, such as tug toys and protection blinds, can help build drive and motivation and foster a solid bond with your dog.
A standard flat collar is acceptable, but no choke chains or prong collars. Bringing a tote bag for all your equipment is also a good idea.
Tracking articles
In the tracking phase of Schutzhund, your dog will need to find articles dropped by your helper on a track. These articles should be durable and comply with IGP trial requirements.
Schutzhund handlers might need to train their dogs to climb over a scaling wall during the obedience phase. Your club may have this equipment, but purchasing your own for training at home is a good idea.
Tug toys are excellent for building drive, motivating a dog, and strengthening the bond between handlers. It would be best if you also got a crate for transport and to contain the dog during breaks in training.
Flags
Schutzhund is a three-part dog sport that heightens the dog’s tracking, obedience, and protection skills. It also tests the dog’s physical and mental endurance, trainability, temperament, structural efficiencies, and courage.
The tracking phase of Schutzhund involves following a footstep trail and locating articles along the way. To do this, the dog must use its nose to follow a scent at a precise speed.
For this reason, trainers often use flags to mark the track. The flags must be durable and comply with Schutzhund trial requirements.
Blind search
The equipment you will need for the protection phase of Schutzhund training may vary a bit from what other handlers use, depending on your club and the method you choose to train. However, you should expect the following items.
Blind search is a search algorithm with no information about its search space’s goal state. It traverses the search tree level by level, visiting all nodes on the first level before moving to the next. It is a small, portable blind that you can use to teach your dog blind search.
