Schutzhund
The Obedience Phase in Schutzhund at 2010 FCI World Championship Finland | |
| Sport | Dog sports |
|---|---|
| Competition | Trials |
| Discipline | Protection dog sports |
| Nickname | IPO, IGP |
Schutzhund (/'ʃʊtshʊnt/, German for "protection dog"), currently known competitively as IGP and previously as IPO, is a dog sport that tests a dog's tracking, obedience, and protection skills, and evaluates if a dog has the appropriate traits and characteristics of a good working dog.
It was developed in Germany in the early 1900s as a suitability test for German Shepherds, but soon became the model for training and evaluating all five of the German protection breeds, which included Boxer, Dobermann, Giant Schnauzer, and Rottweiler. Though any breed of dog can participate, today the sport is dominated by German Shepherds and the Belgian Shepherd breed.
In 2025 Schutzhund and other working dog activities were awarded UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status.
Dog owners and handlers participate in Schutzhund clubs as a group activity for training the dogs, and clubs sponsor trials to test the dogs and award titles. The best dogs can qualify to participate in national and international level championships.