The word Schutzhund exactly translated from German to English means "protection dog." This literal translation is misleading, however, because a Schutzhund is much more than simply a protection dog. A good Schutzhund dog is a friendly and good-natured member of the family, courageous, and a reliable protector.

Today, in the United States, Schutzhund is a fast-growing competitive sport. Competitions held around the world feature dogs that have been trained in the skills of tracking, high level obedience, and controlled protection. Schutzhund is a sport open to everyone interested in dogs, regardless of age, and often involve whole families in its activities. This competitive working sport measures the dog's reliable temperament, willingness to work, ability to scent, responsiveness to training and conformation. Great emphasis is placed on the effort of teamwork between the handler and his or her dog.

Although the German Shepard Dog is the most commonly used breed in Schutzhund activities, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, and Giant Schnauzers also compete regularly. Any dog, purebred or not, which is capable of performing the work is welcome to compete and attain the Schutzhund degrees. To qualify for a Schutzhund degree, all dogs must pass a temperament test. Dogs not passing this test shall be disqualified from the trial. Although the temperament test is administered at the beginning of the trial, the dog may be excused at any time during the trial if it shows any obvious signs of unsoundness. 
  In a Schutzhund trial, the dog is required to successfully display skills in three different areas: tracking, obedience, and protection . The dog must pass all three phases at the same trial to get a Schutzhund degree. There are also three levels of performance at which the dog/handler team compete: Schutzhund I (the novice degree), Schutzhund II (the intermediate degree), and Schutzhund III (the advanced degree). The requirements become steadily more difficult from Schutzhund I to Schutzhund III.