Minnesota Valley Schutzhund Verein

Schutzhund is a rewarding journey that builds a strong relationship between dog and handler, requiring dedication, patience, and consistent effort. Training involves a significant time commitment both with the club and independently, often taking years to prepare for trials and develop necessary skills. The sport consists of three main phases: Tracking, Obedience, and Protection. Members work together to help each other succeed with their goals.

Pricing Summary

MVSV is a volunteer-run organization, not a paid training service. There is a fee of $150 to begin the evaluation process for potential members. Club dues are determined annually based on the club’s budget and cover shared expenses such as training spaces, equipment, and trial costs. Additional fees may apply for seminars, helper sessions, or traveling to events.

Policies

The Minnesota Valley Schutzhund Verein requires guests and participants to sign a release and waiver of liability. This waiver states that the undersigned is fully responsible for their dog’s actions and agrees to hold MVSV, its members, officers, directors, and property owners harmless for any loss or injury caused by their dog or to their dog or themselves during participation in training sessions or events. The waiver also permits photography and video at public MVSV-sponsored events, with the condition that recordings are not made publicly available or used in other communications without the express consent of all parties captured.

Minnesota Valley Schutzhund Verein (MVSV) is a volunteer-run organization and community of dog lovers dedicated to the sport of Schutzhund, also known as IGP or IPO. This international dog sport is designed to test a dog’s intelligence, temperament, and working ability, and was originally developed as a breeding suitability test. MVSV’s mission is to promote Schutzhund as both a sport and a way to evaluate breeding suitability, helping to maintain and improve working dog breeds.

The club provides a supportive environment where members train together and help each other succeed in the three main phases of Schutzhund: tracking, obedience, and protection. They emphasize that the journey requires dedication, patience, and consistent effort, often taking years of practice to prepare for trials and achieve success. MVSV hosts USCA sanctioned trials and seminars, and club dues fund resources like training spaces, equipment, and trial costs.

A unique aspect highlighted is the crucial role of the “helper” in the protection phase, who acts as a co-trainer and behavior interpreter. MVSV keeps its doors open to aspiring helpers and invites interested individuals to visit training sessions. The club has achieved international recognition through the accomplishments of its members and their dogs in various competitions.

Accomplishments

MVSV has been fortunate to work with exceptional helpers and has elevated both its dogs and club to international recognition. The club’s Hall of Fame showcases numerous achievements by members and their dogs, including multiple Regional Champion titles, National Champion titles, High in Trial awards, and qualifications for World Teams (FMBB, FCI). These accomplishments span various Schutzhund/IPO/IGP levels, including IGP3, IPO3, SchH 3, FH1, FPr3, and BH, demonstrating consistent high performance in the sport.

How to Get Started!

If you are curious about Schutzhund or interested in beginning an evaluation, you are invited to visit one of MVSV’s training sessions. For the first visit, you are asked to leave your dog(s) at home to focus on observing the training and learning about the club. During this visit, the evaluation process will be discussed, and a time to bring your dog to begin an evaluation will be determined. The evaluation process has a $150 fee and is open-ended, continuing until the club has a good sense of your fit. If it’s a good match, the club will vote to extend an invitation for membership, leading to a 12-month probationary period.