Markus Neutz has been a K9 trainer and Handler for the German Police for more than 30 years, currently working a an instructor and specialist teacher at the Police Dog School (Diensthundeschule). He has bred, owned, trained and won championships with various breeds, is the breeder of the Lupano Malinois Kennel and one of the most renowned training helpers. Markus trains his and wife Maria's own dogs, is a renowned IGP judge and member of the VDH's Working Dog Commission. Markus Neutz describes in the interview with Patricia Knabl how this development of K9s is evident in his daily work. The first part of the conversation also highlights the challenges in breeding and selection and raises the question of whether the existing examination procedures are sufficient to reliably identify the mental stability necessary for service.

PK: Have working dog breeds changed, or even deteriorated, over the decades?

MN: It seems that almost all dog breeds have changed in general. Whether this is positive or negative is something everyone has to decide for themselves. I have certain expectations in my dog. And it's not as easy for me today as it used to be to find a dog that suits me and our lifestyle. From my perspective, we see a certain negative change.

PK: What exactly has changed?

MN: If I had to describe it generally, I'd say the dogs have become softer. Of course, I'm not just looking at this from a sporting perspective, but primarily from a service dog perspective. I've been working with service dogs for over 30 years, in various roles: today I'm an instructor/specialist teacher at the Baden-Württemberg Service Dog School. I still have an active service dog (detection dog), but I don't have as many deployments as I used to. Back then, I had to be able to rely completely on my dog. If the dog failed because it was too soft, there would have been serious consequences.

PK: Specific manifestations of this finding?

MN: On average, the dogs have a slightly more sensitive temperament and lower stamina. A major issue for us is car travel. It's normal in these professions to sometimes work a 24-hour shift, which is strenuous for both us and the dogs. We drive at 120 km/h with sirens through downtown Stuttgart, getting in and out of the vehicle. It's crucial that the dogs are able to settle and take a break during such a shift. However, I'm increasingly seeing dogs that can't do this. They can't switch off because they're too stressed by the whole situation. I'm seeing more and more problems here. 

PK: Do you have a predominance of Malinois or German Shepherds?

MN: Ten years ago, we had more Belgian Shepherds. Now we're almost at 50/50. German Shepherds do have some health issues. But for us, it's not quite so critical: we mostly buy older dogs that have already been tested for hip and elbow dysplasia. We do see a few health issues with Malinois as well: allergies, intolerances, pancreatic problems, and unfortunately, epilepsy. We don't see much hip and elbow dysplasia in Malinois.

PK: Of these nervous limitations you mentioned, is the German Shepherd not so affected in your opinion?

MN: In this "area of ​​care": car travel / kennel confinement , we have fewer problems with German Shepherds. And by no means do all Malinois have this issue. But we are certainly seeing it more and more often. In sports, it's not quite so critical: there I can take the time my dog ​​needs. I might even go to a trial two days in advance if it helps my dog ​​acclimatize.

PK: Is it possible to achieve anything through breeding strategies regarding the issue of "softness"/regulatory ability?

MN: My last Malinois on duty had massive problems in precisely these areas. Initially, I could manage it by deliberately arriving at deployments earlier to allow him to relax beforehand. Over time, this stopped working. The dog's father wasn't as extreme, but he showed signs of the same stress-related behavior, as did my dog's siblings.  

From a breeding perspective, I am not a fan of compensation. That is to say, I would not try to compensate for a deficiency by seeking a stud partner with better traits in that area. In my view, lines that produce such serious issues must be kept out of breeding programs.

PK: Where do you see the possibility of appropriate selection for working dogs: in sports or in breed associations?

MN: You primarily recognize a dog's resilience in terms of handling when you interact with it daily. Our assessments (sports, breed survey, breeding suitability test) only provide snapshots. It's particularly difficult to identify genuine deficiencies in toughness. Just because a dog takes a hit with a soft stick in stride doesn't mean it possesses the toughness I'm looking for in practical work.

If I want to assess toughness, I need to see how the dog reacts when something unpleasant happens. How does he behave the next time he experiences the same thing? When I was still active in the DMC, we discussed testing the dogs at multi-day events to better observe untrained behavior.

PK: The tests are also difficult because a good dog handler can control a lot through training if they anticipate what will be tested.

MN: The goal of every evaluation is to see what the dog can achieve based on its natural abilities, not on the backs of its training. You have to consider how to get the dog out of the training zone. This was certainly easier in the past because dogs were kept differently. Furthermore, I might overthink the evaluation, and then the handler might have had similar ideas, and everything I'm testing has already been practiced 20 times with their dog.

PK: You mentioned earlier that you see Malinois who have trouble switching off and relaxing within a reasonable timeframe. What if, for testing purposes, you exposed a dog to significant stimuli (crowds, unfamiliar noises, other dogs, etc.) and then specifically observed how quickly the dog calmed down? For example, by having the handler wait with their dog in the clubhouse for the next hour? Does the dog lie down, repeatedly try to get up, sleep, or bother the handler? I would also argue that a dog's stimulus threshold and its ability to self-regulate are not so easily trained.

MN: Yes. But in practice it would certainly involve considerable effort.

PK: Horst-Dieter Träger once told me that he likes to watch how the dogs get out of the car when they arrive at the field, or how they behave during the awards ceremony. He said that sometimes tells him more than the actual work on the field. The observation is along similar lines: Does the dog calm down after the work, or does the handler have to constantly stuff a chew toy into its mouth during the awards ceremony? Perhaps breeding simply needs to place more emphasis on such aspects.

"While Part 1 revolved around the question of why many dogs today seem 'softer' and what consequences this has in daily service, Part 2 of the interview deals with the training itself. Markus Neutz will explain how Obedience (Unterordnung) and Protection Work (Schutzdienst) have changed over the last decades, why social media images can distort expectations, and where he sees the biggest challenges in today's training practice."