Strong together: Why we support K9andSports
In the world of dog sports, there is a growing community of enthusiasts who are passionate about preserving and promoting the discipline. In this post, four dedicated voices share their motivations for supporting K9andSports. They talk about the importance of working together to preserve the values of dog sports and promote the future generation of working dogs. Learn why shared commitment is key to successful and sustainable development in dog sports.
Who walks down the street with a protection sleeve? - Dr. Esther Schalke
Dr. Feddersen-Petersen once said the following: 'As a criterion for breeding selection, I consider today's 'protection work' (strictly conducted in a playful manner according to the examination regulations) to be indispensable.' For example, I consider the DMC approval to be much more meaningful.
Roswitha Dannenberg, SV President: "The current situation and the fact that our sport is under attack shows us that we have to explain and inform - more than ever!"
Our dogsport is much more than only Protection. But Protection is an important part of our IGP-Sport and our SV Körungen (breeding selection tests).
And it will stay that way!
Simone Stroh, Ambassador and Veterinarian: "IGP and Protection have amazing advantages for us and our dogs and should not be outlawed because of single incidents."
Dogs that are trained in IGP Protection bring a lot of positive traits to the table.
1. They are balanced and both mentally and from a physical perspective stable. They get to work according to their breed characteristics ...
Ralf Meins, Police Officer in Hamburg: "Speaking up against Working Dogs is the same as speaking up against K9 program administrators."
Hamburg is a city with 1.8 Million inhabitants - and not all of them handle things peacefully. I have numerous stories of days at duty which were not at all pleasant.
It is common that you need to solve conflict situations as an Officer. And what I learned is that only the presence of K9s often deescalate by their mere presence.
Sicherheit Nord, security company of the Bundeswehr: 'We support the mentioned working dog sports because they form the foundation of a functioning breeding program.'
We emphasize that all dogs are trained in a modern and animal welfare-compliant manner. To make this possible, it is essential for the legislator to differentiate between pure family companion dogs and those that fulfill an
additional role in society.
Astrid Kalff, Search and Rescue Dog Handler with numerous real deployments, including Turkey 2023: 'In our view, IGP work is very beneficial for search and rescue dog work...'
We endorse the parallel training in search and rescue dog work and
and IGP because the fundamental structure, with regard
with regard to 'drive resilience' (resilience of behavior), tractability, and
resilience forms a solid foundation
for search and rescue dog work.
Daniele Strazzeri, Vice President of SV: 'This is not a dog sport where we make the dogs aggressive.'
In IGP competitions and tests, we select for breeding.
For agencies with service dogs, it is crucial that dogs are bred to be useful
that dogs are bred to be useful for them; to
come into service as protection dogs, as detection dogs for
drugs, or as search and rescue dogs for missing persons.
Trisha Harper, TSA Sicherheitsspezialistin, Heimatschutzministerium USA: “Wenn wir IGP oder verwandte Sportarten abschaffen, erweisen wir den Diensthundeführern einen Bärendienst!”
The working dog sports have all originated with the goal
of evaluating the quality of breeding for
future service dogs.
If we were to lose even one of them,
we would be doing a disservice to the K9 handlers.
Who walks down the street with a protection sleeve? - Dr. Esther Schalke
Dr. Feddersen-Petersen once said the following: 'As a criterion for breeding selection, I consider today's 'protection work' (strictly conducted in a playful manner according to the examination regulations) to be indispensable.' For example, I consider the DMC approval to be much more meaningful.
Adi Hazut, retired K9 handler, Israel Defense Forces: 'If we lose dog sports, police and military forces worldwide will suffer significant losses!'
Adi Hazut, retired K9 handler, Israel Defense Forces: 'The dogs fighting alongside us against terrorism come from the world of dog sports.'
Dobermann Verein e.V.: ...a clear YES to the preservation and promotion of the IGP working dog sport!
The working dog sport originated from police dog sports, and for good reason.
Advancements in training, ensuring the preservation of a usable...
Dr. Marianne Fischer, Veterinarian: 'Our working dogs are important for our society.'
That we need protection dog sports to maintain high-quality dogs for our agencies with service dogs for rescue, search, and protection is undisputed. However, even in private and everyday life, we can only benefit from the nerve strength and environmental security of our dogs.
VIKA BEZUS, Ukrainian National Guard, Breeder: 'Our working dogs are important for our society.'
Our working dogs are important for our society. Dog sports ensure that there are enough well-trained dogs available.
I am not sure if everyone realizes that there is a connection between sports and service:
Sports test the nerves; we see if our dog is still under control and cooperates with the handler over a long distance. In the context of IGP tests, we determine if our dogs are ready for deployment.
At some point, the lives of people depend on it!
Judge K. Heldt: 'The legal proceedings involving dog owners in court concern the mistreatment of regular household dogs...'
From my experience as a criminal judge, I cannot confirm an increase in violations of animal protection laws associated with the topic of protection dog sports. The cases on my desk involving dog owners primarily deal with, in some cases, severe abuse of regular household dogs. These owners have acted out of overwhelm, ignorance, or outright cruelty.
K.-J. Glüh, Vice President of the FCI Working Dog Commission: 'It is incomprehensible that our sport is being questioned!'
As the Vice President of the International Working Dog Commission of the FCI, I have been advocating for quality in dog training for years. The primary goal is the control and humane treatment of dogs. Therefore, I find it incomprehensible that our sport is being questioned, especially considering that bite incidents overwhelmingly occur with dogs owned by non-affiliated individuals.
Vice President of VDH Christa Bremer: 'It's 5 minutes to 12. We need the selection of working dogs!'
We need the selection of working dogs for multiple reasons: firstly, as a foundation for service use in various authorities. Equally important is the fulfillment of our working dogs, which live in families, ensuring they are appropriately challenged and engaged.
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