Glossary

IGP (Schutzhund)

A three-part working-dog sport of tracking, obedience and protection, formerly Schutzhund and IPO, that began as a breed test for the German Shepherd Dog.

Also called: Schutzhund, IPO, IGP, Schutzhund sport, protection sport, Internationale Gebrauchshunde-Prüfungsordnung

IGP stands for Internationale Gebrauchshunde-Prüfungsordnung, the international working dog trial rules. It was known as Schutzhund, which means protection dog, and later as IPO. It began in Germany in the early 1900s as a way to test German Shepherd Dogs for breeding. A dog is judged in three parts: tracking a human scent trail, obedience exercises, and protection work, in which the dog bites a padded sleeve on command and releases on command.

The sport is open to many breeds, such as the Belgian Malinois, the Doberman Pinscher and the Rottweiler. Dogs earn titles in levels one to three. Strict control is part of the test, and a dog that cannot stop on command fails.

It is a sport, not guard training for a family pet. Dogs for police work often come from similar lines. A bite sport requires an experienced trainer and a stable dog.

Last reviewed November 8, 2026

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