THOUSAND OAKS : Dog Club Helps Take a Bite Out of Crime

While many homeowners install burglar alarms or window bars, some Ventura County residents turn to their pets for home security.

Members of the newly formed Conejo Valley Schutzhund Club train their dogs--usually German shepherds, Rottweilers or Doberman pinschers--to find, hold and even bite intruders.

Schutzhund is the German word for “protection dog.”

The club, which originated in Germany, has hundreds of chapters around the United States.

Schutzhund training exercises are similar to those for police dogs, said Lt. Gary Backman, head of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department canine unit.

Typically, an exercise simulates a home break-in.

Most local club members view the training as a sport.

But others said they rely on their schutzhund-trained dogs for protection.

Club member Julie Vanoni and her Belgian sheep dog, Thunder, recently demonstrated the training on the field at the Camarillo airport where the group meets.

Tom Mitchell, a schutzhund trainer, or “agitator,” acted as the intruder. Vanoni sent Thunder to find him.

Thunder quickly located Mitchell hiding behind one of several tent-like screens set up on the field.

Barking and baring his teeth, the dog cornered the man.

Mitchell’s only protection was a padded jute sleeve on one arm and a bamboo stick in the other.

For the dog, this is “the hardest part of schutzhund,” Mitchell said. “The dog has to control himself and not bite you, only warn his handler.”

But Thunder was encouraged to bite in the “courage test.”

Mitchell struck the dog with the stick. And Thunder bit hard into the man’s jute-covered arm and hung on, despite repeated blows.

The sticks only sting the dogs, Mitchell said, adding that trainers are careful to strike the animals on their shoulders and to avoid their spines.

Although the club’s literature says the group plans to get a liability insurance policy in case the dogs bite bystanders, training director Sharon Donnelley said she knows of no serious bite injuries during schutzhund events.

Clubs will not accept vicious or unstable dogs, she said. Indeed, dogs competing at schutzhund tournaments are disqualified if they growl at strangers or show any other signs of aggressiveness.

Member Linda Nicolosi compared schutzhund training to riding horses.

“You’re bringing out the most intense drives of . . . a powerful animal,” Nicolosi said. “When the drives are out, then you’re trying to control and direct him.”

Jerry Cowan, another club member, emphasized the practical benefits of the sport.

He began his German shepherd in schutzhund training when, he said, “I realized what a potential problem I had on my hands.”

“There’s nothing worse than a mismanaged dog,” he said, adding that he wants to be able to trust his dog “in every situation,” from playing with children to confronting home intruders.