April 14, 2025, 9:27 am | Read time: 7 minutes
Dog protection sport should be banned in Germany for private individuals and clubs. At least that’s what star dog trainer Martin Rütter is calling for, causing a lot of discussion and heated debate in the German dog scene.
Admittedly, dog protection sport can appear quite rough and intimidating when you witness a dog biting into a person’s padded sleeve. But this is also part of dog protection sport, where both dog and handler should be challenged physically and mentally. The three components of tracking, obedience, and protection merge into a single unit and are intended to raise the dog’s obedience, instinctive confidence, resilience, and teamwork to a higher level. But not everyone supports this dog sport.
Martin Rütter Advocates for a Ban on Protection Dog Sports
Celebrity dog trainer Martin Rütter recently explained in a video that he doesn’t think much of this: “I deliberately put it in quotation marks — ‘sport.'” In his opinion, this is not about sport but about a “very massive demonstration of power by people.” This is why he has been arguing for 20 years that private individuals should be banned from using protection dogs. He argues that it is ultimately dangerous, as it is not uncommon for dogs to become completely overwhelmed, stressed, and pose a danger. This is one of his arguments in the video.
This video was preceded by a ban on dog protection sport in Germany’s neighboring country, Austria. From 15 April 2025, any form of dog training that encourages aggressive behavior, such as biting or attacking, is banned there. The aim is to prevent owners from deliberately provoking their dogs during training.1
However, supporters have emphasized for years that this is not the essence of the sport. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Rather, it is about a form of exercise and about the four-legged friends learning to reduce their instincts and become controllable under the guidance of their humans.
“Martin Rütter is Overgeneralizing,” Say Critics
However, it is well known that calls for bans always stir up heated discussions. “The topic of protection dog sport always gets into the public debate because it is emotionally charged,” explains dog trainer Katharina Marioth in an interview with PETBOOK.
“On the one hand, protection dog sport has very positive aspects. However, it also has its critical aspects, involving exaggeration, hyperbole, and questionable practices. In my opinion, Martin Rütter generalizes this, and I don’t think that’s good.”
The problems that Rütter addresses in his 16-minute video concern not just the sport of guard dog training but also dog ownership in general. In addition, Rütter seems to be more concerned with a “gut feeling” than facts, dog psychologist Marc Ebersbach criticizes.
Is It All Just a Question of Gut Feeling?
There are no bite statistics in Germany to back up Martin Rütter’s claims that four-legged friends who practice working dog sports in particular are involved in biting incidents. “There are no bite statistics that say which dog or which form of dog training has actually bitten the most. But there is a dissertation from the University of Munich from 2006 where the doctoral student worked this out.”
Ebersbach acknowledges that this is a relatively small-scale study. But “Martin Rütter didn’t refer to any statistics at all and simply said in his gut that these dogs bite particularly often, which is simply not true.”
Katharina Marioth, dog trainer and behavioral expert for dangerous dogs for the state of Berlin, is also irritated by Rütter’s claims. “Emotions are important when it comes to dealing with dogs — but they should not be the basis for sweeping judgments.”
“A Factual Discussion Would Make More Sense Than Purely Emotionalizing the Debate”
Schutzhund sport is based on learned prey aggression and clear rules, the expert told PETBOOK. “There are clubs that work professionally, without violence, and with consideration for the nature of the dog. An objective discussion would, therefore, make more sense than purely emotionalizing the debate.”
But that is not the only criticism of the Rütter video. Dog psychologist Ebersbach also sees the statement that people are only interested in a demonstration of power over their dog in the sport of guarding dogs as problematic and generalizing.
“So he’s basically saying that it’s all about showing my dog that I’m the more powerful one. Of course, that’s a harsh statement that has hit many people to the core.” The dog expert believes that this sport has had an image problem for a long time anyway. “Perhaps it’s also boiling over because the dog world is very divided here.”
The Tension Thing
Basically, you can make a simplified distinction between two types of dogs. “If we look at the dog breeds, we have breeds that are under low tension, and we have breeds that are under relatively high tension.” According to his definition, the Labrador or any type of Retriever, for example, is under low tension. “They are simply cool and easy-going. Then there are dogs with high tension or a fundamentally higher level of tension, for example, Malinois or Herders.”
At this point, the dog world splits into two camps, reports Ebersbach, and the unspoken question arises: Why do I even get a dog like this? And what do I do to at least keep him mentally busy and control his instincts, which he was given through breeding? “Some people can’t understand others. It’s almost like two cultures that don’t understand each other. And neither can do anything with the other’s question as to why they live the way they do. Or why you do things the way you do them”. But this is exactly where the line of understanding runs through the dog world.
“The Biggest Misunderstanding Is the Assumption That Dog Protection Sport Makes Dogs Aggressive”
A glance at the breeds that are generally used for dog protection sport is enough here. They often include Boxers, Dobermans, Malinois, Giant Schnauzers, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and other “working dog breeds” as defined by the VDH.2 “The biggest misconception is that dog protection sport makes dogs aggressive or that every dog becomes a potential ‘weapon dog’ during training,” explains Katharina Marioth.
“In fact, it’s all about controlled instinctual work, obedience, and precision. A well-trained guard dog is reliable, manageable, and by no means an unpredictable danger. I would rather someone practice dog protection sport than not look for and create any activity or exercise for their dog.” She, therefore, does not believe in a ban on this type of sport.
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Experts Are Clearly Against a Ban
“A ban would penalize many responsible clubs and dog sportsmen and women who practice the sport in a species-appropriate manner and under fair conditions. Much more important would be better control of training methods in order to uncover and prevent abuses.”
A demand that dog expert Marc Ebersbach would also endorse. In his opinion, the sport should not be banned, but rather better controlled and regulated. The dog psychologist is confident that the sport can be a beneficial activity for certain dogs. Provided that the rules are followed and the protection dog sport is carried out in a normal, moderate, and dog-friendly manner. “If the dog can handle stress well to a certain extent and its system is familiar with it.” This is then normal hunting-motivated stress, and that is exactly the point, explains Ebersbach.
“It’s about controlling the dog’s hunting behavior, namely the motivated biting of prey — which at this moment is the protective arm. If I were to throw away the protective arm, the dog would run after the prey — namely the arm — and no longer attack the human.” The important thing here is to challenge the dog but not to overtax it.
PETBOOK also asked Martin Rütter for a personal statement on this issue. However, the dog trainer declined our request due to his busy schedule.