D.V.G. is the oldest and largest Schutzhund training organization in the world. Modern Police, Service and Sport dog training began at the turn of the century.

In 1897, a Prussian police inspector, Franz Laufer, had an idea in attempt to solve a serious problem with officers suffering from attacks during night patrols. The officers needed help and additional police were not available. Though Laufer had not previously owned or trained a dog he felt that having the officers accompanied by dogs, big and strong enough to ward off harm to them would be the solution to his problem. The idea was revolutionary and in the beginning unpopular with both the government and the officers.

In 1900 attacks on police officers increased to such a degree that the government had to address the issue. Inspector Laufer was allocated the sum 500 marks to purchase three dogs and train them to accompany police patrols at night. By far the greatest problem was there was no one who knew how to train dogs for police work. It is a credit to Laufer's determination and ability that the program worked. Having no experience himself and finding that no other police departments in Germany were using dogs. He attempted to find books on dog training and discovered that none existed so instead he studied books on breeding and natural history to determine which breeds would be suitable and so that he could begin to understand dog behavior. He eventually found a police sergeant Lange in his own department who had some experience with dogs during a previous job as a game warden.. Sergeant Lange thought the best breed would be the German Shepherd Dog, but Laufer disagreed and felt the Great Dane would be more intimidating to a criminal.

In 1901, the first police dog, a Great Dane named Caesar entered service. Though Laufer envisioned the dog's job to be more than protecting a patrolman. the initial the work of police dogs was only protection. They were required to be muzzled and on lead. Sergeant Lange also trained the dogs to track and perform other duties which eventually saved the program and lead to an expanded role for police working dogs. Though there was initial public criticism and threats of law suits when one person was bitten, the police canine program started to show results. In one incidence, case, many townspeople witnessed a police dog track a suspect two miles from the scene of the crime to a house. This and similar incidents, changed public opinion and the future of the first canine unit was assured.

In 1902, Laufer held a demonstration that was attended mostly by police officers. The level of interest arising from this demonstration encouraged Laufer to found an organization to promote the training and working of police dogs. He founded the Police Dog Club (P.H.V.) this was the first such club in Germany and predecessor to what would become the D.V.G. Another founding member of the P.H.V. was Captain Max v. Stephanitz, who had three years earlier had co-founded the German Shepherd Dog Club of Germany (S.V.)

Captain v. Stephanitz was primarily interested in developing the working dog breed and went on to develop the concepts which led to the modern S.V.. Laufer was primarily interested in the practical problems of police work and training and went on to develop the concepts which led to the modern D.V.G. By 1903, the S.V. had conducted its first 'efficiency trial' while the P.H.V. was conducting its first police dog trial.

The movement started grew slowly and purposefully. The first set of police trial rules was published by the P.H.V. in 1904. In 1905 the total membership was only 270 people. In 1912, the P.H.V. had grown to six thousand members, with sixty-four clubs.

From its beginnings the P.H.V. was designed to answer the needs of police officers and departments. As it grew though, more and more private citizens were joining P.H.V. clubs to train their dogs for protection work. Because the increased demands for this kind of training from the private sector were not being met by this police organization, in 1912, The National Police and Schutzhund Club was founded (R.V.P.H.). This organization was a response to the need for working dog training by the civilian population. The goals of the R.V.P.H. were to work with private individuals, breed clubs and to bring the P.H.V. closer to a working arrangement with the working dog breed organizations.

The World War I set back the dog movement. P.H.V membership dropped 50%. But that dog training started to became an important aspect of the military during this time and, greatly contributed to greater working dog interest during the 1920's.

In 1925, the P.H.V., R.V.P.H. and one other South German utility dog organization agreed to standardize trial rules, trial records and mutually recognize each organization's trial judges. They also entered into agreements with the major working dog breed administrative body (P.V.Z.) to standardize trial procedures.

These standardized rules are the foundation of today's modern Schutzhund rules. The rules presented three levels of testing, similar to the modern Schutzhund I, II and III, used today.

The first level was called the Breed Test. It consisted of tracking, (similar to the current Schutzhund I), obedience (similar to the current Schutzhund I) but as a hold over from the war, messenger work was required, as well as a retrieval from deep water. The protection phase included work that was somewhat more police dog oriented in that the dog would do attack work with a muzzle, defend an attack on handler, escape, out and recall to the handler from the decoy. The second level was called the Schutzhund Test. The third level was described as the Police Dog Test. These tests were extensions of The Breed Test and were very close to the modern Schutzhund II and III rules for tracking, obedience and protection. But there were some differences. The dog was required to retrieve a ten pound dumbbell!, it was required to refuse offered food, the protection work consisted of muzzle attacks combined with more stylized protection work, similar to the first Breed Test. In the Police Dog Test there are some additions that evolved into the modern Schutzhund protection work. The dog was required to do an area search, find the decoy and then bark and hold him until the handler arrived. Stick hits were also introduced.

There also was the FH test. While similar to our modern rules, the demands at the advanced level were more rigorous than current requirements. At this level, the track was about two miles long and aged seven hours!

In 1933, the Nazi controlled German government dictated that all dog organizations including training and breed in Germany must disband and be covered under one organization. This dictate continued until the end of World War II. At end of the war the organized working dog movement wasin chaos. The former members of the P.H.V. and R.V.P.H. continued local club activities on their own without a national organization to further their efforts. The allied occupying forces in Germany did not encourage the formation of any national organization, no matter how innocent its purpose might seem. After repeated setbacks, former members of the P.H.V. and R.V.P.H. met and formed the D.V.G. in 1947.

Since 1947, D.V.G. has grown to a large organization with over 30,000 members world wide. With five other non-breed affiliated training organizations, it founded The German Dog Sport Alliance (D.H.V.).