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Inner City Schutzhund Club became a member of United Schutzhund Clubs of America in June 1993. In January 2012, the name of the club was changed to Inner City Working Dog Club.

Schutzhund is a German word meaning “protection dog”. In 2013, Schutzhund became known as IPO. IPO is a sport that focuses on developing and evaluating those traits in dogs that make them more useful and happier companions to their owners. IPO work concentrates on three parts: tracking, obedience, and protection work. The IPO standards for protection work are similar to those for dogs in police work.

While dogs of other breeds are also actively involved in the sport of IPO and often follow similar criteria for breeding purposes, this breed evaluation test was developed specifically for the German Shepherd Dog. IPO is intended to demonstrate the dog’s intelligence and utility. As a working trial, IPO measures the dog’s mental stability, endurance, structural efficiencies, ability to scent, willingness to work, courage, and trainability.

This working dog sport offers an opportunity for dog owners to train their dog and compete with each other for recognition of both the handler’s ability to train and the dog’s ability to perform as required. It is a sport enjoyed by persons of varied professions, who join together in a camaraderie born of their common interest in working with their dogs. Persons of all ages and conditions of life enjoy IPO as a sport. Often, it is a family sport.