Two things:
Which members would fit in the 5 man band?
The Hero ó Dr. James Zanasiu
The Lancer ó Zachary
The Smart Guy ó Dr. Rudyard Shelton
The Big Guy ó ???
The Chick ó ???
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Also, background info on the Schutzhund.See here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SchutzhundIn real life, Schutzhund is "a dog sport that was developed in Germany in the early 1900s to test whether German Shepherd Dogs exhibit the traits necessary for police-type work, rather than simply evaluating a dog's appearance. Today, many breeds other than German Shepherds can compete in Schutzhund, but it is a demanding test for any dog and few are able to pass successfully."
There are 3 "tests": Tracking, Obedience, Protection
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In the
Darwin's Soldiers universe, Schutzhund is basically a military-themed competition. It is open to all species but was originally restricted to canines who were military personnel. Then it was opened to military personnel of all species. Then finally to civilians. Competitions are graded and segregated according to species.
It should also be mentioned that many Schutzhund competitions exist throughout the DS 'world; the Culeston event mentioned in the RP is just one of many. Not surprisingly, many of the champions are active duty military personnel.
The 4 tests are tracking, practical shooting, "obedience" and protection.
Tracking: competitor has to find and disable a simulated explosive device within a certain time limit. Scoring is dependent on how fast the competitor finds said device. "Setting" off the device or running out of time is an automatic failure.
Practical shooting: competitor has to negotiate obstacle course that has 15 targets (some may be "penalty targets"). They have to shoot the targets as fast and as accurately as possible with a given amount of ammunition. They may use any firearm they see fit (they may carry a long gun and a pistol if they wish to or a single pistol or a single long gun). Scoring is determined by how fast the course is negotiated and accuracy. Points are lost for shooting penalty targets or missing. Running out of ammunition is an automatic failure.
"Obedience": the competitor is paired up with a two other partners and they are to "clear" a building of "hostiles". They are given simulated ammunition for their weapons. Points are awarded on accuracy, efficiency and team work. Points are lost for shooting "hostages". Friendly fire is an automatic failure.
Protection: the competitor is assigned a "VIP" to escort through a hostile area. The competitor is given simulated ammunition. Points are awarded for "hostiles" neutralized and speed. If the VIP "dies", that is an automatic failure.
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Whew! There, that is how I modified a real world dog sport into something that makes sense (IE does not invoke furry confusion) in a world where dogs are anthro.
Critiques or comments welcome.