What is a "good" Schutzhund club?

Khiera · 08-05-2008, 08:41 AM

So i've decided to check out Schutzhund in more depth to see if it's the right sport for Dante and myself. I've lined out times this week to visit a couple of local Schutzhund clubs, see their training, speak to their members etc.

As a complete newbie to the sport, i'm just interested in hearing from those who are/have been involved in the sport: What do you think constitutes a "good" Schutzhund Club? What are some of the things that my inexperienced eye as a newbie can and should look out for during my visit? What are some good questions to ask? What's the most important thing to you in a club?

Any input or insight would be much appreciated, as always

jmalexan · 08-05-2008, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khiera

So i've decided to check out Schutzhund in more depth to see if it's the right sport for Dante and myself. I've lined out times this week to visit a couple of local Schutzhund clubs, see their training, speak to their members etc.

As a complete newbie to the sport, i'm just interested in hearing from those who are/have been involved in the sport: What do you think constitutes a "good" Schutzhund Club? What are some of the things that my inexperienced eye as a newbie can and should look out for during my visit? What are some good questions to ask? What's the most important thing to you in a club?

Any input or insight would be much appreciated, as always

this is a great question! im interested also

Julie W · 08-05-2008, 09:57 AM

Find out what kind of experience they have in the way of titling dogs, what level do they compete at (club, regional, national) are they familiar with dobermans, and are you comfortable with them after watching at least a few of their training days.

bailyou · 08-05-2008, 10:32 AM

The style of training is important depending on how you want to teach your dog. Some clubs use alot of compulsion to train their dogs and others will use more food/toy reward to get the desired behavior they want.
Are you a competitive person?? If so find a club that has dogs that compete at higher levels other than their own local trial. How long as the club been established? How well does everyone in the club get along. You spend alot of time with these people and you want to feel comfortable.
Research the Helper, how experienced is him/her. A bad helper can HURT your dog.

workingk9s · 08-05-2008, 11:13 AM

Helpers are KEY!!! There are club, trial, training and teaching helpers. If available, go with a training and/or teaching helper. There aren't many of those around though. And I agree with the others. Make sure you feel comfortable with these people.

Dobeman · 08-05-2008, 11:44 AM

It is important to find a club that is open to all breeds. If they raise their eyebrows because you have a Doberman, you may want to move on - unless your dog is so good that after the first bite, the GSD people all change their minds

Very important, only work with people that are actively competing and titling their dogs themselves. I learned this lesson the hard way. You learn nothing from people that have been watching the sport from the sidelines and read the rulebook a few year ago.

I would not even take my dog the first time I go out, so that you have plenty of time to observe and socialize. Are people supportive of one another or are they bickering and backstabbing and constantly talking about one another behind people's backs? Are they actually training their dogs or are they sitting around socializing all evening? You will get a feel for that very quickly.

As has been mentioned before, the helpers are very important. You may not know initially what to look for. A good trial helper is not necessarily a good training helper. Teaching helpers (the ones that train other helpers) are usually good, but even there, training methods differ quite a bit.

It all depends on your level of comfort. But just because you are starting out, don't accept anything blindly. If it feels wrong, it probably is. Good luck!

Dobeman · 08-05-2008, 11:45 AM

I forgot to add. You may want to check out USADobermann.net - Home Page - In the Classifieds section, there is a list of Doberman friendly clubs, and you could post your question on the Forum as well. People are very helpful there, too.

Khiera · 08-05-2008, 12:10 PM

Thanks so much for the replies so far!!

Bailyou, WorkingK9s and Dobeman, good points about the helpers, i totally forgot about that! I'll make sure i ask about that when i go.

Some other questions:

1. What are the differences between club, trial, training and teaching helpers???

2. Should i not take Dante along? When i asked if i should bring him along, both places said to bring him along. One of them said to leave him in the vehicle until they say it's ok to bring him out. Is this typical? What's the reason behind it?

Both clubs seem to accept all breeds. I say "seem" because i've only had a brief telephone chat with one and two quick emails with the other. I mentioned straight up front that i have a Doberman, and there wasn't any comment on that. I guess i'll find out more about that when i visit!

There's actually another club further away that has quite a number of Dobermans. I just wanted to check out the closest ones first, becasue the closer they are, the more often and easier it is for me to go for training.

Dobeman · 08-05-2008, 12:26 PM

Here you can read up on the helper classifications:
United Schutzhund Clubs of America - Education

You can click on the individual categories and you will see a short description.

Just because a helper is classified for a certain level (club, regional, national; that means at which level they can be trial helpers), does not automatically make them a good training helper, i.e. a helper that can help you train you and your dog.

As far as bringing your dog along, I would follow their guidelines. Usually dogs are in the car in crates while other dogs are being worked. You will have to follow "club rules" for that.

I would definitely also check out the club that has Dobes. It does not mean it is the better club, but I would find that intriguing simply to go and watch them train.

Julie W · 08-05-2008, 01:08 PM

It is the norm to leave your dog in your car when you aren't actively working them on the field. I know at my club when we have new people coming to check us out they always have their dog out the entire time with them watching everything and before long that puppy is bored/tired with standing around. It's best to leave them in the car and have them fresh and excited when you bring them out. At the schutzhund field a worn out dog isn't a good thing, only after you get home from training is it a good thing.

And yes, helpers are the key to your dogs progress. It will take a while of watching different helpers work dogs before you get a feel for what you like and don't like for your dog. I have worked Cher with 4 helpers so far and they are all VERY different. One I won't ever bother to work her on again, one I will work her on only occassionally but I don't expect much advancement from, and two are very good and the ones I work her on regularly. It took some time with the club before I was able to distinguish what I personally was looking for in a helper though, and it can be a little different for each handler and dog.