We met a really lovely couple this weeked. They brought their adult female Munsterlander to meet a prospective new addition to the family, Excel. Excel was freshly bathed and beautified to meet the lady friend. Problem is, he had no interest in her. Zero. As "girlfriend" zoomed around the field, exploring, Excel only had eyes for the humans, staying next to us and reveling in the petting. If they passed one another, there was no acknowledgement, no play bow or happy faces. It wasn't terribly surprising. "Girlfriend" is a business-like dog, who actually lifts her leg to pee and throws back the soil to scent mark. There is clearly a good deal of testosterone there! Excel is much like our other hunting dogs who will search a field together but are not interested in playing. So, neither dog solicited attention and they went about their respective business.
We all had a nice long walk around the property on a beautiful autumn day, with two handsome brown and white dogs. It was not, however, a love fest. Though they were not meant to be sexual partners, I'm sure there was a hope that having another dog would bring out the playful side of "girlfriend". I contrast that with what I would have seen from Pre, who immediately would have sniffed, licked and most likely, humped. Or attempted to. Different breeds, different individuals; different behaviors.
In the end, the couple left to ponder the meeting and I haven't heard back from them. The dogs may warm up to one another, but "girlfriend" showed no interest in having a buddy. She was somewhat timid to approach me, not a social butterfly to begin with. It made me wonder who the new addition would be for? I didn't get a sense that "girlfriend" had a desire to share her family or want a friend. She wasn't possessive over the humans, and didn't show a concern or interest over their attention to another dog. I would be interested to see her response to a puppy who insists on fawning over her and licking, to see if she would enjoy that or try to escape? (naturally, I don't advocate sacrificing a puppy for the sake of my curiousity but generally a bitch will just smack them down without injury if the attention is unwanted)
If the addition was because the family wanted a dog to cuddle with who would love to be physically touched and petted, in contrast to a more aloof dog, then that would be fine. If the purpose was as a playmate to their other dog... not so much. The two may warm up to one another, or they may simply exist in two separate universes under the same roof. This would be a good match if the family wanted a second dog to spend time with, as opposed to something to occupy their other dog. They left saying they would ask "girlfriend" her opinion; I think it will be "no, thank you. I'm happy with the way things are."
I am disappointed that Excel may not have found his own home, but the most important point is that it is the right home for HIM.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Pre at home
Pre is back in Madison with the Leinweber family and doing just fine. I know readers are wondering how the transition went. On Saturday night of the Malinois Championship I shed many tears over saying goodbye, having him injured, not being able to fulfill the dream I had for him. I wondered how I would be able to drop him off at home. Maybe I would pull in, hurry him out and leave before I cried again? As it turned out, there would be no crying. Pre got out and ran around the yard and into the house where he acted as if he had never left! His favorite walking buddy, Sam's aunt from next door, stopped over. Pre reunited with the family dog, Shelby, who wasn't as thrilled to see him! The family joked that she had hoped he was gone forever and there he was, back again! I left knowing that Pre would be loved and spoiled and he was perfectly happy to lounge without training demands, eating home-made yogurt. In case you were wondering, there is a happy ending.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
The Last Hurrah--- farewell Pre
This is much harder than I anticipated. Pre has not been the easiest dog to keep. He is destructive and has cost me alot of money in repairs, both to himself and everything around him. He chewed the dog house and broke teeth. He tore up the tarp that covered the outdoor kennel. He plays tug with any bucket in his kennel, and chews up the rubber ones He climbs on top of the dog house and hangs out over the top of an uncovered kennel if he thinks I am leaving him. I have spent hundreds and hundreds on training seminars, working to hone his skills specifically with the Malinois National Championship as our end goal. He is a nervous traveler, and I am overly familiar with the trick of actually picking up stool the consistency of butter. He eats better food than the dogs in my kennel and I buy raw food for him when we travel because of that.
Oh, but when he is performing he is a sight to behold! He prances and flows and exudes joy. Looking at him makes me smile. He can be a total goof, and a cuddler. If I wore lipstick, his face would be a panorama of colors from all the smooches I've given him. I knew that after this weekend I would be saying goodbye to him and leaving him with Sam's family to retire. I kept reminding myself of the bad stuff, the unpleasant or costly pieces so that it will make it easier to say goodbye. And then I look at him, and I smile.
Being able to work with Pre this past year has made a better handler of me, and we have learned so much together. We have traveled to Kentucky, Iowa, Illinois,New York and Minnesota to train and compete. As I write this, the two of us are resting at my hotel room where we attended the Malinois National Schutzhund Championship. Pre passed tracking yesterday with 86 points, in 50 mph winds. Not all the dogs were successful, and I was very proud of him. This afternoon, we prepped for obedience and I felt good about it. We heeled beautifully onto the field, but Pre became distracted by the dog next to him. He sat next to me, but looked at the other reporting team. The other dog took Pre's look as a challenge and as the handler reached for his collar, the dog attacked Pre. Fortunately, only minor injuries were suffered and we didn't have to make a run to the emergency vet, but that ended our competition. Afterwards, as is, unfortunately, usual, there was talk and rumor and I heard someone say that Pre is dog aggressive. He has NEVER been dog aggressive. His best buddy is my young male German Shepherd, and he is in a sick love relationship with my elderly Dutch Shepherd female. Humping? yes. Fighting? no. He is most apt to go into a play bow and act the fool. He was stupid to be eyeballing another dog who did not have the same intentions, and it was a lack of control and focus for him to do that, it is true. Ideally, he should have been looking at me, and not the other team.
I am very disappointed. This is not how I envisioned Pre's last trial to be. Selfishly, I wanted glory. I have to be honest and acknowledge that Pre has no such agenda. He lives only to play and have fun showing off his skills, which earn him the praise, food and tugs he desires. And so, tomorrow afternoon I will drive north and leave him behind. I'm trying to steel my heart to that moment, but he makes it difficult by flopping over for a belly rub. I hope that he enjoys his retirement and is a good boy.
Oh, but when he is performing he is a sight to behold! He prances and flows and exudes joy. Looking at him makes me smile. He can be a total goof, and a cuddler. If I wore lipstick, his face would be a panorama of colors from all the smooches I've given him. I knew that after this weekend I would be saying goodbye to him and leaving him with Sam's family to retire. I kept reminding myself of the bad stuff, the unpleasant or costly pieces so that it will make it easier to say goodbye. And then I look at him, and I smile.
Being able to work with Pre this past year has made a better handler of me, and we have learned so much together. We have traveled to Kentucky, Iowa, Illinois,New York and Minnesota to train and compete. As I write this, the two of us are resting at my hotel room where we attended the Malinois National Schutzhund Championship. Pre passed tracking yesterday with 86 points, in 50 mph winds. Not all the dogs were successful, and I was very proud of him. This afternoon, we prepped for obedience and I felt good about it. We heeled beautifully onto the field, but Pre became distracted by the dog next to him. He sat next to me, but looked at the other reporting team. The other dog took Pre's look as a challenge and as the handler reached for his collar, the dog attacked Pre. Fortunately, only minor injuries were suffered and we didn't have to make a run to the emergency vet, but that ended our competition. Afterwards, as is, unfortunately, usual, there was talk and rumor and I heard someone say that Pre is dog aggressive. He has NEVER been dog aggressive. His best buddy is my young male German Shepherd, and he is in a sick love relationship with my elderly Dutch Shepherd female. Humping? yes. Fighting? no. He is most apt to go into a play bow and act the fool. He was stupid to be eyeballing another dog who did not have the same intentions, and it was a lack of control and focus for him to do that, it is true. Ideally, he should have been looking at me, and not the other team.
I am very disappointed. This is not how I envisioned Pre's last trial to be. Selfishly, I wanted glory. I have to be honest and acknowledge that Pre has no such agenda. He lives only to play and have fun showing off his skills, which earn him the praise, food and tugs he desires. And so, tomorrow afternoon I will drive north and leave him behind. I'm trying to steel my heart to that moment, but he makes it difficult by flopping over for a belly rub. I hope that he enjoys his retirement and is a good boy.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
FoxTal Training Center offers Decoy and Protection seminar
FoxTal Training Center wrapped up our most recent seminar with Mark Chaffin this week. I brought him in for 3 days of intensive training during our first week of patrol class, and opened it up to other FoxTal K9 teams and officers with their agencies who are interested in learning decoy skills. The intention is to offer a Basic Protection and Decoy seminar and an Advanced level seminar. It would be unsafe to place dogs into an Advanced seminar who lacked the skill base, though I have certainly seen that happen in other places!
One thing that our handlers learn is that I am a stickler for safety. During our working careers we have probably all experience the "how could this accident have been prevented " form. Working with and training biting dogs carries an inherent risk. While a handler or decoy may be injured, I work very hard to insure that it will not be because they were not properly trained, instructed or equipped. This is a far cry from my first introduction, where they put the newbies in a bite suit and told us to "run that way"... somewhere in the background I heard laughter as they sent a huge German Shepherd to flatten me to the ground with a tricep bite from the back. I know from experience that not only can the new decoy/helper be injured but more importantly, he or she could fall on the dog and injure it. I cringe when I see an officer allow an untrained person to put on a sleeve or other protection equipment and take a bite from their dog. I wonder if their agency knows that they are putting a $20,000-plus investment at risk?
You also will not find videotapes of the training here or on the internet. There are plenty of sport videos available if you want to see a technique, but the internet is forever and training advancements improve. I am very proud of our teams, and very protective of their training and reputations.
I was very pleased to have decoys from different agencies; it will definately be helpful to those K9 teams to have a trained decoy available to them. Both the K9 teams and the decoys were exposed to the basic elements of protection work. We worked with the types of equipment they will see and basic techniques of control and application. Muzzle, bite suit, concealed sleeve, exposed sleeve. Multiple suspects targeting one, obedience under distraction, area search, guarding and release. We had several supervisors join us to observe the training and we welcome that. It is important that a K9 Supervisor understand how much training is required to maintain the skills of a patrol K9. All the dog teams and the decoys did an excellent job and will be able to move to advanced skills in the next seminar.
If you are a K9 handler or supervisor interested in attendance at future seminars, contact me at: Foxtal@aol.com
One thing that our handlers learn is that I am a stickler for safety. During our working careers we have probably all experience the "how could this accident have been prevented " form. Working with and training biting dogs carries an inherent risk. While a handler or decoy may be injured, I work very hard to insure that it will not be because they were not properly trained, instructed or equipped. This is a far cry from my first introduction, where they put the newbies in a bite suit and told us to "run that way"... somewhere in the background I heard laughter as they sent a huge German Shepherd to flatten me to the ground with a tricep bite from the back. I know from experience that not only can the new decoy/helper be injured but more importantly, he or she could fall on the dog and injure it. I cringe when I see an officer allow an untrained person to put on a sleeve or other protection equipment and take a bite from their dog. I wonder if their agency knows that they are putting a $20,000-plus investment at risk?
You also will not find videotapes of the training here or on the internet. There are plenty of sport videos available if you want to see a technique, but the internet is forever and training advancements improve. I am very proud of our teams, and very protective of their training and reputations.
I was very pleased to have decoys from different agencies; it will definately be helpful to those K9 teams to have a trained decoy available to them. Both the K9 teams and the decoys were exposed to the basic elements of protection work. We worked with the types of equipment they will see and basic techniques of control and application. Muzzle, bite suit, concealed sleeve, exposed sleeve. Multiple suspects targeting one, obedience under distraction, area search, guarding and release. We had several supervisors join us to observe the training and we welcome that. It is important that a K9 Supervisor understand how much training is required to maintain the skills of a patrol K9. All the dog teams and the decoys did an excellent job and will be able to move to advanced skills in the next seminar.
If you are a K9 handler or supervisor interested in attendance at future seminars, contact me at: Foxtal@aol.com
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Tracking Titan
Meet TITAN, a tiny tracking fool! This is Rich and his new GSD puppy, Titan, who are new members of Fox Valley Police & Schutzhund Club. Titan is from the kennel von Gildaf and his sire is Bill Kula's dog, Boy.
Rich came to the club four weeks ago with his 9 week old fuzzball. So often, I receive calls from people interested in the sport who have wasted a year (or more) with pet dog classes and such, teaching habits we will only have to un-do and then decide they want to try schutzhund. I had been in contact with Rich as he made his search for the right puppy, and was so excited to be able to work with Titan from the beginning.
We began with tracking on his first visit. Puppies are ruled by their stomachs. Tracking is much easier to do with a young, small dog rather than trying to manhandle an 80 lb speedster, and if we lay in that foundation when they are young we can always return to it. I like to go back to tracking when the puppy is teething, too, and then resume biting after that.
We started with scent circles. Titan showed exceptional focus to the scent. With the scent circle, the puppy learns to associated the odor of human scent and ground disturbance with food reward. There is no track initially and if the pup ventures outside that defined area while food remains in the scent circle, the handler does not guide or correct him back, but remains at the leash length (silently) until the pup returns to the scent circle. While there are one or two pieces of food left, the handler gently pulls the dog back and away, leaving him wanting more. Learning the lesson that there is no reward to be found where there is no human scent is critical to that initial learning. Without that, the handler is left to force the dog to remain at the source of the odor.
After several series of 3 scent circles (with rest in between!!) with Titan working calmly footstep to footstep, we ended with a short track. Because Titan was so small, I instructed Rich to carry him to the track and to carry him off when he was done. This also avoids having to correct the puppy for trying to track before reaching the start. With puppy just behind the scent pad, Rich takes a piece of food, brings it to Titan's nose and tosses it onto the scent pad with the command "such".
The track is laid walking one foot in front of the other, with the distance between steps appropriate to the size of the dog. Ideally you want the dog to move smoothly from step to step; if they steps are too close together the dog will skip steps, and if too far apart they will begin to search for the next, possibly moving off the track. The puppy has the width of your foot to be correct. There is food in each step when they are learning. The beginning phase of tracking teaches that every footstep contains information and reward.
The puppy should work footstep to footstep on a loose leash. The first track we did was only around 15 paces. The following week, after practicing during the week, I had Rich lay a 75 pace track that made a left turn to 10 paces. I showed him how to introduce Titan to turns, teaching him to back up if he continued a step and found no human scent.
In our track today, which wound its way around the agility equipment and had many spectators, I instructed Rich to simply walk with Titan slightly in front of him but to hold his hands at Titan's waist instead of using leash pressure and use that method to guide Titan. My friend, Sam, has used this method successfully with ViVi. Rich was still using hotdogs as reward in the track, and those are a little too visible in shorter grass so that it encourages the puppy to move too quickly and use his eyes. Using a treat that matches the color of the material you are tracking on or blends in is a better choice. I am not suggesting you use "green" hotdogs (yuck!) but something such as soaking the puppy's kibble in water for a half hour and then using that as bait OR burying the hotdogs under the grass will encourage Titan to search it out with his nose.
Until Titan is working each step methodically, we will not introduce articles on the track. He should drive into each step, and he is, in fact, doing that now. By concealing the treat there we will develop even more attention to the track. It is exciting to see how quickly he is progressing!! Rich and Titan will be so much farther ahead by starting young.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
PRE-paring for the Championship
Our North Central Region Schutzhund Championship will be held this weekend in Hazelhurst, Wisconsin. Pre and I will be heading up there on Friday morning, with a practice time set for early evening, before the draw. We have spent many hours together, preparing. The road has taken us this year to the AWDF Championship, where we won the IPO2 Championship...to the WDC where we bombed out in tracking... and now to the Regionals. The last stop for this train is the AWMA (American Working Malinois Championship) in Illinois in October. When that is completed, Pre will return to his family in Madison.
It is a bittersweet journey. I've known and trained Pre since he was a youngster and working with his handler, Sam. The agreement with his parents was that Pre would revert to a family companion when Sam left for college. I wrangled one competition season out of that, so he became my dog for the year. We have traveled together to seminars and trials, and I've learned the best ways to motivate and manage. He is a brilliant dog who loves to learn and be challenged. He can be quite a goof at times, and very affectionate. He knows that the my van is the mechanism to take him to fun times, and if the door is open he is in there and helping himself to the toys he finds. We have been working daily on the pieces we will need for the Championships. There is no do-over. Either we succeed, or not, but we will not have the opportunity to change, to fix things, to grow after next month.
Last month I drove to New York to train with Debbie Zappia for three days. I've spent tons of money on training and travel with Pre, and I can apply what I have learned with dogs that follow. Pre has allowed me to hone my own skills at a higher level. Our schedule includes almost daily tracking, obedience sessions and jolly ball play and if we are lucky, a protection session in the evening. A tired puppy is a happy puppy!
Tomorrow morning we will do an early track, simulating the time of day we are likely to run this weekend, in the cool, wet grass. After that I will drive into Appleton to pick up the frozen rabbit patties that I feed Pre when we travel (he has a sensitive stomach). In the early afternoon Pre and I will do a jolly ball obedience session, practice the recall and a jump and send away. Around 6 pm, Eric will arrive for a last protection session, putting the last touches on our back transport. Schutzhund defines the saying "any given Sunday".... you work to prepare, but on any given Sunday you may get a bad draw, something might not go perfectly in your routine... and the underdog wins. Or loses.
On Friday we will drive to Hazelhurst and hit the field for our practice time. I will get Pre over the jumps and do a send-away. We practiced on that field last month, so it won't be a totally new location for him. The trial will be held on a baseball diamond, which has a deceptive curve to it. The handler needs to take a clear center-line in the obedience routine and while running blinds. I will probably get him around the blinds for a couple run-outs and that will be our prep. Then it will be time to find out our trial times at the draw and try to get a good night of sleep.
If I concentrate on each phase, on each small step, I will be less likely to consider that, after this weekend, Pre and I have only one more month, and one more trial together. I keep telling myself that he is a difficult dog to keep, and he is. He has a sensitive stomach when we travel. He can be destructive. He chews on dog houses and dog beds. I say that I will have more time to spend on "my own dogs" when Pre goes home. All of this is true, of course. But underneath all the bravado, I will miss him very much. I kindof hope he will miss me, too.
It is a bittersweet journey. I've known and trained Pre since he was a youngster and working with his handler, Sam. The agreement with his parents was that Pre would revert to a family companion when Sam left for college. I wrangled one competition season out of that, so he became my dog for the year. We have traveled together to seminars and trials, and I've learned the best ways to motivate and manage. He is a brilliant dog who loves to learn and be challenged. He can be quite a goof at times, and very affectionate. He knows that the my van is the mechanism to take him to fun times, and if the door is open he is in there and helping himself to the toys he finds. We have been working daily on the pieces we will need for the Championships. There is no do-over. Either we succeed, or not, but we will not have the opportunity to change, to fix things, to grow after next month.
Last month I drove to New York to train with Debbie Zappia for three days. I've spent tons of money on training and travel with Pre, and I can apply what I have learned with dogs that follow. Pre has allowed me to hone my own skills at a higher level. Our schedule includes almost daily tracking, obedience sessions and jolly ball play and if we are lucky, a protection session in the evening. A tired puppy is a happy puppy!
Tomorrow morning we will do an early track, simulating the time of day we are likely to run this weekend, in the cool, wet grass. After that I will drive into Appleton to pick up the frozen rabbit patties that I feed Pre when we travel (he has a sensitive stomach). In the early afternoon Pre and I will do a jolly ball obedience session, practice the recall and a jump and send away. Around 6 pm, Eric will arrive for a last protection session, putting the last touches on our back transport. Schutzhund defines the saying "any given Sunday".... you work to prepare, but on any given Sunday you may get a bad draw, something might not go perfectly in your routine... and the underdog wins. Or loses.
On Friday we will drive to Hazelhurst and hit the field for our practice time. I will get Pre over the jumps and do a send-away. We practiced on that field last month, so it won't be a totally new location for him. The trial will be held on a baseball diamond, which has a deceptive curve to it. The handler needs to take a clear center-line in the obedience routine and while running blinds. I will probably get him around the blinds for a couple run-outs and that will be our prep. Then it will be time to find out our trial times at the draw and try to get a good night of sleep.
If I concentrate on each phase, on each small step, I will be less likely to consider that, after this weekend, Pre and I have only one more month, and one more trial together. I keep telling myself that he is a difficult dog to keep, and he is. He has a sensitive stomach when we travel. He can be destructive. He chews on dog houses and dog beds. I say that I will have more time to spend on "my own dogs" when Pre goes home. All of this is true, of course. But underneath all the bravado, I will miss him very much. I kindof hope he will miss me, too.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
How we grow
A simple comment at training today sparked the idea for this post. A new member noted that he had inquired of a local trainer that he had taken a problem dog to, what she thought about schutzhund. To her credit, she spoke positively of the sport and said there were two area clubs. She thought that they had been together at one time but that some people got mad and left.
This gave me pause. It wasn't inaccurate, but required more explanation. This is how the sport grows. Schutzhund in this country began with only a couple clubs. It expanded to groups of new enthusiasts. Over time, groups broke away after disagreements in philosophy, training methods or simply personality. Some times new clubs form when experienced members move to new areas, but more often than not, they are created by people who seek a change. To explain this by saying, "they got mad and left" leaves a huge gap in understanding and I don't feel it serves us well.
If we believe in a mentoring philosophy, the goal is to inspire and train people to replace you. How, then, does it become an insult when this happens? Children grow up and seek independence; so do the children of our parent clubs strike out on their own, finding their own way. And, as with children, they don't always walk in your footsteps but you still love them. Sadly, this isn't always the case in schutzhund. We need to change this.
We take pride in the pedigrees of our dogs; let us take pride in the pedigrees of our clubs! Recognize that for most of us, we did not simply drop into existence with an immaculate conception of purpose... we learned from someone, and generally in some other club. Wouldn't it be nice if we recognized our roots? My "roots" take me back O.G. Bierstadt, where I was mentored by Gordy Esselman in my early years. I will always be grateful the time he spent teaching me and introducing to me other folks in the sport. For many years I remained a member and drove that distance for training, but ultimately I decided that something closer to home would be nice and felt prepared to start my own club. O.G. Bierstadt will always be considered my parent club, and without their influence and introduction to this great sport, I wouldn't be writing this.
My own club has since given birth to one new club. I know of many other people who have broken away from their clubs to either be independent or form their own clubs. THIS IS HOW WE GROW! If not for this, how many clubs would exist? We expand because training changes, and perhaps a new group espouses a different philosophy that better suits them. In schutzhund, one size does not fit all. There are clubs who highly restrict members to only the most competitive. Some clubs pay a helper to come in on a regular basis. Some make training a social event, others not so much. At times it is a matter of exposure. When we start out, we don't realize there are other options. Or we get a new dog who demands more/less/different guidance. In some clubs, the training is very individual and in others the instruction is left to the member to seek outside of club training. The bottom line is, there is something for everyone. Find the club that suits your personality and your goals. The compromise becomes in how far you want to travel, and how much you spend.
If you are the "offspring" of a parent club, don't be a hater! Recognize that people can have differences and split off and it does not make one or the other "bad", only different. Good members will support events of their parent club without using them as a forum to air grievances. Remember what your mother said? If you can't say something good, don't say it at all? That applies to being the guest at the event of another club. Please don't attend only to disparage the performances of the competitors and loudly announce how much better you could do, or how you could "fix" their problems.... if only they came to your club!
As a parent, take pride in the accomplishments of your "offspring" but recognize their work independent of your tutelage. Isn't it your goal to have more people exposed to the sport? To have more training available, and more choices? I always encourage prospective members to check out other clubs and determine whether the training, the goal setting and the social environment fits them. Why lose a schutzhund supporter simply because your own club wasn't the right meld for them? People can leave a club and not "be mad". It can simply be time for them to grow their own wings. There is no need to create turmoil where none needs exist, or drama for it's own sake. Just say "it wasn't the right fit for me".
This is how we grow.
This gave me pause. It wasn't inaccurate, but required more explanation. This is how the sport grows. Schutzhund in this country began with only a couple clubs. It expanded to groups of new enthusiasts. Over time, groups broke away after disagreements in philosophy, training methods or simply personality. Some times new clubs form when experienced members move to new areas, but more often than not, they are created by people who seek a change. To explain this by saying, "they got mad and left" leaves a huge gap in understanding and I don't feel it serves us well.
If we believe in a mentoring philosophy, the goal is to inspire and train people to replace you. How, then, does it become an insult when this happens? Children grow up and seek independence; so do the children of our parent clubs strike out on their own, finding their own way. And, as with children, they don't always walk in your footsteps but you still love them. Sadly, this isn't always the case in schutzhund. We need to change this.
We take pride in the pedigrees of our dogs; let us take pride in the pedigrees of our clubs! Recognize that for most of us, we did not simply drop into existence with an immaculate conception of purpose... we learned from someone, and generally in some other club. Wouldn't it be nice if we recognized our roots? My "roots" take me back O.G. Bierstadt, where I was mentored by Gordy Esselman in my early years. I will always be grateful the time he spent teaching me and introducing to me other folks in the sport. For many years I remained a member and drove that distance for training, but ultimately I decided that something closer to home would be nice and felt prepared to start my own club. O.G. Bierstadt will always be considered my parent club, and without their influence and introduction to this great sport, I wouldn't be writing this.
My own club has since given birth to one new club. I know of many other people who have broken away from their clubs to either be independent or form their own clubs. THIS IS HOW WE GROW! If not for this, how many clubs would exist? We expand because training changes, and perhaps a new group espouses a different philosophy that better suits them. In schutzhund, one size does not fit all. There are clubs who highly restrict members to only the most competitive. Some clubs pay a helper to come in on a regular basis. Some make training a social event, others not so much. At times it is a matter of exposure. When we start out, we don't realize there are other options. Or we get a new dog who demands more/less/different guidance. In some clubs, the training is very individual and in others the instruction is left to the member to seek outside of club training. The bottom line is, there is something for everyone. Find the club that suits your personality and your goals. The compromise becomes in how far you want to travel, and how much you spend.
If you are the "offspring" of a parent club, don't be a hater! Recognize that people can have differences and split off and it does not make one or the other "bad", only different. Good members will support events of their parent club without using them as a forum to air grievances. Remember what your mother said? If you can't say something good, don't say it at all? That applies to being the guest at the event of another club. Please don't attend only to disparage the performances of the competitors and loudly announce how much better you could do, or how you could "fix" their problems.... if only they came to your club!
As a parent, take pride in the accomplishments of your "offspring" but recognize their work independent of your tutelage. Isn't it your goal to have more people exposed to the sport? To have more training available, and more choices? I always encourage prospective members to check out other clubs and determine whether the training, the goal setting and the social environment fits them. Why lose a schutzhund supporter simply because your own club wasn't the right meld for them? People can leave a club and not "be mad". It can simply be time for them to grow their own wings. There is no need to create turmoil where none needs exist, or drama for it's own sake. Just say "it wasn't the right fit for me".
This is how we grow.
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