What is your opinion on Schutzhundsport in the USA ? - Page 3

I still agree with you.

I actually didn't think about the fees.  But you are right.  Potential new under 30 members will vote with thier feet all the way to an AKC club, if they even get that far.  AKC club fees for training, membership and trials are pretty reasonable when compared to French Ring or Schutzhund.  Combine this with my theory on the 30 and under crowds animal rights leanings, with thier constrained finances and you have an epidemic in the making.  The likely scenario is that this cohort will think dog sports with bitework are cruel, the members of bitework oriented clubs are not welcoming, they need a certain kind of dog and its too expensive for thier underemployed salary with student loan payments.  With all this in mind the future outlook for the sport in general is horrible.  

As someone said earlier in this thread, NOW is the time for all the GSD club factions to UNITE!  We don't stand a chance without each other.  But, what will be the catalyst for change and who will be the figurehead to make it happen?

turn the calendar back 30 years.  Paid helpers were verboten!  go back to the old trial rules.  Remember when the helper walked out of and re-entered the blind in SchH1 before the dog was sent in.  If the dog was a little dirty, that was ok for a SchH1. ("We like to see the unruly dog in SchH1." - Gernot Riedel)  The implication being the diamond in the rough would be polished by SchH3.  The sport is now a business. The combination of incompetent leadership, kowtowing to european politics, and submitting to political correctness is killing the sport. I have no objection to professional trainers as long as they contribute to the improvement of the sport.  But, I do have a serious proiblem with the bucks for bites situation where amatuer club members are compelled to pay $25 to a part-time trainer, full time plumber or grocery clerk who has no investment in the club if they want their dog trained in an "amatuer" club.  A training day can easily cost a member $100.  And we wonder why the sport is in trouble.

dogbum:
Well said! You have summed it all up perfectly!

While I have no problem shelling out for private training,
I am disgusted with how the profit driven ilk has taken over the sport.

Friends and previous breeders we have purchased from in Europe are always blown away
at how much some of these helpers charge, especially when some are not really that good

There was/is an individual in PSA that was offering "schutzhund training",
when asked if he had titled etc in the sport, his reply "no".
So, this guy was going to give private training lessons for schutzhund
(all three phases by the way!), and has not done a BH
$75.00 a session by the way!

Long gone are the days when a few beer and a few bucks were collected
and given to the helper at the end of training day. 
Oh, most don't take checks either

We will still continue with the sport for as long as we can,
it is far from perfect, and while we don't use our dogs for breeding,
we still feel it is an excellent way to find out what your dog "is".
Besides that, we have too many friends we would miss

Our club used to charge an annual field fee plus $5.00 per dog  per session to the helper. Many complained, so now we pay  $10.00 per session which adds up to a lot more than the annual fee for those of us who show up once or or twice a week.

Blitzen, oh those were the "good old days"
Most clubs are $200+ just to join, then add in your USCA/WDA/DVG etc membership,
then a per session fee for bitework.

It's become a pretty healthy small business. Sad really.

But, one thing for sure, you cannot put a price on the knowledge of bloodlines,
the joy of training/titling, and the friendships you make!

THAT alone is priceless to us!

We have a small club that is cheap compared to many.  We try to keep it that way...none of us are rich. But by the time you pay judge's fees, travel, trial expenses, etc. there have been a few years where we've had to have an assessment to cover our trial expenses.  Never asked for a waiver, but sometimes it's hard just to keep the club going.  And no we don't pay our helpers, and we are lucky that all our club members work together and donate time, equipment, etc. to continue in the sport we love.

Dogz, our club just eliminated the annual field fee this year. Until then we could train 2 times a week, OB, rally, Agilty, Sch,  for around $10 PER MONTH. We had 2 helpers, one in training and one who titled a dog plus OB trainers who had also titled dogs. Now the same thing for $10 per session because the members complained about the annual fee..... Duh..........

We have a trial next month and, yes, it is very expensive for the hosting club. We will consider ourselves lucky to break even. 

My only wish is that it had been popular 40 years ago!  I trained one of my first GSD's for personal protection, and would have loved to have gone on a Field with him for testing his heart.  Back then there wasn't even agility nor dock diving.  No Championships in AKC obedience etc... once you did the UDT, you were bout done.  Shiloh would have loved the sport, and I'd have loved to see folks faces at a White GSD who had the right stuff!  (He also did Dog sledding, Pet therapy, and obedience)   I'm now in my 60's and have a dog who could do it well also .   Whatever you think of the sport.  treasure your chance to do more than walk in circles with your dog... LOL 

Windwalker, I was just having a discussion with a friend who got into showing back in the 60's. I entered my first dog show in 70. We remarked about the things you have just mention - limited OB titles to work on, no agility,or rally, no 2 shows at the same site. I knew nothing about protection work then, had a different breed.  

There are so many fun things to do with dogs today. I showed for the first time in rally last year. I'm not brave enough to list my age here, I'm older than you, but my goal is to die exhausted. I am thankful I can still run around the ring although it ain't pretty LOL.