What is your opinion on Schutzhundsport in the USA ? - Page 4

Simple solution. Stop bitching and learn to do helper work.

In Houston, area population over 3 million, we have less then 6 helpers........and only one viable club......and another sudo club,,,,,,

I drive 3.5 hours for OB and protection work...and pay over 80$ per lesson....


Maybe the problem is that real "schutzhund clubs" are so few and far between.

A group of us pay big bucks to have helpers come for a weekend...... we need more trained helpers nation wide......


In Europe Schutzhund is much more common plance........a good sized city may have several clubs and fields... we don't



 

Not enough helpers(experienced training helpers) is a biggie.  The ones with experience are getting worn down, I am willing to pay a helper fee...to a point.  Fuel prices are a deterrent to travel.  Our group just disbanded(helper burnout) and we are struggling to find good helperwork in an area that has two major cities.  Several clubs on the other side of the state, of course and they are full.  How do we get the experienced to mentor?  That is part of the solution...and how do we get people interested in helperwork?   
I also see more women training in the sport  than men.  Not many females can physically do helperwork, though I know presence/timing is a big part of it.  But taking a long bite....oops did I just type bite?

I can't bake a cake, but I can grill meat. Just because one can't do a courage test, doesn't mean they can't do hot blinds, blinds, escapes, etc. to give your full time helpers a break. Too many sit with their thumb in their ass waiting for their dog to get worked. Or they sit jibber-jabbing while the helpers set up blinds, etc.

I set up blinds and everything else I can do...Our group is small so everyone does what they can to help.  Thumbs are not in anyones asses in my group...though the helper still suffered burnout due to life in general.  Family and work do take priority.

The culture of a club is lacking in the USA.  Sub-clubs exist but they transgress 1,000's of miles.



More later.

I wonder if "club matches" would help........

If club x and club y came together with thier top dog/handler teams to compete for bragging rights.......?
 
Clubs from UScA compete againstUScA, DVA and or WDA....  
 
Maybe it would bring back interest into our sport - and create clubs that work together even better.


 

I think one of the biggest things that would help would be if USCA
stopped trying to play "God" and no longer prevent members from
participating and being members of another breed club.
We are also members of a Rotty club, does that matter? lol

The sport is small and affected by both geographic issues and of course cost.
It has become very profit oriented over the years, and that has done a lot to
discourage people from participating. Go back to the days where people went to other
clubs and trained, travelled and made a weekend of training at another club,
supported that club by purchasing lunches etc there.
Basically, turn the clock back and make schutzhund clubs what they were.

At the end of the day, the people hurting the sport are the ones that have made "club" a business.

 We always have people coming in and training with us and it,s a common practice. We do several cookout,s a year and many are welcome. Finding good training helpers is a issue I,ll agree. If the clubs were better at networking with each other it would help but alais lot,s of ego,s and attitudes can clash.

 The people in the sport are mostly good people but the swindlers leave a bad taste in everyone,s mouth and hurt the entire sport as suspect. The orginizations need to be better at policeing bad examples.

  

If everyone would leave their ego at the door, it would help clubs get together, train and learn from each other. Instead it seems like everyone thinks their training is the best and that they have nothing to learn from anyone else. If there is one thing I have learned in 15 years in the sport is that there is always something to learn from everyone, the newbie, the experienced competitor, the person who trains a completely different method. If people would actually respect and support each other and not go to trials wishing half the people would fail, that would at least be a start!
I love Schutzhund. I love the time and the training it takes. I love the bond with the dog that develops due to all that time and training. I love how my dog is completely satisfied after his Schutzhund training, he's used his nose to track, he's danced with me in obedience, and he's bitten and fought with the helper.