T. Floyd Seminar in Nor Cal CANCELLED - Page 1

Dear Sport Fans/Friends,

Due to conflicts and scheduling developments beyond our control, I regret to announce that we will be unable to hold the T. Floyd Seminar at Big Basin on Feb. 9 & 10, 2008.

To those of you who have already mailed your enrollment forms/payment, I will return your checks as soon as I receive them.

I know that many of you were very enthusiastic about attending the seminar, and please know that I share the disappointment you will feel about this cancellation.  Your desire to learn from one of the greatest trainers in the world reflects what is best about our sport ... an open mind and heart, and a pure desire for improvement and expansion of horizons for ourselves and our dogs.

Northern California came to be the "Mecca"of Schutzhund decades ago, largely because of that very kind of attitude.  Back then, Egon Vollrath and Dean Calderon, sharing the same thirst for knowledge, agreed upon a mission to raise the quality of Schutzhund in our country.  The path was clear ... bring the "best of the best" from Europe to our area for seminars.  (T. Floyd attended several of these seminars and the techniques, insight, and knowledge of some of the most legendary trainers and helpers in history is consequently in his own foundation.)

The willingness of these men to put their egos on the shelf, and spend good money, realizing that legends don't come cheap, led to an extraordinary education.  Egon and Dean convinced the most brilliant trainers in Germany to come here to share the priceless gift of their knowledge...  Fritz Biehler, Helmut Reiser, Helmut Koenig, Reinhard Lindner, Jurgen Ritzi... 

Embracing the opportunity of those seminars led to what we now almost take for granted - the fact that our Team is likely to have a serious shot at the WUSV Championship on any given year, we breed some of the best German Shepherd Dogs in the world, and that there is true quality training taking place at clubs nationwide.

If anyone ever tries to talk you out of attending a seminar with a great trainer (perhaps predicting in advance how much you will, or won't learn, maybe even placing a dollar value on the seminar), you might want to ask that person how many World Teams they've been on. 

It also might be a good exercise in perspective to do this when considering a seminar with a guy who's been kicking ass and taking names in this sport for quite some time...

Don't just look at the guy who's been on almost every cover of Schutzhund USA magazine for many years in a row.  Consider how he got there.  Picture that guy twenty years ago, driving day and night ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY, and sleeping in his van, to spectate at a seminar, with barely enough money to get back home.  Now who is worth listening to - that guy, or the person trying to keep you away from him?  You make the call.

Wishing you happy training and successful trials throughout the New Year...

Your friend in the Sport,

Tina M. Perriguey
 

Darlene

Vom Herrenhaus, LLC

Grass Valley, CA

What a shame.  I hope you can reschedule.  Very well said also.  Many peple have made dog training their living.  The last thing they want is a client to know their limitation.  Why a TD would tell member not to attend a seminar is beyond my comprehension.  Learning is growth.  This training is not cookie cutter.  The methods you are using today may not work on the dog you have tomorrow.

Best Regards,

Kyle

Well said,  Tina, Darlene and Kyle.

Sorry to hear you had to cancel.  Thanks for the memories, though. I was at or in all but one of those seminars you mentioned, and a lot more besides: (You forgot Franz Gugnon, and Walter Kreipl, there for a week each) . Those were indeed great times! Back then we sent our fees in the minute we heard about the events, begged to get ourselves and our dogs in as demonstrators. How well I remember the many evenings spent at South County S.C. eating David's awesome BBQ'ed tri-tips and Margret Vollraths incredible salads and sides, dancing to live music till the wee hours to a live band, telling jokes and laughing together over the bumbling we did during the days. Long days at the old Menlo Park field and at Big Basin, North Valley up outside Redding... People came from all over, slept in sleeping bags in the back of pick-ups, vans, tents, the picnic tables... wherever...  Comraderie ran high,  super dog training festivals, for sure! There HAD to be 200+ attendees at the last Raiser seminar in Coyote.

Here in the East you'd be lucky if a dozen people showed up to work with Franz Gugnon for 5 days. 

I agree with Tina 100%. Attend as many seminars as you possibly can. Even if you're only a spectator you will learn things you can use forever.

SS

Hint: 1999- Stanislaus S.C. at Big Basin Dog Training, Modesto, CA.

Decades Later, Still learning....

Greater Atlanta Feb. 2006

I just want to make it clear that TDs were not the reason for cancellation. Tina is so eloquent in her writing that I felt it better to post her email than to try and catch the highlights of it, I would have not done her justice. We also hope to reschedule and will let everyone know when we do.

Great pics Shelley!!

Darlene

Grass Valley, CA

Vom Herrenhaus, LLC