new puppy-new to sports and showing- help please-USA or other clubs? - Page 1

I have just just acquired a new puppy(czech german shephed) and am rather new to the IPO sport the people i train with have all been in the sport and have titled dogs- however- with this pups pedigree and drive i want to do the right thing by him. I would like to show him in puppy classes-he is currently 12 weeks and i am still waiting for AKC papers we just bought him so I am trying to learn as I go-also- the people in our group have older dogs or just plain dont do conformation showings and I think it is important for him to do that even at local clubs the problem i have is i have never shown a dog to get his v ratings and i dont know where to start-advice please! Also -still being new to all this- does anybody have any advice as to whether the USA or gsdca is better than one or the other or are they about the same-i know that question is a can of worms- I currently am USA member but i want to do right by my dog not necessarily follow the crowd - either way it is a long drive for training- can a USA pup show in a pup class in gsdca and still be acknowledged by USA or vice versa- all the rules seem to change all the time.Is there an advantage to one club or the other- can the dog have a book with both- how does one get a USA registration on their dog- no one here knows the process- I have a million questions- like what does he have to do to get his ratings-how often can he go can a USA dog get ratings from clubs other than USA could somebody out there please give me some help on how to get him started with his puppy conformation showings and how i go about teaching him and myself about all of this- i know you all have prob been in this awhile but i want this pup to get  involved and i want to do it right- any help is appreciated-

Does your club have an affiliation?  If it's a USA affiliated club, you will want to stay with USA which will preclude you from being able to also join the WDA.  As far as showing goes, you should have plenty of opportunities regardless of which club you're in but get used to not winning if you're showing a working line dog.

the club i am currently with is USA- however i have went to training to a WDA club and they seemed ok as well. the club people i am with do not know how to go to club trials and get my v  ratings on this pup or how to get my pup registered with the USA club- i dont have a prob. staying with the USA or going to join another club if it is to benefit my pup- it is all about him right now. I dont know what it takes to put him in a ring at a club trial-yes i know he runs around the ring- what papers he needs etc. i know he will never stack up against a show dog- he is a working dog but still needs to get his v ratings- i thought if i started him out early enough with that that it would be a good thing for him and for me- i know how to work him with prey drive etc. i know not to get on him because i dont want to diffuse his drive i just dont know how to go about getting him his v ratings- i know they can show in classes 3-6 6-9 etc and get rated for their breed potential and i know he has to do a breed survey after he gets his NH and IPO1 i dont know how to do the puppy conformation classes that would be put on-i just dont have anyone to ask about how to do this- do i just sign him up take his papers and pedigree and run around a ring or what all does it intale. nobody seems to know how this is done as all the dogs in the club are titled and older and they really dont care much for the puppy thing per say. i just want to be able to do something with him while he is young and still participate in some club trial events and at the same time get some ratings on him- does this make sense? i know the show dogs will outclass him but they still have to get ratings do they not? i know i am vague i just want him to go to a trial per say and let a judge see him as a puppy and continue on later with his other titles-do they not rate the puppies like the adult dogs? i am very green at this and i dont know who to ask- sorry

Don't step on those toes around you.......you might put nails in your coffin.......if they truely are an inexperienced club - find another..........

To answer one of your questions, no, puppies are not rated the same as adult dogs.   In USA puppies 4 months to 12 months will receive ratings of VP (Very Promising), P (Promising) or LP (Less Promising), then from 12 months to 24 months you are in Youth, which I believe the highest rating you can receive is SG.   V is incredibly difficult to attain, especially on a working line dog.

As for the working trial side of things, I believe you mean a BH, not an NH and that can not be obtained until your puppy is 15 months or older and must be obtained before you can continue on to an IPO and your dog must be 18 months to go for the IPO title.  However, training for BH and IPO begins early with a lot of play, tracking and more play.

Unfortunately you are going to have to decide between USA and GSDCA/WDA as the two organizations do not play well together.   Your best bet is to get a feel for what clubs are in your area, how active in terms of trials and showing they are and finally, which group of people is the best fit for you and your puppy.   A supportive, active club is your best investment right now while you're starting out.  You're going to learn from watching, listening and doing.  Not from reading on the internet.

Good advice from RL. You can participate in both the WDA and USA events. You simply have to either co own or join the GSDCA to be able to do both. Since you are already a USA member, co ownership with a WDA member gets you access to the WDA side of things. You don't need to pick a side. Both organizations have created ways where all can participate in each other's sandbox.

V rating is a bit optimistic with a working line. Hook up with someone who will help you through the process to do the best you can do. Some working lines that could acquire a V rating miss the opportunity by not preparing for the ring. The German Shepherd has a conformation requirement and a work requirement. Do both to the best of your ability. Hopefully you can find someone to mentor you. Try to find someone who has accomplished what you want to accomplish and ask for assistance.