What to look for in picking a club

[Gryphon]

In several post some of the more experienced folks have mentioned that they would travel farther if they had to to go to a good club, other have said to make sure I feel comfortable with the folks at the club.

Can anybody give me any suggestions on what to look for and what to look out for? How would I be able to tell a good club from a not so good club since this will be a new experience for us?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions http://www.rottweiler.net/rottie/smile.gif

[Nancy Estes]

A lot is going to depend on what you're looking for - some clubs devote most, if not all, of their time to working toward national-level, high-score competition only. Other clubs are more relaxed and train more for the enjoyment of it rather than high-level competition. These are two extremes given simply as examples. Both types, and those in between, can have good trainers, of course. Basically, what I'm saying is try to figure out what you want out of a club and then try to find one that meets your needs. A club can have the greatest trainer/s in the state and still not fit your needs, or those of your dog.

Nancy

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von Dorow Rottweilers
doggo1@apex2000.net

[czechrott]

Here are some of the questions that I would have in looking for a club.

How long has the club been around?
Is there a Director of Training?
What experience does the trainer have?
How organized is the club? (Are they a full member club of a recognized Schutzhund Organization, Do they have Club Officers, a guaranteed place to train & hold trials)
How many events do they hold per year?
How successful are the other members in obtaining new titles?
How much are the dues, and what do they cover?
When are the training time(s), day(s)?

After you know all of that, then you must decide if you like the members, and their personalities. Being in a club will require you to interact with all of the members, as hosting any kind of trial or seminar will require all of the members to work together.

[Urbans]

I think Czechrott pretty much covered it with the exception of one VERY important thing, DO THEY LISTEN TO YOU!!! You know your dog better then any one else. Many training directors have a problem listening to rookies.

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Christopher Smith

[BostonRott]

I would also want to know:

a) how many other Rottweilers have you trained?
b) how many of those Rottweilers earned titles, and what titles?
c) what dogs has the training director PERSONALLY titled?
d) has the training director taken a dog 0-III?
e) how have club member's dogs done?
f) does the club have a history of continuously training and titling dogs over the years?

The rule of thumb in SchH seems to be at least a 1hr drive. My previous group was 1.5hr each direction. I now only drive 30-40min (depending on speed, etc) and love it! http://www.rottweiler.net/rottie/smile.gif