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The future of retriever clubs

18K views 71 replies 54 participants last post by  flatcoatfun 
#1 ·
It seems to me that, at least in the Northeast, many retriever clubs struggle with the same dilemma: How do we attract and retain new members?

I belong to three NE dog clubs and all of them are facing this issue. We have a core group of workers and organizers that put in a huge amount of hours and effort to put on great events. At times, new people come in, but they rarely stay for long. As a result we face cutting back on the number of events we host. We can't keep doing the same thing and expect things to change.

So I am asking myself "What are we doing wrong?" "What can we do differently?" "What do newcomers to the sport need to get hooked and hang around?" etc.

I am hoping that there are clubs out there that have come up with some fresh approaches to attracting and retaining new members that can share them with us. I am also looking for those of you that are newer to to the sport to tell me what a great club would provide for you, the member?

I have been involved in dog training all my life and with retrievers since 1996. My husband and I drag our kids to events all over New England, but we are the exception not the norm. What can our clubs do to survive among the competing priorities of everyday life?

Hoping for some great discussion!

Terry
 
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#2 ·
Terry,
A few years back ,at a trial , a few of us were discussing the same issues.Most of our club members are getting older and can't do what they once could . A few newer members had joined but between young families and job issues ,they couldn't fill the void.So what we came up with was that Shoreline Ret. Club and Colonial Ret. Field Trial Club joined in a cooperative work agreement.As a member of either club , If you enter the other clubs events , you may be asked to work the event. It added to the work force of both clubs and we made a few good friends along the way.
This may be only a stop gap measure and not solve the problem but it makes putting on the Field Trials a little easier.
Bob
 
#3 ·
Your last sentence really gives you the answer. There is nothing you can do. Every club / organization. / etc that I am involved in has this problem. Life is different today than 10-20 and everyone's time is limited, no matter the type of club.

It also is hard for newcomers as the old timers do not always want to give up the power, or even be open to mew ideas. I am not sure how many times I have heard tradition as a reason why a suggestion would not work. You hear enough of that and it does not take much to say forget it
 
#13 ·
When it comes down to it, few people help at the events, and those that do help are invaluable and appreciated. You help at your club events, and at the Blue Ridge events, which does not go unnoticed. We are all a little irrational about this sport when you consider the amount of time, money, and luck it takes to have even a little success. Stick around and you'll be an old timer before you know it.
 
#4 ·
I was very optimistic at the beginning of this season as we had 5 new members. Over the summer we hardly saw any of them, come test weekend only one showed up for a short time. Now that the weather is cold and miserible (no more golf and boating) these guys want to come out and train. I am old and tired after a long season but we still make every effort to accomodate them. They just don't have the heart for the long hours it takes to train a dog, other things take priority and maybe rightly so. We will continue to make new people welcome and help the best we can and maybe the bug will take hold.
 
#5 ·
IMO if there is one thing that the old guard has done poorly it has failed to mentor and nurture future talent and resources into the game..Yes the old guard is reluctant to relinquish power, but that same dynamic was present back in 70's...As for the "young guns" of the retriever world, many are flash in the pan, one trick ponies, who seem to hit the sport, get what they want out of it but give very little back to it

many of the old guard has made a lifetime commitment to the sport, and continue to serve the sport well, if there was one resource that many clubs fail to tap is the knowledge and savvy of those that no longer actively campaign a dog...There are quite a few "old timers" that have a wealth of knowledge and experience but because they no longer actively train and campaign on the circuit are forgotten and often overlooked, but that may also be similar to how we as a society treat our senior citizens and cast them aside when we seem to have no further use for them

just my .02
 
#6 ·
Thats my issue. I have 2 kids in sports with games on saturdays. We have practice 4 days a week after school between the 2 of them from after school until 7:30. I take 2 dogs with me a train while I wait but saturday training days are out. I can get to some tests but I do NAVHDA and pointing dog hunt tests and have training days for those that I usually miss :( and I am starting rally. Did I mention that most of the foot ball games are travel games and in a rural county its up to 2 hour drive one way.....
 
#7 ·
The most useful thing clubs could do would be to have training days that might be on Sunday afternoon. But in this bible belt south I am sure that would be trouble for some.
 
#8 ·
There are a myriad of reasons the "young-uns" dont give as much as some of the "older" members and I won't sit here and make excuses for any of them. However, I will say that to truly be involved in this sport it takes more than just attending an event or two or joining a club. It is a lifestyle that we live. Many of my friends my age have young families, meager financial resources, and other "prioroties" in their lives. Our HRC club is comprised primarily of "young" board members and volunteers. Matter of fact, there are only 3 on the board over 40...our Prez, VP, SEC, Treasurer, and every single committee head is 35 or under. I hear every excuse under the sun at every single event we have as to why people cannot be in attendance. IMO, it is poor time management and poor prioritization...until I look at it from their shoes...that said, how do we attract and retain new blood? I don't know that its one thing in particular. Our club is comprised mainly of "our" training group. A bunch of like minded individuals doing what we love, sharing our time, talents, and other resources simply because we need each-others help, like one-another, and want to. Try putting some "younger" members in decision making roles. LISTEN to their thoughts and ideas. Believe it or not, we actually have some good ones from time to time. You want to attract and retain new members?? Easy, give them a reason to come and stay a while...give them a job....but don't boss them around. Make them an IMPORTANT part of the club's success and recognize them for their hard-work. IMO it's that simple...but then what the hell do I know...I'm one of these crazy retriever game fanatics....i just happen to be under 35.
 
#50 ·
Joe is right on with our club. Somehow we just found a group of guys and a few ladies that enjoy training and working together. We have differing age ranges and of course differing levels of dogs. We have young guys new to dogs and a couple veterans that have been doing it as long as some of the guys have been alive. Fortunately we dont have the problem of guys not pulling their weights when we get together. No matter who shows up with whatever level of dog- there is someone that is willing to help him/her if they need it. We are all the kings of sarcasm so you better have thick skin but guys like Jim Hodges and Bruce Overby and Joe help all of us that need it. We'll set up whatever ANYONE needs for their dogs and let everyone have equal line time if they want it. working on concepts and training tips. And were constantly talking and planning the "next" hunt test and everyone has a JOB and is used to get the event pulled off. this was a small club that was struggling first few years but this fall we had over 300 dogs and 3 finished flights go off without a hitch all weekend, because everyone TOOK ownership in the Test, talked it up at other hunt tests and worked our tails off and had a great time.

For those that are struggling to find a place. Heck do like I did. Find a pro somewhat locally to you that is involved with the club. Our local pro said- call or come by anytime (I'm NOT sure he thought I'd bug him as much as I do) when he first invited me...lol. But if they invite you- GO and don't get in the way and help anyway you can. I did it and now end up, up there just about every week sometimes 2 times a week.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I could not agree more with some of the last posts. Fear not the want is still out there. I wish I would of got involved long before being 37. But it is out there. Against my better judgement I'm gonna say it on here "being there are some club members that are also on here". Training days are great but don't send me an email the day before that its been moved or changed to the next day and excpect me to show up. I've spent not all but most of my last 6 mos.either working sleeping or working with my pup, or researching on what I can do to make him better. He has been gone since september for some training which I didn't feel I could do right at this point in time. But I tell you one thing when I get him back in a couple weeks we aren't gonna stop because its cold outside. I'll take the lead were the trainer left of and we will run with it all winter, granted it will probably be limited to weekends and for the most part no water "as it gets kinda hard around here in the winter". But I will still go out and set up marks for the little guy even if I gotta plow snow off the ground first. So for 1 second don't think the desire is not there, just don't suck it out of it. This is supposed to be enjoyable right?
 
#10 ·
The reality is to be truly competitive in the sport you have to have a lot of time and the financial resources to play. Those two items are generally in short supply for most who are younger with families. When I say younger, I mean people with kids in high school or below. If those kids have any activities at all, field trialing is a tough line to tow.

The facts are the sport lends itself to somewhat older people, who have the ability to train regularly and leave their homes for 10-20 weekends a year. Nothing wrong with it, just the way it is.

My view is there will always be people coming up who are really into dogs, who also want to compete at a higher level than HT's. They will eventually migrate to FTs in the course of their dog careers.
 
#11 ·
Field trials have become too competitive requiring a substantial investment in time and money with the availability of good training grounds and to be successful having an above average dog is essential. It is not a pursuit that is compatible with the requirements of young people with families, sadly we are an aging activity which could disappear in a generation.
 
#17 ·
Sadly I have to agree with Ed.
 
#12 ·
You have to have a good dog.

Dogs have to be your primary, if not only interest.

You have to be willing to give up a few weekends a year to judge and work at putting on a trial or trials. Actually it's amazing that trials still happen.
 
#14 ·
Clubs should be able to host what events possible for clubs to manage . Each club has limited help and grounds. The rules of the game according to AKC states a club must have an open. Many clubs lack the help to host and grounds for trials . We host 4 major trials and 1 double header dq.This weekend we are hosting a double header hunt test. Our help at the end of the season is tired of hosting trials for many who make a living at this game or do very little to help and don't appreciate the work involved in host these events.I have approached the retriever advisory board several times to allow clubs to have amatuers, derby , and qual events . If clubs needed the cash you could still have the open. It is about people having a good time with their dogs.
 
#15 ·
Since no one else has said it, I will. One issue, frankly, is the treatment of dogs at some training days. The last couple of club training days I attended, there were several people absolutely lighting up young dogs with the collar. One horse's rear end in particular thought it would be a good idea to hold up the cheaty water blind scenario we were running to revisit swim-by with his young, poorly trained, inexperienced dog right in the middle of the line to the blind after his dog hacked up the water blind and, by gosh, that dog had to pay the price. The poor dog was screaming for all he was worth. (This same guy keeps handling and burning the same young dog on marks and wonders, I'm sure, why the dog still cannot mark. That poor dog hasn't been taught anything but has been punished for everything.) That same session, an old member who I've literally never seen lift a finger to help with anything not even so much as sitting in a chair and occasionally planting blinds, was burning up her young dog while he was out of sight after overrunning a blind when he had no idea why he was getting burned. When I say "burning up," I mean transmitter all the way up and holding the buttons down continuously so the dog was wrong no matter what he did. Afterward, she said, "If he keeps this up, I swear I'm going to kill him!" This was a dog about two years-old at the time. I wish I were joking or exaggerating but that is her actual quote. Fortunately, a club officer pulled the lady aside afterward and basically told her the she didn't want to see that kind of stuff at the training days. At a previous session, another older member just had to show a first time attendee how to get a reliable fetch so he took the dog behind the trucks and was literally dragging the horrified young dog by his ear while pinching it the whole time all the way to the bumper. That's the last time I saw that man and his young dog. Ask yourself, if you were new to training dogs and really wanted just a decent hunting dog to also be your buddy, if you witnessed that kind of thing early on, would you come back let alone brings your kids??? All it takes is one incident like this to sour any newcomer to retriever clubs and events. By no means am I saying it's the only issue or that everyone at training days is putting dogs through this kind of thing. However, the fact that this stuff is not unusual at all sure isn't helping things.
 
#18 ·
Oh.my.goodness. I am 36 years old and have been involved in the HT game for 7 or 8 years now. Had my first experience been one like you have described I would have been OUT. Probably called the humane society or the police. Never to return to this game I now love. Today, with now 8 MH dogs, and 7 MN plates on the shelf, and on the board of my local club, someone else would probably be calling the police. Because I would come unglued on that freaking idiot. Grrrrrrr.
 
#16 ·
i am a member of two different retriever clubs. both have an extremely different focus.

first is the chattanooga retriever club. CRC is a field trial "event" club. we hold two four stake field trials in spring and fall. as best i can tell we have ~8 active members. i say, "as best i can tell" since there are no annual dues, no member lists, no membership drives, etc. i have declared myself a member by working the last four field trials and i observed that most all the other 7 i have declared as members were working those trials as well. our trial committee is made up of credible dog folk. i think most participants would say the CRC always puts on a pretty nice trial. we had 144 dogs in the fall event with a 30 pup derby. since "the crew of 8" can put on the event(usually with the help of a few participants/spouses) i don't really see this club growing. i am not sure it needs to?
note: carter hughes is event chair and he has saturday training at his place every weekend he is not at a trial. most of the CRC members attend these sessions periodically.

second is the north alabama hrc. nahrc is a "training" based club. we hold one spring hrc hunt test and have monthly club "training days" except for duck season. since this club was formed by several "small training groups" we all still train with our original groups and also "cross train" with the other small groups. we formed the club almost two years ago and have ~45 dues paying members. nahrc has different club members host the monthly training days on their grounds each month. we serve lunch, have drawings for prizes and venues for dogs of all ages and training levels monthly. our first hunt test was well attended and profitable and we had plenty of working members. we also have a christmas party where new officers are announced and our "nahrc dog of the year" traveling trophy is awarded. our membership's interests are diverse. for instance:(to my recolection) we had at least twelve member dogs qualify for master national with five getting a plate, we have had four new MH titles, we have had seven HRCH, over a dozen HR and SH, we had one SRS am winner and other SRS placements, we had one QAA and two make national derby list and last but not least four that rank corporal or higher in the USMC. i know it is easy to get new folk interested in a new club and much harder to keep a club active and fresh throughout the life cycle.

imho, growth means making training the focus and hosting tests and trials another "fun club activity". spread the responsibility and geography of training days. expect attrition as many people are in and out.....but when you identify those guys and girls in their twenties that really have the bug.....talk them into a two hole box and a new pup, step aside and make them club secretary.
 
#19 ·
As a beginner has intended to join a somewhat local club for months (if not years)... I already feel guilty about not being able to give back enough as I'm such a beginner. I know I likely wouldn't be able to work both days at an event, maybe only one day or two half days. On the other hand, I know that's a bit unreasonable as that's part of the point of many clubs, and I have access to some land that they would probably like to use and I'm pretty invested in my dog doing well...meaning longer term involvement from me.

At two other clubs.... just didn't work out for me. I wanted to train to a different level than the other club members and though I'm a beginner, I didn't want to take advice that could potentially set myself and my dog back in our training. It just wasn't a good fit for us, though I enjoyed the enthusiasm of the group and I appreciated their offers for help.
 
#20 ·
As a beginner has intended to join a somewhat local club for months (if not years)... I already feel guilty about not being able to give back enough as I'm such a beginner. I know I likely wouldn't be able to work both days at an event, maybe only one day or two half days. On the other hand, I know that's a bit unreasonable as that's part of the point of many clubs, and I have access to some land that they would probably like to use and I'm pretty invested in my dog doing well...meaning longer term involvement from me.

At two other clubs.... just didn't work out for me. I wanted to train to a different level than the other club members and though I'm a beginner, I didn't want to take advice that could potentially set myself and my dog back in our training. It just wasn't a good fit for us, though I enjoyed the enthusiasm of the group and I appreciated their offers for help.
You bring up another dynamic that has been around since retriever clubs have probably been in existence..the retriever games are an individual sport,especially at a FT level

When a new member arrives if they are not at the same level of the general consenus of the club/training group they can either be a drag to that group, or the group can be a drag to the individual, add to that the fact that Mon -Thurs its all for one and one for all, but come Fri-Sun its may the best dog win

Retriever clubs and the tireless and unselfish people that make them go are the lifeblood of the sport, but sooner or later those people either get out of the game and if someone isnt around to pick up the slack or carry the torch, that club withers away
 
#21 ·
This thread has generated some great discussion.

Here are some things that I am taking away:

- The old guard has to be willing to step down. All too often we see folks running again for a position they don't want because no one else steps up. Maybe the "newbies" don't want to step on toes by running against someone?
- We need to organize training days and they have to be fun and rewarding. I'd love more thoughts on this. The scheduling of training days need to accommodate members with competing interests.
- We probably need to help folks find a good dog! Maybe offer a puppy referral?
- Maybe a mentoring program for newcomers would help them understand what it takes?
- I think clubs may need to offer something that gives newcomers early success. It doesn't have to be at a licensed event, but I think it's hard to keep going if you feel like you can't compare to the highly trained dogs of other members. Not sure what form this should take. Thoughts?

I also want to point out that only one of the clubs I belong to hosts a trial. This issue is in the hunt test and breed clubs too. I saw one post where someone was worried about only being able to work a half day at an event. I chaired one event and was on the committee of two last year - I would be more than happy to take a half a day if that's what someone is able to give!
 
#25 ·
This thread has generated some great discussion.

Here are some things that I am taking away:

- The old guard has to be willing to step down. All too often we see folks running again for a position they don't want because no one else steps up. Maybe the "newbies" don't want to step on toes by running against someone?

Why should the old guard be willing to step aside, they worked long and hard to get a club to where it is, they may have been the ones to secure the grounds or in some cases they own those grounds,plus they still want to compete, just like its hard to unseat the old grisled incumbent politician from their elected seat and power, the same goes for power within a club


- We need to organize training days and they have to be fun and rewarding. I'd love more thoughts on this. The scheduling of training days need to accommodate members with competing interests.

Training days end up being mini one day FT's, they often are more benefit to the more experienced trainer with advanced dogs, who wants the luxury of added help to run multiple setups, and the novice trainer is relegated to being the "free help" and often is forced to run set ups that may be too advanced for their dog..the novice may best be served to train with one mentor then to be "trained by the group"...peer pressure can be intense and intimidating,and probably does more to run off potential newcomers to the sport than we ever know
- We probably need to help folks find a good dog! Maybe offer a puppy referral?
- Maybe a mentoring program for newcomers would help them understand what it takes?
- I think clubs may need to offer something that gives newcomers early success. It doesn't have to be at a licensed event, but I think it's hard to keep going if you feel like you can't compare to the highly trained dogs of other members. Not sure what form this should take. Thoughts?

There used to be the picnic trial and sanctioned event, but they are just as expensive to put on as the real deal and open dates on the calendar are few and far between, hard enough for a club to pull off a licensed trial, no longer cost effective to put on a sanctioned event or picnic trial


I also want to point out that only one of the clubs I belong to hosts a trial. This issue is in the hunt test and breed clubs too. I saw one post where someone was worried about only being able to work a half day at an event. I chaired one event and was on the committee of two last year - I would be more than happy to take a half a day if that's what someone is able to give!

my response in purple
 
#22 ·
Didnt read the whole thread and maybe this was mentioned but here is my thought.
New members are like new puppies. If the desire just aint there your not going to put it in them. Some are interested but not to the point that it is in others to stick with it. With puppies some things are more important than the retrieve and with some there is nothing more important than the retrieve. I have tried to help lots of new people that seem to be interested but most dont stick with it so I just wash them out and its on to the next puppy, or prospect.
Our clubs both FT and HT have numerous picnic trials where new people can come and learn. Some stay some dont. How many FC's are in any one litter of pups?
 
#23 ·
IMO nothing will stop the decline of the FT game. The lost of trialing grounds, the lost of training grounds, eroding quality of judging, fewer amatuers, rise of "mega-owners", absentee owners, and the escalating cost to compete are irreversible.
 
#24 ·
Club organized training days and Special events such as Club tests seems to help with member retention for BCRC. At our annual meeting we ask for volunteers to sit on the training committee, we meet and set up dates and tentative locations for training, typically one Saturday and one Sunday per month. We send out an email to the members a week prior and ask for pre-registration so we have an idea of the skill level of attendees and their dogs. Some of our members also provide freezer space for birds which we use at our Club events. We kick off the season with a Flyer day, 2012 was largest we've had to date, we had 27 attend. We also host two Members only mock hunt tests which continue to be popular. We run JR., SR. and Master and all participants work in the field or judging.
As Club Secretary, I started emailing a set of documents to potential members upon membership inquiry. These include things like popular training programs, a list of vendors, basic and advanced needed training gear and a glossary of terms. Several veteran members also offer to mentor new folks. We also encourage new members to connect with others in their area to form their own training groups.
BCRC averages 50-55 members per year and we do have the same "core" group stepping up to Chair events, however, the involvement of less active members has improved since we started offering the flyer day and mock tests. We have also had increased numbers of Master Hunters. I believe it is the responsibility of the dog owner to train their dog, not the responsibility of the Club, but, in my opinion folks join a retriever Club for training opportunities and education and this is paramount for member retention.
 
#26 · (Edited)
The days of the 3 day,4 stake FT are probably numbered but I am a bit more optomistic. FTs will always be a game that requires time and money.
The issue therefore is how to reduce time and money to get people started and retain them.
One thing that might help to attract new people would be the return of the AKC Sanctioned FT. These are 1 day events, they are competitive, D/Q/O levels can be offered,cost can be controlled with dead birds and an understanding that all participates must be willing to help. Area clubs can get together to offer an actual circuit and present yearly high point D/Q /O trophies. Prior to HTs, this venue provided training for handlers and judges.
The issues of declining available FT grounds, and true amatuer participation could be helped if clubs had the option of a 2-day/ 2 stake FT with a controlled entry( controlled in both dogs/stake and dogs/handler). This could help retain new members long term as opposed to "burning them out" at large trials.

JMOs

Tim

-
 
#27 ·
The days of the 3 day-4 stake are probably numbered but I am a bit more optomistic. FTs will always be a game that requires time and money.
The issue therefore is how reduce time and money to get people started.
One thing that might helpto attract new people would be the return of the AKC Sanctioned FT. These are 1 day events, they are competitive, D/Q/O levels can be offered,cost can be controlled with dead birds and an understanding that all participates must be willing to help. Area clubs can get together to offer an actual circuit and present yearly high point D/Q /O trophies. Prior to HTs, this venue provided training for handlers and judges.
The issues of declining available FT grounds, and true amatuer participation could be helped if clubs had the option of a 2-day/ 2 stake FT with a controlled entry( controlled in both dogs/stake and dogs/handler). This could help retain people as opposed to "burning them out" at large trials.

JMOs

Tim

-
So I'm gonna spend money I don't have and take time off from a demanding entry level job and take time away from a newly started family to run a trial I am required to work if entered for no chance at a title or placement??? The only reward is a little league trophy at the end of the year IF there is an area circuit??? There aint no way to spin that to make it sound attractive to new members. Since my last post on this topic there has been some great discussion. I do think Steve Shaver is right though. There are only so many people who truly wanna be involved. As a club, you do everything in your power to retain those folks when they show up. The rest, you can't worry about because no matter how much coddling, begging, or encouraging you do they just arent interested enough to give what we feel is an adequate amount.
 
#29 ·
What do we need to Change?

This thread IMO, is exactly what a forum like this is about. It's an opportunity to gather objective information that is affecting all of us in this sport.

In the last year I can't begin to say how often this has become a topic of disscussion over post training lunch. Like the responders we also have lost new members for most of the reasons already mentioned. This is what I beleive my club does well:

1. Monthly picnic trials. These have been held without fail since the mid 60's. They are treated with the same rules as a licensed event. Points and ribbons are awarded at the end of the day along with yearly trophies at the end of the year.

2.We have a core group of trainers who are dedicated to Sat. and Sun. training. The only time this changes is if there is a licensed trial or picnic trial.

3.The experienced mentor the newcomers. They try hard to encourage new people.

4. We try .....try very hard not to overwhelm, or underwhelm new people.

Even with these things in place we are losing new people. New members are overwhelmed by the amount of time required to train a dog to a successful level. Usually when they join they have a dog that has missed out on solid foundation work and the holes they've created are beyond repair.

The financial investment is often beyond what new people can committ to.

Having said this it would appear that it is the sport in it's current state that has created it's own flaws. How do we re-create a sport that an amateur can be passionate about? Do we need to put more emphasis on the amateur stakes?

There are some people who believe that the trainers who compete in hunt tests are a natural progression to field trials. I agree with this in priciple but I've been told that hunt test participants find field trialers intimidating. I once had a person say to me at a hunt test..." Once he gets his master hunter title it's straight to Open" It made me wonder if handlers don't find working and having success at a Qualifying level enough validation?

Hmmmm........... it's lot's to think about.
I've cross posted this on Canadian Hunting dogs because I think it's important to get a cross view from both sides.
 
#30 ·
Thank you to all the members of FT/HT clubs that work so hard to make the events possible.

As a relative new particpant in FT/HT I cannot comment on member retention. However, my most discouraging experience with the game came after completing all three series of a Master Test, waiting for the compilation of scores and judges eating lunch (over two hours), only to be told I did not receiving a qualifying score. It was a long drive home.

Retaining new particpants in the game will require some way to expedite the event process.
 
#31 ·
Do you mind if I ask if you have any experience working a test? You mention judges spending 2 hours eating lunch and going over scores. They just set up and sat through every aspect of the test you ran. No matter the weather they are there for the duration with very little opportunity for a break of any kind. That 2 hour lunch may have been the first chance they've had to breathe all day and have a bite to eat. I'll be honest- a 2 hour break in the MIDDLE of a test would annoy me, but in this situation they may have had a large stake. It's not always clear cut how things are going to add up until you look at the judge's sheets. Then there is the matter of discussing the dogs that one judge would like to pass and the other would not.

Hopefully you've workedan event in some capacity so you know that it's a lot of effort from long before handlers run to long afterwards. Don't just be a participant in terms of being a handler-help make the event happen!

M
 
#32 ·
I don't know my experience with clubs is no matter your rooster 5-10 people work all the time, are at every event, and do a lot to get others involved. Memberships go up, a lot of events are hosted and still 5-10 people work, same people every event. The same people in setting up in the morning, who never have to "leave early", and end up staying late putting things away. Go on for a few years people eventually get burnt out, but membership still wants lots of training days and events, that majority of membership shows up to, but only 5-10 people work, sometimes pulling teeth to get people out of chairs. Soon 5-10 people get a tad bitter and begin to think that 5-10 people can run the club, exactly as they want with far less headaches and far less work, perhaps even get some training in on their own dogs every once in awhile. They close off the ranks, training days become private matters. It works out OK until a few of those 5-10 people decided to hang it up and then either a new group of 5-10 take over or the club dies.

So what did we start doing? We started assigning different shifts for training days and tests, a morning setup shift and a afternoon cleanup shift. You'd be surprised how happy, non-bitter willing to help out newbies, you can keep those 5-10 people, when there's a second shift (2-3 people) who shows up mid-day Sun, after a long weekend of testing to clean-up and tell the morning shift (6-7 people) to LEAVE everything's taken care of ;)
 
#33 ·
I'm going to stop after this. I don't disagree with what you wrote, but attitude can sometimes play a part. I know folks who have worked and not been respected in the process. You can't expect some new person to sit out in the canoe all day or plant the blind with no view of what's going on. I know some absolutely super folks who you would love to hunt and train with. These aren't whiners by nature, but really nice guys. After a couple of times being made to feel as though they were there only to work and not being offered any help, it no longer becomes attractive to them. It's a matter of give and take.

M
 
#34 ·
There is a big disconnect between hunters and FT/HT people. I understand most HT/FT participants hunt but most hunters arent interested in the games. I am a non participating member of our local HRC. There isn't much there for me as a hunter. The games have taken on their own meaning and require training that isnt necessary for hunting. Look what training a dog has become to some. It is charts and diagrams, and piles, etc..Technical training isnt all that fun for most people. When you see the process from start to finish it makes sense but you throw a hunter in there and explain that you are making a point hot for de-cheating purposes they lose intrerest really quickly.

I do some that of too and enjoy some of it but the competitive nature takes away enough that I dont participate much.

These clubs are for people chasing titles and ribbons not about having fun with the dogs.
 
#36 ·
I kinda think there are challenges on both ends.

At the high end, with field trials, they've gotten so difficult that the average person isn't really capable of having any chance of success. It takes a combination of the right dog, along with an immense amount of high quality training. As it becomes more of a pro game, that continues to escalate to the point where a do it yourself trainer has a nearly impossible time competing against dogs trained professionally. The very nature of that is going to cause there to be less people running at that level. If I have my dog professionally trained, I don't really need a club to help me. I just show up at events and run my dog. The future of FTs are going to depend on people wanting to go to the next step after hunt testing, or wanting the competitive venue.

I think there's a ton of opportunity for hunt test focused clubs as long as the standard remains something that is attainable for a person and their dog without resorting to professional trainers. The challenge is that so many people have no idea of what a good retriever is really capable of. They get a decently bred dog, and mess around with sit and here and stay and roll over and beg and speak etc, and throw some tennis balls and the dog brings them back - WOW - what a great dog. They take it hunting and the dog's instinct kicks in and it goes and brings back some birds - Hey, I have a cracker jack retriever. They don't see how much more is possible, and some don't care. Heck, compared to hunt test or FT 6 moth old pups, these dogs basic obedience is usually appalling. Take a walk in the neighborhood and tell your dog to sit, and watch how amazed folks are with how well behaved your dog is. People just don't know.

If clubs want to grow memberships and get new people in, they need to focus on providing value to the people starting out. You're not going to get someone from I think I want a lab as a pet and might want to teach him to retrieve all the way to I want to run my dog in a field trial right away. You need to present training days that offer more than a hunt test setup, but instead run more drills that teach some of the concepts. Most of these are good for beginning dogs as well as advanced dogs, or can be adjusted for both. Similarly, new folks with less advanced dogs need to be made to feel comfortable running a setup in a much less demanding way. Instead of a triple with 3 100+ yard marks and a long tricky blind, they can move up and run them as 3 singles and skip the blind, but the majority of new folks don't realize their dog can't do the triple, so they need some mentoring, and need to see older members doing the same thing.

As clubs, we need to get more information out there so people starting out with a retriever pup realize what these dogs are capable of. If your dog sits on command and comes on command, you've surpassed 95% of dogs out there. Folks take their dogs to Petsmart for a training class and think that their dog is as good as it can get when it sits sometimes and comes when you have a treat. When people see these dogs do some of the things they do in tests and trials, they're amazed and interested. Problem is they don't see that. Once you're involved, you can't see how invisible we are to the outside world. You might have to grow and nurture the interest over the lifespans of 2 or 3 dogs since most can't overlap to any large extent.
 
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