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Good Sunday morning all,
This is the time of year that many of us are brainstorming about next years retriever club activities. The licensed events are pretty much set and now the placement of club tests and other activities are sprinkled in-between to fill out the calendar. At this time the topic of club sponsored training days always rears its controversial head. My club, for the past three summers has not held official training days. We do have some folk request them and other grizzled veterans of the club against them. The people for them always ask the question "What has my club given me in return for my dues". The people against always bring up the example of a rookie with a brand new collar "cooking" their dog in front of everyone at a club event. Bad PR, bad dog training, and bad feelings all around. And they bring up the fact that it is only one day and if you have 30 people show up then you get maybe 10 minutes for your dog and then it is back on the truck. Now personally, even the last time my club had an "official" day I did not attend. And when asked what I get for my membership I say I have a membership list and a phone and on a Thursday evening I can call up a few folks and grab some birds and put a training day together for the weekend that will give me time to work my dogs and be productive. Three-four people with a dozen dogs and a case of mountain dew and I am set. Now I have spoken with other clubs that say they feel the biggest draw they have for membership it the club sponsored training days they hold.
So my question, yes there is a question after all that. Does your retriever club offer club sponsored scheduled training days for your members? If yes how do you set them up? What rules or protocol do you follow to keep everyone happy as there are many different training styles and degrees of correction in each style. Do you use a pro trainer for the setup or just take turns?
Thank you all.
Ken Bora
This is the time of year that many of us are brainstorming about next years retriever club activities. The licensed events are pretty much set and now the placement of club tests and other activities are sprinkled in-between to fill out the calendar. At this time the topic of club sponsored training days always rears its controversial head. My club, for the past three summers has not held official training days. We do have some folk request them and other grizzled veterans of the club against them. The people for them always ask the question "What has my club given me in return for my dues". The people against always bring up the example of a rookie with a brand new collar "cooking" their dog in front of everyone at a club event. Bad PR, bad dog training, and bad feelings all around. And they bring up the fact that it is only one day and if you have 30 people show up then you get maybe 10 minutes for your dog and then it is back on the truck. Now personally, even the last time my club had an "official" day I did not attend. And when asked what I get for my membership I say I have a membership list and a phone and on a Thursday evening I can call up a few folks and grab some birds and put a training day together for the weekend that will give me time to work my dogs and be productive. Three-four people with a dozen dogs and a case of mountain dew and I am set. Now I have spoken with other clubs that say they feel the biggest draw they have for membership it the club sponsored training days they hold.
So my question, yes there is a question after all that. Does your retriever club offer club sponsored scheduled training days for your members? If yes how do you set them up? What rules or protocol do you follow to keep everyone happy as there are many different training styles and degrees of correction in each style. Do you use a pro trainer for the setup or just take turns?
Thank you all.
Ken Bora