# "green" clubs



## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

How many people in a new club can be 100% green? Any ideas? On the "Carrying the sleeve" thread, this topic (starting a new club with all newbies) came up.

I had the idea that all the members could be pretty green as long as the decoy/TD was experienced and a good teacher. But you guys who are in more formal clubs than my own will have much better ideas about this.


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## Andres Martin (May 19, 2006)

If the club goals are high level competition, including bitework...you'll need to have a "more than a few good men (or women)". But if you want to have fun...which is a VERY COMMENDABLE goal...all you'll need is TWO good people: one to decoy and the other to help the novice handler.

IMV.


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## Michele Moore (Mar 27, 2006)

I think you can have a club of new people and bring in experienced decoys to train with. The New Mexico club I was speaking of does very well, has several dogs titled to SchH3 and they don't have a decoy.  

However they bring Mike Ellis out for seminars every couple of months and bring decoys to train with them or caravan out to train with clubs that have decoys they like. 

I am planning on doing mondio training out in AZ but I also make a point to seek out good trainers and go to their seminars and train with experienced clubs and people. I learn better in person then off the internet.  

I still maintain there wouldn't even be Schutzhund (at the scale it is today) in the US if newbies never started clubs. You have to have a winning mindset too. :wink: not to say you don't Connie, just that its a requirement to get involved in a new club.


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## Michele Moore (Mar 27, 2006)

and I also agree with Andres it does matter what the club goals are. My goals are to have fun and compete with my dog!


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Andres Martin said:


> If the club goals are high level competition, including bitework...you'll need to have a "more than a few good men (or women)". But if you want to have fun...which is a VERY COMMENDABLE goal...all you'll need is TWO good people: one to decoy and the other to help the novice handler.
> 
> IMV.


How about when all the members are long-experienced dog people/trainers who are interested in SchH but have no SchH experience? Then do you think an experienced SchH decoy/TD could bring them along enough to compete at least adequately? (Yes, the primary goal is fun, and the driving force is the fact that a few members have young working line GSDs and one Mal.)


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Michele Moore said:


> and I also agree with Andres it does matter what the club goals are. My goals are to have fun and compete with my dog!


Yes, mine too. Others in our club have the admirable (I think) goal of not under-working or under-training their dogs...... so pretty much the same thing.


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## Michele Moore (Mar 27, 2006)

Connie Sutherland said:


> Andres Martin said:
> 
> 
> > If the club goals are high level competition, including bitework...you'll need to have a "more than a few good men (or women)". But if you want to have fun...which is a VERY COMMENDABLE goal...all you'll need is TWO good people: one to decoy and the other to help the novice handler.
> ...


I take it that question is for Andres. But I say yes, you are near Michael Ellis, I swear he gives an excellent SchH seminar and is great at explaining things in understandable terms. Have him out for a seminar with your group and you will be amazed at what you will learn. *I get nothing for the endorsement*


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## Andres Martin (May 19, 2006)

Connie...
Dog training is not rocket science.
Michele said it best. "A winning mind-set...", plus everything else she said! :lol:


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Andres Martin said:


> Connie...
> Dog training is not rocket science.
> Michele said it best. "A winning mind-set...", plus everything else she said! :lol:


Yes. This is what we all think. Thanks for the backup!

So then the topic that came up on the sleeve-carrying thread: So far we have several votes for green club-members as long as they have goals, and access to a good decoy/teacher.

So Jeff's recommendation that newbie people start up new clubs -- appears to be seconded here, so far..... 

Edited to say P.S.: *I get nothing for the endorsement* :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Jerry Lyda (Apr 4, 2006)

I think that a group of green newbies can compete well as long as they have a good decoy or 2. They need someone who knows dogs and the sport of which they will be training for. They need the rules. They would understand the sport better if they have see it. Reading about it, for me anyway don't cut it. We are trying to promote ASR by going to Spartanburg and do what ever we can to help these people. We want to think of them as our sister club. Postitive promotions of the sport is a very good thing and that helps loads.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Here is a way to look at a club that is new. If you all pay dues, then you can have seminars pretty often, and get really good hands on information and work towards a goal together. It is also interesting to see the difference in what you got out of the seminar, and what the other club members got.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

As a new club grows you'll find peoples goals and ideas will change. Some will still be in it for fun, some will get quite serious about training. That's when things can get sticky unless you have a good training director and everyone is on the same page with training theory and methods.


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