This is what I was thinking Todd. I know a guy that charges about $1000.00 per month, but he also shows the dog in big trials and so forth. The average is about $500.00 per month.

I can tell you from my own personal experience that in the NE it isnt easy or cheap. I bought a imported titled dog from a very reputable dealer, I trained with him as much as possible but the 3 hour commute to train was a little to much. I found a new trainer who said that my dog was a piece of crap and that I should buy a new one from him. I told him it was impossible but to help me with my dog and I would pay what I could (60 dollars an hour). Luckily, I attended as many seminars as possible (Flink,Seibel,Balabonov and my favorite K.Sheldahl who expected to see me and my dog at the nationals) and met fellow trainers that helped me and kept me going in SCH when I was ready to give up. There people out here in the NE but you just have to search and be patient

Todd if you go to the NE, I'll go with you. We can charge 5,000 per month and still make a killing. . . :rolleyes:

3 month gurantee to SchH I! I've found that if someone is willing to pay 10 then we can find someone willing to pay 15!

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I think it's a discrace to charge for training at a "Club" <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

I think 4 or 5 hundrend club membership fee a year is ok...for equipment and such..U know, club stuff that everyone enjoys...

But a training fee is just not a "Club" that a business and they should not call themselves a Club....they should call it what is is..dog training school, god that pisses me off! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

LOL... ummm, our membership fee is $60 and of course you have the $60 to pay the USA.... We have an over-abundance of equiptment...

And, I might add I am in NE.

Anyway... scott if you want to PM me I may know of someone more reasonable in your area... just depends on what area you are in.

Training isn't cheap no matter what you are paying in fees, but I don't see where the 10k comes in. And hell, I lived and trained in CT for a while. Things don't get much more expensive than CT.

I did pay for privates with the TD, but I never paid for him to work with me on club time, just the club fee. It was my choice to go to him, not a mandatory thing.

This sport has some quirks and politics at best, but I think you will find that just about everywhere in life.

I will add that there are a few crooks in NE, and I am not naming names... but be wary of people that play the coast to coast game... there is usually a reason these people don't stay put too long... :rolleyes:

Is it really true that mostly all of the top dogs in the USA Nationals are European trained and titled before they get here? Does that mean that our World Championship Team is actually raised and trained by another country? If that is true, how can Americans ever get any respect as legitimate trainers?

IMO Money is what brought the crap into Schutzhund. We'd have many more great dogs, handlers, and helpers if money wasn't so influencial.

Hey, I know you can do many great things with money but unfortunately many people are motivated to make negative decisions because of it's value in society.

It sucks that you cannot seriously look at a pedigree based off of there being a consistent line of schutzhund titles. Many dogs are pushed through because of good training but are not core schutzhund dogs.

Schutzhund is a great IDEA. I think people who would stay ethical to the idea would get the best results. Stay true to schutzhund and it'll be true to you back. IMO

Did that have anything to do with "Earning a Title"?? LOL ..sort of...Just wanted to point out that IMO money has a lot (not everything) to do with people importing dogs, not training dogs themselves, pushing unworthy dogs through, all the political BS, etc...

I have no problems with the many non breedable worthy dogs competing in schutzhund as long as they're not bred.

Just my opinion........

 Quote:

Originally posted by SCOTT007:
Is it really true that mostly all of the top dogs in the USA Nationals are European trained and titled before they get here? Does that mean that our World Championship Team is actually raised and trained by another country? If that is true, how can Americans ever get any respect as legitimate trainers?

In most cases this is true. Alot of the dogs are raised abroad and then imported when a large majority of the foundation training has been done. In many cases the dogs are ready to compete in big trials by the time they come to America.

This is not the case with all of the dogs. There have been a few people that have purchased pups and raised them and titled them to the top, and made the World Team. Rich Pastuka, while I do not know him, raised a pup that made it on the FCI World Team, and the USA World Cup team. In fact he was set to win, but had bad luck in tracking.

Gary Hannrahan if my information is right, competed with a pup that he titled to the top years ago. I think he made a World Team with him. Phil Hoelcher won the DVG champs here and represented America with a dog that he trained and titled from about 13 months. I seen the dog and it was very green when imported. So there are some that can and do do it. I know there are others but cannot recall off hand. Don't forget Ivan with is Mals though. But we won't hold that against him. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

There are a FEW who make it to the top by training their own dogs, but you can count them on 2 or maybe 3 hands. The last dog Gary H. trained himself was Asko v.d. Lindehalle in the 80's. A good indication of the proportion of people who are competing with dogs they trained would be the North Americans this spring. If memory serves, out of around 43 dogs competing, only 7 were HOT. That's pretty pitiful.

The cost of s schutxhund CLUB should be pretty reasonable. The club that I am a member and training director of has dues set a $250.00/year. with this enough equipment and we pay a nominal fee for the field we use, insurance, and related fees. We have no financial worries as a club currently and in fact have a healthy treasury.
What has occured is paid training directors and businesses which use the national organizations for self promotion. The Club is a minimal expense and the sponser of that club tends to be a professional trainer. he then collects big bucks based on the number of times you train or whether or not you become ready to trial, and often takes a role of doing your training for you and not teaching handlers to be dog trainers. This can produce titles but I dispise the use of Schutzhund and its parent organizations in promoting private trainers. Schutzhund should be promoted as a healthy enjoyable hobby that can be participated in at a variety of levels by many types of people. The private and expensive trainer creates a very exclusionary environment and also one that tends to be open to crooked dog deals and simple over charging of those that don't know better but have the $$ to spend.
Now, that said there are some very good private dog trainers that can produce good results and need to be paid for their time and expertise. But, a Club they are not and shouldn't disguise themselves as such or use the organizations to promote themselves. Let their work stand as their resume.