I am even luckier still! I walk 30 feet out of my front door and onto my field <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Our club members are actually pretty even as far as male/female goes - all ranging from 30 to 50, most being the younger side of that age range.

Being new to the sport with a six month old GSD with generations of SchII and SchIII in the family, I have been exploring different options for training.

I have been very disappointed with the reception from others in my area. One of the two clubs in the area is closed to new members. I visited to see if I wanted to get on the waiting list. I was actively DISCOURAGED from adding my name. Why? Lack of helpers. How can I help there? No experience? Not interested. As far as I'm concerned, it's a dying club at this point.

The other club is open but a long drive. Compared to some others here, maybe it's not so bad, though.

The sport seems to be very closed to new people. Individual people I've talked to have no interesting in working with a person, with the exception of the breeder (who has been great). They'll sit and lecture at me all day but refuse to explain the 'why' of their reasoning. "Just because that's the way it is". Uh-huh. Spoken like someone who doesn't quite get it, imo.

I'm seriously reconsidering pursuing SchI at all. If this is the nature of the sport, I'd rather not be associated with it altogether. I'll teach her what I can from videos and trial and error, leaving the trials portion out of it.

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Why? Lack of helpers.

Brian, I can't comment on any area other than the USA/WDA area in which I reside, but that seems to more often the case here. USA is supposed to be addressing the lack of helpers with their HELPER PROGRAM but it could be years for that to take effect, if ever.

There are 15 USA clubs and 2 WDA clubs in this state. (One of those WDA clubs is also a USA club) There are no DVG clubs at all.

For my city area, USA lists 2 clubs within one hours drive (down from 3 clubs 4 years ago.) Both these clubs are closed to newcomers.

A three hour drive gives access to several more, some closed, others very choosey about membership; and two which are clubs on paper only (no meetings, no training sessions, no helper); members(?) go to other clubs or pay for necessary training, and meet USA trial requirements by sharing with a "real" club. Obviously these are also closed to newcomers.

I asked the pres. of one of the clubs once the reason for their closed status. "We have 5 members and we just can't take on anymore with just one helper." (this particular group also likes to "imbibe" during training sessions, perhaps another reason for it's exclusivity?)

Other closed clubs cite concerns about "weirdos" that want to come train dogs. These are newbies not interested in Tracking or OB...just Protection training: "'cause what I want is a bad ass dog!". I guess it's easier to just shut the doors on all newcomers than take the time to sort them out.
(Someone wrote once in a thread about newcomers to the sport: "Welcome to Schutzhund: the sport of the dysfuntional."
There may be something to that <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

And then there are helpers/groups that "train in the bushes" and are not members of any particular club. Some have been kicked out of clubs for questionable training methods; some are good people simply sick of club politics; others have jobs ie, military or police duty, that makes taking on a formal club position difficult. It's not easy to find these folks, and then only through word of mouth...but handler beware.

Something else to consider concerning the helper.
Someone may be a great trial helper, good mechanics, works the dogs safely, yet not be a good training helper.

Well, we have people drive over three hours to get to our club, and they drive by multiple clubs that are closer to them, all because we're "newbie" friendly to folks that are new and want to be serious about training. If they're serious, they get our undivided attention. If they start to miss multiple training days, or aren't practing tracking, well....maybe they need to re-view the amount of time, effort, and sacrifice that a SchH title involves. Their choice.

We all have a responsibility to teach the newcomer's to some degree - those clubs that are "closed" to new people help to contribute to the severe lack of growth that we're seeing in SchH.

As far as closing a club to keep out the flakes, just be up front with those types - "sorry, you are too < insert word here> crazy, lazy, refuse to work your dog outside of protection, etc., to work with our club" . Just refusing to let *anybody* join is silly - hell, just probationary memberships will clear that up. Of course, I enjoy conflict... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

DVG has an excellent helper program, in my opinion, and they were many years ahead of any other SchH organization in that regard.

And for those of you on waiting lists because local clubs are limiting their membership - hey, maybe you should consider starting your own club. Helper work can be learned, there are seminars and even courses ( Tom Rose used to hold workshops to learn helper work ). DVG is very helpful on a personal level to any group that wants to form a club, SchH USA less so ( but at least you can get them on the phone ), and with GSDCA/WDA...good luck, you're on you're own.
These observations are for the South East U.S., by the way - it will likely vary depending on your Region.