What Do You Want In A Dog Club?

[SparkyTansy]

over the years I've been a member of quite a few dog clubs, and on a couple of committees. Their demands, goals and ideas were all very different.

I'm curious as to what others expect from clubs in the way of things like merchandise, activities, membership offers, newsletters etc.

What types of clubs do you belong to?

If you are a member of a club, what do you think they could do better (specify club type)?

what do you think they do well?

Do your expectations vary between club types? (ie do you expect certain things from a specific breed club that you wouldn't want or need in a group or all breeds or obedience/agility club?)

Does the club/s you belong to offer enough to benefit ALL members of that club (pet owners/show and dog sport competitors/breeders)

[Podengo]

What types of clubs do you belong to?

One agility club, and one obedience club.

If you are a member of a club, what do you think they could do better (specify club type)?

I think my agility club could have more things to encourage club pride and get us together and bonding, I am on the committee and I realize why this is hard to do though! I would love if we could run more classes, and run more specialized classes but without enough willing, experienced instructors this is impossible.

I think my obedience club does pretty well, again more club bonding would be nice! Also some instructors that are more clued up with modern techniques would be nice, agility is constantly evolving and aiming higher... Finding my obedience club isn't...

what do you think they do well?

My agility club has GREAT classes!

The obedience training is good, but I don't have much to do with the club apart from the 1hr of class a week.

Do your expectations vary between club types? (ie do you expect certain things from a specific breed club that you wouldn't want or need in a group or all breeds or obedience/agility club?)

Absolutely. Agility club needs good gear that I can't access at home, as long as obedience has a good field and instructors I'm happy (agility needs those too!). Seeing as I am not too focused on achieving in obedience I guess my expectations are lower, I'm not as interested in achieving because frankly as a newbie to the sport I have not found it to be very fun, encouraging or helpful... People seem quite nasty to each other (and their dogs)... Not so much a club problem as a sport one I suppose.

Does the club/s you belong to offer enough to benefit ALL members of that club (pet owners/show and dog sport competitors/breeders)

I think so. Both are very pet owner friendly and aren't exclusively for competitive people. At agility the competitive people are often in the same foundation classes as the newbies and are pointed out and introduced, and newbies encouraged to ask them for advice. There are some clubs around that aren't as newbie friendly :)

[Dory the Doted One]

I couldn't answer any of these questions really. I don't belong to a club, but wish I did.

I look for a club that is sociable, so not one where every one disappears as soon as training is over. I know that people have busy lives, but it's a bit disheartening. Over all the years of dogs, all the clubs I've been a member of had a big social element.

I like clubs that have both facilities for those who want to seriously go on to compete, and those who just do it because they like to do it. (You know...FUN! :laugh: )

I'd also love a club that trains on a day that I'm free. No luck so far.

[Podengo]

Oh and for this part

I'm curious as to what others expect from clubs in the way of things like merchandise, activities, membership offers, newsletters etc.

I'm not too bothered! Cheap access to seminars is nice, but we don't really get them in post-quake CHCH anyway

[Kavik]

I'm curious as to what others expect from clubs in the way of things like merchandise, activities, membership offers, newsletters etc.

Two of the clubs I train with offer club merchandise (shirts etc) and newsletters. The one I currently train the most with is good about club bonding - ask about member achievements at the start of each class (eg quallies from recent trials), and have a little group meeting at the end of the beginners/intermediate training (not sure what they talk about as I am in the higher class), do demos and hold stalls at various events, have an inter and intraclub competition once a month etc

What types of clubs do you belong to?

Agility clubs

Does the club/s you belong to offer enough to benefit ALL members of that club (pet owners/show and dog sport competitors/breeders)

This is what is difficult for the sports clubs I think - how to make it accessible for people just wanting to do it for fun but also provide the correct structure, instruction, progression and intricacy for people looking to compete. What is seen as essential/very important for those wishing to compete can be seen as boring by those just wanting to have a go on the equipment.

Edited September 5, 2012 by Kavik

[megan_]

I belong to two agility clubs and one OB club, however I don't attend the OB classes (I just train on my own and use the club as a distraction.

* I think pet clubs and sports dog clubs need to cater for different requirements, so I'd like to see them separated. People training a dog for sports are more likely to accept that things take a long time to train properly and want more accurate results. Most pet people don't need a proper heel for example, they just might want the dog to walk sorta-to-my-left.

* I'd like obedience clubs to join the modern world. Focus more on motivation and foundations, which can then be built upon regardless of which sport you go into.

*I'd like sport clubs to acknowledge that it takes a long time to develop true foundation skills and not push things to improve every week. I've been to a fair few seminars from world-leading OB and agility people and one thing is clear that it takes years before they trial their dogs and years before they put exercises together with equipment etc.

* I'd like pet OB clubs to focus more on having a well behaved, well adjusted pet. Exercises like "go to your mat" etc with info on how to safely use an off leash park, how much exercise a dog should get, simple tricks etc.

* I'd love clubs to run special seminars and intense learning workshops.

[FHRP]

I'm curious as to what others expect from clubs in the way of things like merchandise, activities, membership offers, newsletters etc.

I expect the Club to keep it's members updated on what it's doing (results, schedules, seminars etc.) which is usually via a Newsletter and/or website. I do like to receive Newsletters and love reading about members achievements in them and seeing pictures of events and members dogs. I like merchandise and I think purchasing clothing, calendars etc. from the club is a good way to support the club, although I know that there usually isn't a large mark up on the products. I expect the club to try and offer what the members want, within reason. In return I also expect members to help make what they want to happen, to actually happen. Club's are usually unpaid volunteer based, so need input and assistance from it's members. If it is a breed club I expect to see the Club promoting the breed in it's original purpose (talking Gundogs here, not fighting breeds).

Larger club's with more workers and members I expect more from in terms of Newsletter and Merchandise than I would the smaller clubs.

What types of clubs do you belong to?

I belong to breed, group (Gundog) and training clubs.

If you are a member of a club, what do you think they could do better (specify club type)?

what do you think they do well?

Different clubs do different things well. I belong to several breed clubs and they range from being excellent in communication, conducting all sorts of shows, trials, seminars, producing an awesome newsletter, heaps of merchandise to a breed club that is pathetic in communication, offering limited events (reduced to conformation shows only in a very versatile breed), offering no merchandise and only the very occasional poorly produced Newsletter! One of the breed clubs does an excellent job in promoting the working side of my breed, others are supportive but not terribly active and another appears to no longer be even interested.

I am quite involved in my local Gundog group club and I think we do an awesome job :) :laugh: We are small and conduct a larger variety of events, more than I think any other club in the area holds. It's not without issue of course. We do have a Newsletter and a Website but we do not currently offer merchandise.

Training Club's often vary between committee's. A group of us were very close to peeling off our local training club to start a dog sport club after we got sick of the lack of support for agility and trialing in general. Since a change of committee, dog sports in the club seem to be better appreciated and supported. I still think they could listen more to what their long time members want offered.

Do your expectations vary between club types? (ie do you expect certain things from a specific breed club that you wouldn't want or need in a group or all breeds or obedience/agility club?)

Yes. I expect my breed and group clubs to endeavour to offer breed/group specific events, training and seminars if possible. I don't expect a general training club to offer training or trials in events that will be restricted to a group (eg. Retrieving or Field trials).

Does the club/s you belong to offer enough to benefit ALL members of that club (pet owners/show and dog sport competitors/breeders)

Some do, some don't. I think having people with different intests on the committee helps with the Club offering something to everyone. If the club is continually struggling to get people from all areas on their committee then sometimes I think they need to look at why. Also, ask for help. I recently got questioned why I have agreed to do something for a club, it's because they actually asked me :)

[Katdogs]

I belong to two agility clubs and one OB club, however I don't attend the OB classes (I just train on my own and use the club as a distraction.

* I think pet clubs and sports dog clubs need to cater for different requirements, so I'd like to see them separated. People training a dog for sports are more likely to accept that things take a long time to train properly and want more accurate results. Most pet people don't need a proper heel for example, they just might want the dog to walk sorta-to-my-left.

* I'd like obedience clubs to join the modern world. Focus more on motivation and foundations, which can then be built upon regardless of which sport you go into.

*I'd like sport clubs to acknowledge that it takes a long time to develop true foundation skills and not push things to improve every week. I've been to a fair few seminars from world-leading OB and agility people and one thing is clear that it takes years before they trial their dogs and years before they put exercises together with equipment etc.

* I'd like pet OB clubs to focus more on having a well behaved, well adjusted pet. Exercises like "go to your mat" etc with info on how to safely use an off leash park, how much exercise a dog should get, simple tricks etc.

* I'd love clubs to run special seminars and intense learning workshops.

All this, plus small groups rather than masses of dogs, and separate individual training for reactive dogs (and their owners) long before they join the other groups. I especially like the idea of puppy primary school and dog high school for pets, rather than the sports groups (but with encouragement to join sports groups for interested people).

[Adnil444]

I belong to two agility clubs and one OB club, however I don't attend the OB classes (I just train on my own and use the club as a distraction.

* I think pet clubs and sports dog clubs need to cater for different requirements, so I'd like to see them separated. People training a dog for sports are more likely to accept that things take a long time to train properly and want more accurate results. Most pet people don't need a proper heel for example, they just might want the dog to walk sorta-to-my-left.

* I'd like obedience clubs to join the modern world. Focus more on motivation and foundations, which can then be built upon regardless of which sport you go into.

*I'd like sport clubs to acknowledge that it takes a long time to develop true foundation skills and not push things to improve every week. I've been to a fair few seminars from world-leading OB and agility people and one thing is clear that it takes years before they trial their dogs and years before they put exercises together with equipment etc.

* I'd like pet OB clubs to focus more on having a well behaved, well adjusted pet. Exercises like "go to your mat" etc with info on how to safely use an off leash park, how much exercise a dog should get, simple tricks etc.

* I'd love clubs to run special seminars and intense learning workshops.

Good post Megan - I agree with this. It does take such a long time to get our dogs to a certain standard. I think some people have unrealistic ideas that they can have a dog up to a certain level within 1 year. Most people at an OB club are there to learn the basics of having a pet dog - they couldn't care less if asking the dog to sit and it sits crocked - the dog sat when asked, so that's great and so on.