A frequent question for a new prospective member is "What does it take to become a full member of the DFW Working Dogs club?"

At DFW, we look for people who want to train their dog to compete in the sport of Schutzhund. We look for people who love to train their animals and who want to become accomplished trainers. We look for people who are goal oriented and are willing to step on the trial field and find out first hand the results of that training. We also look for people who fit into our club's lifestyle.

In evaluating prospective members, DFW looks to see who is participating at training sessions as well as which dogs exhibit training away from the club. In general, club time is best used in addressing problems that the dog-handler team is facing in their training. This can be compared to a standard obedience training program in which the training organization develops a method and guides the dog-handler team through the program one step at a time. It has been our experience that the program system is good for beginning a dog's training. However, by the time the dog has moved beyond basic obedience, this type of training system is too limited. Too often, the program system pairs a training method with a dog-handler team that doesn't work and causes needless frustration and stress.

We hear all the time, "I do not want to make a mistake with my dog!" We train as a club Tuesday and Saturday almost every week. It is almost impossible to make a non-repairable mistake in the few days in between normal training sessions. Protection is the only phase that needs to be done solely at the club or with the training director.

In looking toward club membership, we look for certain evidence of training that we believe should be visible in a dog that is being trained consistently. For instance, in obedience, after a year of training, a dog should know the basic position exercises (sit, down, heel) and should be able to perform these exercises in a new place under distractions. As a second example, after a similar period of training in the tracking discipline, a dog should be able to track at least 200 paces with food in every step. In our opinion, these are minimums and typical dog-handler teams exceed these levels easily.

In addition to training the behaviors of the dog, we strongly believe that each handler should know the rules of the sport. Without knowledge of the rules, it is not possible to compete or help others compete. For example, in training the retrieve behavior in obedience, it is important to understand how many points are associated with mouthing a dumbbell or touching the jump. Otherwise, the handler will not understand what is a good verses an excellent retrieve. After a year of training, we expect that the handler should be able to walk through the Schutzhund I obedience and protection routines with at least 90% accuracy. We also expect that each handler can speak knowledgably concerning the scoring of each discipline.

In terms of steps in becoming a member of our club, we envision the following guidelines - note, these are only guidelines and vary within reason on an individual basis:

1. Probation Period (approximately 1 year - dues are $25 per month after the initial visit).
2. Knowledge test (around the 1 year point) - At this point, the handler is welcome to show the Training Director that he and his dog are progressing and have established goals in the sport (generally, this will be trialing for the BH and/or Schutzhund I titles). The aspects expected to be exhibited are discussed above. At any time during the Probation Period, a handler may volunteer to demonstrate their knowledge and progress, the results of which may or may not affect the timeline for Consideration.
3. Consideration (follows Knowledge test) - After the successful completion of the knowledge test, the Training Director will approach the other members of the club in private to determine if membership should be offered. The goal of this portion of the process is to determine if the prospective member "fits" with the club in terms of overall chemistry.
4. Membership (dues change to $50 per calendar quarter) - Upon the acquisence of the club membership, membership will be extended to the prospective member. In addition to training, membership carries other obligations. For example, the club membership is responsible for running seminars and trials as well as encouraging prospective members. In addition, the members of the club are expected to act in a manner which is professional and reflects well on the club.

Good luck and good training.