Central Florida Schutzhund Training Event

On Saturday, July 11th, the first “Central Florida Schutzhund Training Event” was held at Amanda Hoskinson’s field in Groveland, FL. Clubs and training groups from all over Florida were invited to come and train together. It didn’t matter if you were a USA or DVG member, or just a fan of the sport, everyone was invited.

With representatives from at least seven DVG clubs (North Florida SchH Club, Highway SchH Club, Peace River SchH Club, Gator SchH Club, Top Dawg SchH Club, Gulf Coast SchH Club, High Drive Working Dog Club), three USA clubs (Iron Dog SchH Club, Tampa Bay Working Dog Club, Space Coast SchH Club), one WDA club (Sun Coast SchH Club), one USRC club (Central FL Rottweiler Club), as well as several people with no formal affiliation, the turnout was indeed impressive. We had well over 50 dogs of various breeds, from young puppies to seasoned adults, and up to 15 helpers.

Spearheaded by Jason McNew of Iron Dog Schutzhund Club, this event was intended as a way to share these simple but important goals.

• Have fun
• Strengthen the sport, as well as friendship among Schutzhund people and clubs, in Central Florida
• Exchange training ideas
• Get feedback from "fresh sets of eyes"
• Expose dogs and handlers to different helpers and new fields
• Provide an opportunity for less experienced decoys to learn from a broad range of more seasoned ones
• Give all decoys a chance to work on a greater variety of dogs than they normally get on their home fields

Generally, the rules were simple…no real rules.
To foster the cooperative and social aspect of the event, the only price of admission was something to eat. Everyone was asked to bring a dish, and the food that ended up in Amanda’s kitchen looked to be enough to feed a small army!
Everyone was encouraged to ask anyone, from any club to help, and any helper from any club to work their dog.

Of course, this time of year is hot and humid in the central Florida area, and thunderstorms are always a threat. We started around 6:00 PM to beat the worst of the heat, and while the t-storms threatened and a brief sprinkle tried to dampen spirits, the weather actually cooperated nicely for us.

While Jason kept folks moving in an orderly fashion on and off the training field, folks had the opportunity to meet new friends and socialize with those they hadn’t seen in a while. Training went on until every single dog there to be worked had had an opportunity to be on the field. While many had to leave earlier, there were those who stayed until the very end of the evening – past midnight.

I heard lots of people comment on the great evening of training and how nice it was to see everyone together. Also noted and very much appreciated was how the most experienced helpers took the lead in mentoring the younger ones, demonstrating techniques and giving constructive suggestions.

We plan to keep these “super-mega” training sessions going on a monthly basis if possible, rotating hosting duties around all participating groups to continue this goodwill between members.

A big “Thank You” goes to Amanda for hosting this first event and helping to set the tone for the ones to come!

Vice President
Connie Johnson
813 986-4478
topdawgsch@aol.com


Secretary
Chris Daugaard
772-284-9013
sekg@comcast.net


Treasurer
Jacki Purdham
954-775-4279
cjpurdham@hotmail.com


OfS, Training Director
Charlie Purdham
954-775-4279
cjpurdham@hotmail.com

KG Korner
11110 W HWY 318
REDDICK,FL 32686

352 591-0129

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