Training Centers!

Mom2Melli · Mar 26, 2014

The more I read around here . . . the madder I get at Central CA.

We have NO ongoing training facilities . . . I am at the most active school in Central CA -- 3 obedience, 3 agility, 3 scent courses. Thank you and goodbye. Why aim low? Why not create customers for life, not 6 weeks or even 4 months?

Why not have those and then on-going "coaching" for rally, obedience, freestyle, agility, scent, show training, whatever! You just need a monitor/coach and no curriculum.

I want to move to a place with a zoom room franchise or like one of the SN members just opened

Oh if I lived down in town I would open my own business! Thank you, end of rant! I have to convince someone somewhere to offer MORE! Anyone want to move to Fresno (NOTE: We don't have snow -- we don't have water either).

Toffee's Mom · Mar 27, 2014

LOLLL
start competing, I BET there are loads of dog sports people that get together and rent facilities and do some activities... if I can find like minded people and workshops in New Brunswick, East Coast Canada, you can find em in Fresno

Start a club, get together with dog people, it's soooooo rewarding

Although I miss my group in Nova Scotia dearly, I've already met and made dogsports friends here, and I only moved in January, hahaha. But I am not gonna lie I was super eager and anxious to find a 'club' so I hear ya!!!

Jess041 · Mar 27, 2014

The person I currently go to for agility class does it in her back yard with her own agility equipment. Looking online, I couldn't find anywhere that I could afford to go on an ongoing basis. This person came highly recommended from a flyball/sheltie friend. Information about her classes is through word of mouth and referrals from friends. Once I got there I realized there are a TON of flyball people that go to her.

My point in telling you this, is there might be something out there that isn't really advertised or not something you can just do a google search for. You have to make friends in the "dog world", and ask around. Anytime I'm looking for a recommendation for something, I ask people I know from flyball. I would even go as far as asking people in your current school if they know where you can take and ongoing ______ class (whatever it is).

My agility instructor "migrates north" for the summer and goes to Michigan. She's leaving mid-May, so I started asking around last week for places we could continue taking classes until she gets back. It took several emails and phone calls, but finally I got it figured out. The new instructor also came recommended by flyball friends.

Jess041 · Mar 27, 2014

Also, look on the AKC website for Rally/Obedience events near you. Find out who is hosting them, email the contact to find out if they have any recommendations.

Mom2Melli · Mar 27, 2014

I have indeed asked all over. There is an obedience club (not rally). There is a group who practices rally at a park and in their pix there are people playing soccer maybe 40 feet away. There is an agility club in a different city accessible to me, but it is high performance agility practice, not Agility-SLO (like we are). There is one trainer who will do rally in his backyard. Have talked to him. He believes in punishing dogs for mistakes and requires a basket muzzle for all clients. There is actually a rally instructor at PetSmart, you practice with signs laying on the floor among the aisles and shoppers. I know because I pushed cart through the middle of practice onece and felt bad.

It's really sad. I plan on taking Intermediate II twice and then seeing if I can get Advanced (rarely held) or get one of them to do a rally coaching class. No curriculum. Lay out two courses, meet-up, practice with just coaching at where you are weak. Gonna try. I know enough clients interested in rally to try.

2GoodDogs · Mar 27, 2014

Form a club! Hold fundrasing events, offer bake sales!

If facilites exist that you cannot regularly afford, try to find out about a scholarship or barter. (My agility classes for this year are FREE in return for my work in vacuuming the building every quarter. My obedience lessons are greatly reduced by volunteering as steward at the clubs events, or teaching classes)

Find like minded people, some ideas for that is the meetup.com website.

There is no excuse for any metropolitan area for not having places responsible dog enthusiasts can meet and participate in the dog sports!

My dream is to develop and own a multi sport complex oneday! (like The Canine Ranch in Canton, GA)

Mom2Melli · Mar 27, 2014

Come to Fresno (we don't have hurricanes, tornadoes, snow, or flooding). We are centered in the state where even dramatic earthquakes are barely felt. We have TONS of dog enthusiasts but nothing to do with our dogs.

I wish I could just open something. I wish I could move to an outskirt property with a large shop and work from my home facility. My husband it crazy about liability and won't go for any of it.

I need to establish a relationship with one of the established facilities and convince them to fill the need rather than aim low -- struggle.

I think Melli and I will have to try some other dog schools (1-2 indoors in the area) and try to "inspire" someone.

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