I've done a meet and greet at a few different working clubs and am going to join one in Arizona - LOL, only a little over 3 hour drive one way. They train 2 or 3 days a week, are totally welcoming, parent clubs are DVG and UScA. Even though they are mostly GSDs they welcome all breeds. They also train & trial in RH, which I'd never heard of: training for Rescue Dog ability.
No pictures, but the first time I visited we tried Asha on the bite pillow. I was thinking how she doesn't really like strangers, and here was a man she didn't know, activating the pillow tug. But I had her working harness on and she entered the arena area and started barking within 2 seconds. He instructed me how to hold the line behind my butt for more strength and then we let her at it. She was totally revved up. At the end he backed up about 20 feet and said when he gave the word to let her go. I said "Let her go? Like completely let go of the leash?" Yup. We did and Asha ran right at him, got the prize pillow and ran around proud as could be. And I did too. Full bark, full bite, no baby BS about her at all. One the way to the car, one person said "that's her first time???" Yuppers.
The second time I went over, we worked on obedience and kinda reviewed where we were. Asha can be lackluster at short distance or trying to take two perfect steps. So she was about 6 feet away and he had me call her to front, so I did and she trotted over and sat crooked, looking around. Trainer said we're going to have to work on this, and I said, oh she can do much better. I sat her and walked out 50 feet, turned and waited a few seconds and called Heerre! and she flew toward me, ending at a perfect front looking straight up at me. (I was not sure if it would be that good). Trainer was impressed, said her eyes were riveted on me while I was walking away, never looked around. The other thing we did was see about gun shyness. I played with her with a ball on a rope at one end of the arena and he shot a starter pistol several times. Asha didn't even look his direction, didn't bother her at all.
So they let a newbie have 6 visits before they have to join, but I'm pretty sure this club will work for me. I will only be going over a couple times a month, but I've already learned some things and they have lots to offer. And Asha LOVED it, so there's that.
No pictures, but the first time I visited we tried Asha on the bite pillow. I was thinking how she doesn't really like strangers, and here was a man she didn't know, activating the pillow tug. But I had her working harness on and she entered the arena area and started barking within 2 seconds. He instructed me how to hold the line behind my butt for more strength and then we let her at it. She was totally revved up. At the end he backed up about 20 feet and said when he gave the word to let her go. I said "Let her go? Like completely let go of the leash?" Yup. We did and Asha ran right at him, got the prize pillow and ran around proud as could be. And I did too. Full bark, full bite, no baby BS about her at all. One the way to the car, one person said "that's her first time???" Yuppers.
The second time I went over, we worked on obedience and kinda reviewed where we were. Asha can be lackluster at short distance or trying to take two perfect steps. So she was about 6 feet away and he had me call her to front, so I did and she trotted over and sat crooked, looking around. Trainer said we're going to have to work on this, and I said, oh she can do much better. I sat her and walked out 50 feet, turned and waited a few seconds and called Heerre! and she flew toward me, ending at a perfect front looking straight up at me. (I was not sure if it would be that good). Trainer was impressed, said her eyes were riveted on me while I was walking away, never looked around. The other thing we did was see about gun shyness. I played with her with a ball on a rope at one end of the arena and he shot a starter pistol several times. Asha didn't even look his direction, didn't bother her at all.
So they let a newbie have 6 visits before they have to join, but I'm pretty sure this club will work for me. I will only be going over a couple times a month, but I've already learned some things and they have lots to offer. And Asha LOVED it, so there's that.