MEMBERSHIP
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS
For new members:
GSSCC membership is mandatory within two weeks after joining our club, this membership offers insurance protection for training. We encourage and value dedication, therefore our annual membership fee is non-refundable.
Because IPO involves three phases, it does take a substantial amount of time. Additionally, it is not a solitary endeavor and we need members who are willing to help one another by attending training regularly and staying for the duration of the sessions. Our members are also expected to support club-sponsored events, by helping out or supplying entries.
We are an IPO/Schutzhund club. That means that obtaining working IPO titles is our goal. Remember the three phases: tracking, obedience and protection.
As a prospective member you will be require to attend 8 consecutive “Intro to IPO” training sessions, during which your dog will be evaluated for working ability and temperament. A stable temperament is foremost. The training director will observe and evaluate your relationship with the dog and its drives. The Training Director will advise you of his/her opinion concerning the abilities of the dog. Please understand that these evaluations aren’t meant to hurt anyone’s feelings; they are an honest appraisal of the potential of the dog in this sport. Sometimes that means that a young dog simply needs time to grow up. Sometimes a dog doesn’t have the heart to participate. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a perfectly lovely companion, just that this particular sport is not the right choice. We do not believe in forcing participation on an unwilling candidate…this should be FUN!
If you are interested in the sport and do not presently have a dog, the best advice we can offer is to take your time! Watch the dogs in the club and if there are qualities you like about them, inquire where they came from. Research other breeders and ask questions. Don’t rush into a puppy without a great deal of thought. Take your time to familiarize yourself with the sport before leaping into a purchase.
WHAT WE OFFER
Seminars with guest speakers
IPO Training and Testing: Originated from Germany, this type of training produced many top-level working dogs, now it is a standard for working dogs. Certification offers by GSSCC. (For additional information, please visit: http://gsscc.ca)
IPO training includes:
Tracking
The depth of difficulty differs based on the title being worked towards, but tracking is all about testing a dog’s ability to not only scent but also about his ability to stay focused enough to follow the scent without distraction or frustration. It is also a test of how confident a dog is and how well he works in front of his handler. The dog will be required to properly identify articles (by alerting in some fashion such as lying down on or near the object) to his handler that have been left on the track by the track layer.
Obedience
The obedience work is of a high level that is designed to test the dog’s intelligence, desire to work and please its handler, its ability to take directions from its handler, and its ability to work under stress (heeling around other people, during noises like gunshots, etc.) The obedience work includes heeling work, retrieval work (including over an A-frame obstacle), recalls, send outs, stay, along with position related work such as sit and down. It is important that the dog is a happy worker and interested in what he is doing.
Protection
This is the most misunderstood of the three phases of training and is normally the one the general public focuses on. During training and trialling, there must be a ‘helper’ to do protection work. A helper is a person that will be wearing the padded bite sleeve. This person will also be concealed behind a blind and at more than point during the test will either attempt to escape or pretend to threaten/attack the dog or handler. Initially, the dog is required to locate the helper when he is hidden and hold him there for the handler. When the helper attempts to escape or threatens the dog or handler, the dog is to actively apprehend the helper by biting the bite sleeve. A dog must be confident enough and strong enough mentally to handle this work, but he must also be sensitive to handler commands and release the sleeve when requested. It is hard to call a dog off when he is working at a high, excited level (or in high drive mode) so it is imperative that he is trained well enough and is responsive to handler commands
It is important to note that temperament is a very important aspect of all levels. There are multiple things that are integrated into the testing for evaluating temperament. If a dog cannot pass these elements (by showing fear, nervousness, extreme aggression, sound reactivity, weaker nerves, etc.) he will not be able to pass a test