Dutch Shepherd Forum

Hello, I am new to the working dog world and have a 10 month old dutchie from the Vrijheid kennel.
Silly question: if we train 3 days a week about how much should those sessions cost me a month? What is reasonable? I have been researching trainers and found that their prices vary greatly.
I also have been a competitive horse back rider for long enough to know that, in the horse world at least, the most expensive trainer isn't necessarily the best (some trainers think their god's greatest gift to you and your horse) and in contrast budget training is definitely not the right way to go. I'm assuming I should have a similar experience with training my pup?
Even a broad range would help. Thanks.

The two clubs that are around here charge an annual fee. I think they are 800 and 500 per year. Plus they expect you to pitch in/help/etc...

Most people I know join a club, like Eric said. You usually go through an initiation period to make sure you are serious, etc. and then it's a set club fee per year. The club trains as a group usually 2 days a week. My local club will allow non-members to train for $15 a session.

Welcome and great question!

It probably depend how serious you want to get, i.e. titles, competition.

icvanstra wrote:The two clubs that are around here charge an annual fee. I think they are 800 and 500 per year. Plus they expect you to pitch in/help/etc...

Does that include the membership fee to a working dog club like DVG (to get the score book) ?

The local club here has an annual membership fee, plus $50 per session (which gets expensive if you train both weekend days with the club). Not sure about other trainers.

Same over here.. we have a few clubs and they all charge between 500-1000 for the year. Most train 2 or 3 days per week and it's up to you how many sessions you want to come to, however the more serious clubs will not welcome you if you plan to slack off and not show up. You would be expected to help run the club in some fashion, volunteer during trials, help keep the field clean, etc Some clubs have access to buildings so the training can continue indoors in bad weather.

If you're serious enough about trying schutzhund, I think that's the way to go. It's possible that where you live there might be people offering one on one lessons and it's legit, but over here all the good trainers simply train as part of a club, if you need extra help I don't think any one charges for that. There are some trainers who are a step above pet trainers and offer schutzhund lessons more as a novelty. I think that would get incredibly expensive very fast if you were serious about doing the sport.

If you take a club that charges $500 for the year and trains 3x per week, not accounting for any cancelled days for what ever reason, if you can make it to all sessions you're paying about $3 per training day. This often means half a day or a full day of training with every one taking turns working their dogs. Depending on how the club is set up, you might have every one helping each other, a few more experienced people helping others, or a single head trainer pretty much running the show of who does what.

Thank you all for your responses, they were very helpful. I would not have any issues with helping out/ volunteering, showing up for training and $500 to $1000 a year is pennies on the dollar compared to the individual lessons I was looking into. I will check out the clubs in my area!

I charge $50 a session and require my clients to purchase 6 lessons at a time.

I'll never complain about my club again

Marjolein wrote: I'll never complain about my club again

If you have found a club that is operating smoothly and drama free, appreciate them with all you have lol. I was never able to have a club like that, so now there is no club, just clients. It works great for all of us.

I believe I pay that a year But hey, not all is great. Looking for a better club for tracking at the moment, but really, much more than 10,- euro's a month is impossible overhere. most clubs charge per year and you have to do some bar-shifts and help out cleaning/painting etc. twice a year Along with that you must be a member in a breeding-club.

Marjolein wrote:I believe I pay that a year But hey, not all is great. Looking for a better club for tracking at the moment, but really, much more than 10,- euro's a month is impossible overhere. most clubs charge per year and you have to do some bar-shifts and help out cleaning/painting etc. twice a year Along with that you must be a member in a breeding-club.

So not much has changed. I think I payed something between 60-100 DM annually to the DVG club and another 60-100 DM to the SV (Schaeferhundverein). We had to help when something needed to be fixed. paineted, whatever. They were selling beverages in the club house. That might have brought in some revenue. We never had to pay per session or the decoy.

I was shocked how expensive it is here in the US. I can't afford those prices and that's why I haven't done any SCH with Marco. We train obedience and tracking according to SCH, no real bite work yet. I might invest in my own sleeve (according to Balabanov you can do bite work yourself, we will see......) I want to be ready when I can afford to travel and join a club.

Schlussdibusti wrote:I might invest in my own sleeve (according to Balabanov you can do bite work yourself, we will see......)

I used to do bite work alone in my backyard with my first dog. I would put him at one end in a sit stay and I'd go to the other end with the sleeve. He enjoyed it. He definitely had bite work training before I bought him.

Well my clients get to show up when they want and leave when they want. I also don't require them to lift a finger with the exception of working their dogs, while at training. I pay for all the maintainence of my field and equipment. They don't mind paying as all of my clients want to compete and go as far as their dogs are capable of going, and they know I'll get them there. There are 2 other FR clubs in our state so they have the option to train with other people if they'd like, but they are happy where they are at. They also understand that dog training is my full time position and I don't have a job that pays for my medical. If I get hurt, then I pay for it myself. That's why I don't do anything for free anymore. I'm thinking about even starting to charge my fiancé

nobody overhere can quit their day job doing schutzdienst... No way. And it is good, it schould be accesable to anyone who likes to train/challenge a dog

Jason Davis wrote: That's why I don't do anything for free anymore. I'm thinking about even starting to charge my fiancé

Just some advise from an old married woman (well married 22 yrs so far) DON't do it. Paybacks are hell.

Lauren wrote:

Jason Davis wrote: That's why I don't do anything for free anymore. I'm thinking about even starting to charge my fiancé

Just some advise from an old married woman (well married 22 yrs so far) DON't do it. Paybacks are hell.

Hahaha. She appreciates your advice and I'm guessing I will too;-)

Marjolein wrote:nobody overhere can quit their day job doing schutzdienst... No way. And it is good, it schould be accesable to anyone who likes to train/challenge a dog

This and the good beer might make me move back to good ol' Germany.

P.S. I would kill for a Currywurst mit Pommes rot/weiss

lol I'm sure she could find a few things to start charging you for as well