Dog doing the high jump in Barbados
Looks like an interesting year to me and a year which suggests that some dog enthusiasts are moving away from conformation dog shows and getting involved in other dog activities which they regard as more fun.
Dog shows only involve pedigree dogs but dog activities like agility can include all dogs whatever the mix.
And the fact that a club is now focused on Schutzhund/IPO is another area. However, not all dogs are suitable for this area.
There are currently three dog clubs on the island:
The B’dos. Kennel Club is responsible for the registration of pedigree dogs and it currently organises three All Breeds Championship Dog Shows where the judges come from the UK and award Challenge Certificates to the dogs which they judge and feel merit the Challenge Certificates. Best of breed, Best of Group, Reserve Best in Show and Best in Show are also selected. The number of entries to these shows have been on the decline.
The German Shepherds which at one time were shown in large quantities, have virtually gone from the shows and the interest in German Shepherds in Barbados now seems to be German Shepherds from working lines.
The B’dos. Dog Training Club holds training classes throughout the year for puppies, and adult dogs at both the basic obedience level and also the Novice level. I believe a few members of this club have achieved the CDX title with their dogs. This club also has a good range of agility equipment and dogs and owners can enjoy themselves, after the dog has had basic obedience training, doing jumps and obstacles in an agility course.
A more recent club is the B’dos. Working Dogs Association which states its “focus as being mainly Schutzhund/IPO,and other biting sports”, and they state that they will work with most dogs and persons in Tracking, Obedience, and Agility. This month is the first time I was aware that this Club was also offering agility.
And I am hearing now about a fourth Club which is in the planning stages and plans to offer all levels of dog/puppy obedience training, and also do some dog training in the bite sport/aggression area. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
The advantage of training with a Club and doing group training is that you should pay a very reasonable rate for the group training vs private training. The puppy/dog will also have the opportunity to be better socialised by being in a different environment with lots of different distractions and be among other strangers and their dogs, and you, the owner, also get the opportunity to meet and make new friends as well as maybe see some of your older friends. You can also look around the class and see how you and your puppy/dog are doing in comparison with the other dogs. Then you learn from the class and practise the lessons you have learnt with your puppy/dog at home. The class should be teaching you how to train your own puppy/dog.
A person does not have to be a club member to do basic puppy/dog group training with the Clubs. If they are a member, I believe they pay a cheaper rate. They need to be members to do more advanced training with the Clubs.
A Club will probably have several trainers so that if a class is large, you will still be getting individual attention. In The B’dos. Dog Training Club, they also have judges for the CD and CDX trials and The B’dos. Working Dog Association, which is still a young club, would, I imagine, have judges from overseas when their members are trained enough to be formally evaluated in bite sports like Schutzhund.
The B’dos. Dog Training Club share the enclosed Waterford grounds with The B’dos. Kennel Club. The B’dos. Working Dogs Association train in more than one location, including the Warrens Simpson Motors grounds.
So currently, there is a growing interest in dog training on the island which I like as puppies/dogs who are well trained are less likely to end up at the animal control centre or given to rescue organisations.
Tags: dog and puppy training in Barbados, dog clubs in Barbados, Dog trainers in Barbados, Dog training in Barbados
