I remember when recently they had a seminar nearby for Bernhard Flinks. I talked with club members and they encouraged me to go but since it would be first to go without dog for I would get more out of it that way. I could not make the time so I kick myself now.

What I was told by someone who did go is he was looking more for working on problem dogs and coming up with creative solutions for them. So if you don't have a major problem with your dog might not get as much out of taking the dog.

 

No major problems, just a bumbling novice and her dog.

 

People always say you should just audit -but I think that would be boring so I have always taken my dog-if you go post back and tell us about it

 

The most "exciting" moments I have ever had in dogsport have been watching people COMPLETELY destroy their dogs at seminars. And good training is always boring anyway.

 

I would advise you leave your dog at home. I say this for the following reasons.

You don't know the seminar giver or how he trains. He might be completely incompetent.


Unless you have the ability to set up your own training program and goals, you might end up setting back your training.


If your training group and director do not agree with the training you do at the seminar you may alienate them. When you have been busting your hump helping someone a couple of times a week, for years, the last thing in the world you need is to have them come back to tell you how Mr. Seminar said this and that after seeing your dog for only 30 minutes.
People often feel pressured into doing things in a seminar that they know is wrong for their dog.


Seminar givers often feel pressured to show quick results. That might be good for the "Wow Factor" at the seminar, but not so good for your dog's training program


Mind you these are general advisements about all seminars. Personally I think Dave is a really good trainer and has a lot to teach. And the most important thing to do at a seminar is to look at the big picture. Training your dog with someone for 30 minutes will yield limited results. But if you can learn a few big concepts, you can add them into your current training, with the consultation of the folks you work with on the regular basis.

 

I would advise you leave your dog at home. I say this for the following reasons.
***
**You don't know the seminar giver or how he trains. He might be completely incompetent.*
**

Unless you have the ability to set up your own training program and goals, you might end up setting back your training.
**

If your training group and director do not agree with the training you do at the seminar you may alienate them. When you have been busting your hump helping someone a couple of times a week, for years, the last thing in the world you need is to have them come back to tell you how Mr. Seminar said this and that after seeing your dog for only 30 minutes.*
**People often feel pressured into doing things in a seminar that they know is wrong for their dog.
**

Seminar givers often feel pressured to show quick results. That might be good for the "Wow Factor" at the seminar, but not so good for your dog's training program*
**

Mind you these are general advisements about all seminars. Personally I think Dave is a really good trainer and has a lot to teach. And the most important thing to do at a seminar is to look at the big picture. Training your dog with someone for 30 minutes will yield limited results. *But if you can learn a few big concepts, you can add them into your current training, with the consultation of the folks you work with on the regular basis.

:thumbsup:

I have a working spot in the Raiser seminar and I didn't sign up simply because of who he is. The reason I signed up is I have spent many, many, MANY hours training with someone who has himself spent many hours training with Raiser. I already know what to expect from Raiser's methods. If it weren't for this familiarity I would not have signed up even if Raiser himself called me and begged me to. Though from around the country, I know about half the people signed up for working spots in this seminar and I know them through the previously mentioned trainer. I'm betting a good majority of them would not have signed up for working spots if they too didn't have some sort of link to Raiser.*

The Raiser seminar is a special circumstance. Other than that the only working spots I sign up for are those with trainers I've seen train. I have more fingers on one hand than the number of seminar givers I would take a working spot with. I'll spectate, always, but no way in **** are they touching my dog.*

I learn more by watching, anyways.*

*There may be random asterisks. No idea where they come from but it happens when I post from my phone. I'm not trying to emphasize anything.*

 

The emphasis was their to emphasis how badly the dogs came through the experience. If it hurt your feeling, I apologize for that.


And if you ever worked with me you would know it.

 

The emphasis was their to emphasis how badly the dogs came through the experience. If it hurt your feeling, I apologize for that.


And if you ever worked with me you would know it.

Somehow you don't seem like you'd be too worried about hurting my feelings

 

Yes, go and take your dog!

Dave has been working with Josh on tracking since he was 16 weeks old. His credentials are amazing and he's a nice guy. We first brought Josh to be evaluated by him when he was 11 weeks old, he told us to work on developing his drives because he had some good signs but was way too young to evaluate. Josh is 8 mo now, he still has great food drive but now he has awesome prey drive and toy drive as well. We had some setbacks,
Josh got neutered, he was cryptorchid so it took him a little while to recover, we were just about to get back into it when Josh came down with pano, and my husband broke his toe. As soon as Josh and the hubby recover they'll be going back to Dave.

 

Thanks for all of the advice. If I lived closer to his facility, I would take my dog for an evaluation by Dave since my club is going through a crisis right now with our TD, he is terminally ill. Since I have not ever been to a dog training seminar, I think that I will go and audit and leave Wolf at home.

 

Thanks for all of the advice. If I lived closer to his facility, I would take my dog for an evaluation by Dave since my club is going through a crisis right now with our TD, he is terminally ill. Since I have not ever been to a dog training seminar, I think that I will go and audit and leave Wolf at home.

Is this that seminar that is being held at the club in Magnolia? At Renisance Kennels?

And I'm so sorry to hear about Joe Rayne came down from Michigan with Kalypso, and the guy who picked her up said he had attended a couple training sessions with you guys. He also mentioned that Joe was sick. He was so nice when I visited training, very willing to answer any questions I had.

 

If I go to seminars I don't necessarily take my dog (well, I probably take my dogs since I'm their caregiver and it's easier to take them along, but I don't need "working spots"). I'm super picky about who works my dogs and why. I don't care about the name or reputation, if I don't actually *know* them and they don't know me and my dog, I'll gladly pay to just observe.

If it was really an interesting seminar I was looking forward to, I can't imagine it being boring to audit. Heck, I've audited entire *classes* without dogs and I went to club for almost two years before I had a dog to train, and I wasn't bored.

 

I would audit espcially since you are not familiar with Dave's methods and this is your first dog.

 

Yes, Joe has been very kind to me and has taught me a lot. Wolf is one of the last dogs that he bred. We were hoping that Joe would be there to see us get our BH, but Wolf just turned 15 mos. We may not ever achieve the highest level of competition, but he has been the perfect dog for me to get into the sport and to learn with. And yes, the seminar is the one in Magnolia.