# So i met an IPO club...



## Loki.777 (Aug 25, 2020)

I finally decided to check out that IPO club I've mentioned in a few different threads.

We met the trainer's / members. 8 Month old Finn had an assessment (I think they were assessing me as much as Finn lol).

We've been invited to become a member of the club. The biggest shock was waiting around for our turn, there was a LOT of waiting and watching other dogs (hours and hours ) !

I guess this is normal for the sport?

I really liked everyone at the club and felt at home. I completely agreed with the trying methods being used. To be honest it seems like a perfect fit for us.


The ball is now in my court deciding if this is something we want to do.

I assume it's a massive commitment and it will pretty much take over my life?

I know they say everything is done in prey (play) drive. Realistically will Finn no longer stay my goofy pet. How will it change him?

How will IPO effect our everyday offleash time roaming parks and woods meeting people and other dogs ? It's kinda a deal breaker if it will effect this.


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## dOg (Jan 23, 2006)

It's a huge commitment of time, and depending how far the traveling is, the costs add up. That said, spending that much time training is going to grow your bond, and improve his OB, so that walk in the park is only going to become easier. In tracking, they are mostly teaching us, as they have the equipment to do so. Protection can be taught in prey, but you will see the working lines with higher fight drives enjoying it more. And the waiting is excessive, so just be a sponge, take it all in, watching training will teach you a lot. I enjoyed 150 Saturdays with one of mine. He stayed a goof, but had an appropriate amount of seriousness when situational awareness suggested it. Put a BH on him, by then you'll know if you want to carry on or move on. Main thing is to have fun, learn.


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

It can be a time sink if you are really into it and constantly training your dog. The big time sink is tracking. I would expect your dog to be calmer and more restrained around other dogs. I’m not saying he won’t play or he will become hyper aggressive torwards them. He will get use to being around other dogs without interacting with them, both while he is actively doing something and they are actively doing something. Your dog’s inherent personality will not change. You will probably see him enjoy playing tug and things like that more, but he will be who he was always going to be. You will simply have more control and tools in your box. You don’t need to be trying to win the word championship to enjoy the sport.


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## Loki.777 (Aug 25, 2020)

dOg said:


> It's a huge commitment of time, and depending how far the traveling is, the costs add up. That said, spending that much time training is going to grow your bond, and improve his OB, so that walk in the park is only going to become easier. In tracking, they are mostly teaching us, as they have the equipment to do so. Protection can be taught in prey, but you will see the working lines with higher fight drives enjoying it more. And the waiting is excessive, so just be a sponge, take it all in, watching training will teach you a lot. I enjoyed 150 Saturdays with one of mine. He stayed a goof, but had an appropriate amount of seriousness when situational awareness suggested it. Put a BH on him, by then you'll know if you want to carry on or move on. Main thing is to have fun, learn.


"the waiting is excessive, so just be a sponge, take it all in, watching training will teach you a lot."

This was almost the main guys exact words lol. 

What do you mean my put a BH on him?


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## Loki.777 (Aug 25, 2020)

Bearshandler said:


> It can be a time sink if you are really into it and constantly training your dog. The big time sink is tracking. I would expect your dog to be calmer and more restrained around other dogs. I’m not saying he won’t play or he will become hyper aggressive torwards them. He will get use to being around other dogs without interacting with them, both while he is actively doing something and they are actively doing something. Your dog’s inherent personality will not change. You will probably see him enjoy playing tug and things like that more, but he will be who he was always going to be. You will simply have more control and tools in your box. You don’t need to be trying to win the word championship to enjoy the sport.


See he's amazing at the moment he's so calm around other dogs and people when out and about. He's well on his was to becoming the perfect adult dog for me.

I think that's my fear as he's so great right now I'm afraid of mixing things up as what we are currently doing is obviously working for us.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

BH is an introductory title, before IPO1 or whatever the sport is called these days.

Seeing as tho Finn as only 8 months... you may see changes, but they’ll likely be due to him maturing, not the training.


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

A BH is a combination of an obedience routine and a temperament test. You have to pass it in order to do protection in the higher titles. The temperament test is usually called the traffic portion and the judge wants to see that your dog is stable in different situations, around people, other dogs, bicycle, cars. Different things he's gonna come across in life. 

And like Fodder says, what the training does is show parts of your dogs temperament that in some subtle ways you may not see if you weren't working him, especially protection, but its not that it changes his actual temperament. Does that make sense?


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

Loki.777 said:


> See he's amazing at the moment he's so calm around other dogs and people when out and about. He's well on his was to becoming the perfect adult dog for me.
> 
> I think that's my fear as he's so great right now I'm afraid of mixing things up as what we are currently doing is obviously working for us.


I would expect his personality, especially with other dogs, to change whether you do any dog sports or not. I would expect to see his adult demeanor fully at about 2 years.


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## berno von der seeweise (Mar 8, 2020)

serious question, BH. If I showed up at your club with enough prey/play to run the gauntlet, but made clear the intention to keep my dog 1000% social, would I be welcome?


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## Loki.777 (Aug 25, 2020)

How do the titles work ? 

Are they tested at the club or do you have to travel to an event?


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

berno von der seeweise said:


> serious question, BH. If I showed up at your club with enough prey/play to run the gauntlet, but made clear the intention to keep my dog 1000% social, would I be welcome?


The short answer is yes. As long as your dog has a stable enough temperament that the bite work won’t lead to the possibility of him becoming a fear biter, we will work with you and your dog. Even if your dog doesn’t work out, the goal would be for you to enjoy the sport, learn and become a better trainer/handler, and return with a more suitable dog. I would say our dogs are worked mostly in prey.


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## chuckd (Jul 16, 2019)

Loki.777 said:


> How do the titles work ?
> 
> Are they tested at the club or do you have to travel to an event?


Either could be the case. Most clubs will hold a trial, which is generally open to non-club members & other clubs. A judge is brought in by the host club to oversee and score the participants. Your club may play host alot or hardly at all. You may have to travel to other clubs' trials in the latter case.

It's important to note that your club fees also help to pay for a judge and his/her expenses.


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

Loki.777 said:


> How do the titles work ?
> 
> Are they tested at the club or do you have to travel to an event?


There are trials held by the different clubs that you sign up to participate in. The BH is the first thing your dog needs to pass. After that you can progress sequentially through the IGP1-3. You can also do the FH and FH2, which are advanced tracking titles. The AD is an endurance test.


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