# Schutzhund is it expensive ?



## Ace GSD

hey guys pls share with me . im planning to get my 2nd GSD this summer/fall and gonna do IPO/Schutzhund with him. Im not sure if i have the budget. How much does it normally cost to start and how much do you guys spend monthly ?? if you feel uncomfortable to put down the number here please private message me. Also for a beginner does it matter if i get a showline instead of a working line ? Cause i have seen very solid showline doing IPO if bred for it.


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## Jax08

yes it's expensive. About 250 in training fees per month. Plus gas to drive 2.5 hours one way to the trainer.

Yes, it matters if you get a show or working. You have a much better chance of success with a working line.


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## Ace GSD

Jax08 said:


> yes it's expensive. About 250 in training fees per month. Plus gas to drive 2.5 hours one way to the trainer.
> 
> Yes, it matters if you get a show or working. You have a much better chance of success with a working line.


hm... sounds like its gonna cost as much as a car payment hehe and i alrdy have 1...


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## Jax08

Alot will depend on your location and if you have a good club close to you.


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## onyx'girl

Depends on where and how much you train. Fuel cost me more than actual training and I pay to train with one club I go to. I am a member of another club too, and travel 2 hours there. We pay quarterly and annual dues there. It is fairly reasonable, but the cost of insurance has gone up, so I'm expecting a jump in the annual. 
If you have a good group fairly local, then it may not be much more than paying for an obedience type class schedule. Some helpers don't charge to work dogs, though that seems to be NOT the norm anymore...
I'm in the midwest, have paid to train at a few places(and know the fees at a few others) and the average is $30-35 per session, obedience and protection, doesn't usually include tracking. Each session is about 10 to 20 minutes of field time. Most handlers provide all their own equipment, including their dumbbells, bite sleeve and lines/harnesses/collars. 
Some people don't want their dogs biting sleeves other dogs have had mouth on at the busy pay to trains. I don't own my own sleeve, lol, my poor dog, he usually breaks in the new covers though.


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## glowingtoadfly

At our place, we pay 10 dollars a dog.


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## car2ner

I don't know about GA but here in MD it runs from a yearly dues that are reasonable to You-have-got-to-be-kidding-me ridiculous. I am doing IPO with a WGS male. It seems that the working line pups do put more effort into what they are doing. But we are in it for the fun, not to get a champion to the Nationals.

We haven't had to pay for IPO gear outside of refitting the back seat of our car which is too small for a crate. Oh and a few different lengths of leashes.... and the agitation harness. and tugs and balls which we would have gotten anyhow....and the treat bag and treats. And time! Training once or twice a week with the club. And training on our own. Finding places to do tracking, too. 

Has it been worth it? So far, Oh YES.


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## wolfmanusf

Like others have said, just depends on the clubs accessible to you. Most clubs in my area (Indiana) average around 500/year. The fuel costs can be quite big also. It can also depend on your dedication. If they have a cost per session, you can keep your amount of sessions down and try to do a lot of the work at home by yourself or learning online. 

As for working line or show line. There are for sure dogs in both lines that will do the work, but you stand a MUCH better chance with a working line if Schutzhund is something that you really want to do. 

Good luck.


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## onyx'girl

wolfmanusf said:


> Like others have said, just depends on the clubs accessible to you. Most clubs in my area (Indiana) average around 500/year. The fuel costs can be quite big also. It can also depend on your dedication. If they have a cost per session, you can keep your amount of sessions down and try to do a lot of the work at home by yourself or learning online.
> 
> *As for working line or show line. There are for sure dogs in both lines that will do the work, but you stand a MUCH better chance with a working line if Schutzhund is something that you really want to do.*
> 
> Good luck.


Totally agree. I train at a place with many SL's and they are good dogs, and most are from two breeders that are focused on IPO in their breeding programs. Not all SL breeders do so. 

And....the foundation the helper is putting on these pups is helping them progress because he knows how to work them. Not all helpers are able to get as much out of them.

One of the breeders recently moved back to the area from down south and a couple dogs she was working needed some reconditioning due to the way they were previously worked.


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## Smithie86

depends on the club and the experience. Make sure that you get a club that has experience with all breeds and puppies to high level dogs. That shows hands on experience and the dog/handler will progress at a steady pace, because the trainers/helpers know what to do.

It is a LOT of time. Not just the club, but training during the week. It is a 3 phase sport.

A great and experienced club in the ATL area is Atlanta Working Dog club.

https://www.facebook.com/AtlantaWorkingDogClub

That would the club to train with in the ATL area.

$250 in monthly training fees? Our club is not even close to that..... Even had a club in the area mimic how we do fees....


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## Jax08

Smithie86 said:


> $250 in monthly training fees? Our club is not even close to that..... Even had a club in the area mimic how we do fees....


I don't belong to a club. As I stated above...

"Alot will depend on your location and if you have a good club close to you."


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## middleofnowhere

I suggest that you look on the DVG-America website for clubs near you. USA website probably also lists clubs. Then call the clubs and talk about what their dues structure is, what other fees. 
I've been a member of two DVG clubs (moved 2k miles so changed clubs). The cost of yearly dues has been between 300 and 400 $. One collected DVG dues seperately, one club included it. One club was about 10 to 20 minutes from my house and I had full access to the field 24/7 - we met weekly and for a few years had a club member as a helper. Later we had a helper who came by a couple of times a month and charged $25 a session. The second club is 3 hours from my house, we have great tracking fields which change from week to week (or not) but our helper is not always available on a weekly basis. The drive is a killer for me since tracking starts at 8 or 8:30 am and I drive a gas hog.

As you can see from these posts, the costs vary a lot. 

For equipment -- If you have the room to set it up, you can build a jump for well under $100. The wall's another story. (Still working on that - the "light weight" version is still too heavy and awkward to get put together.) Dumbells cost right around $20 and up. A puppy tug to start with will be somewhere around $10 - a couple of kongs (attach a rope) or a couple of balls - $10 to $15 each or so. A good long line for tracking $20; a 15 footer for training $10; a 1.5 to 2 inch collar for agitation $10 to 20. Fur saver maybe $15 to 20. Crate - however much money you want to spend from $100 up.

Seminars or other training out of your area or at your club - $50 to whatever you have in your bank account...


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## trcy

The club I use to go to was $40.00 a month or you could pay the year in full. Private lessons were $75.00 per hour.


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## G-burg

Short answer for me is... Yes, it is expensive! What hobby isn't.. Especially if you are passionate about it..


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## Liesje

Yes it's expensive but YES it's worth it! My biggest expense was fuel and repairs/maintenance on my vehicle. Training can vary quite a bit. Some clubs you pay a reasonable yearly due and others you are paying $25+ every time you bring a dog onto the field. Gear is what you make of it. Some people go hog wild and buy everything and the best quality, other people get the bare essentials and trade/borrow stuff along the way. If I decide to go IPO with my younger dog, I won't need any new gear. I've figured out what stuff I like, what works for my training style and feels right in my hands.


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