Got on a reminise today about dog clubs. Those clubs where you paid about a quid to take your dog training, there was ringcraft and obedience, a cuppa tea and a bun, a chat with like minded folk. Where have they all gone? Is is the lack of venues, the lack of interest, or is is too expensive to run one.
I know there are a few in Sheffield, probably oversubscribed. But at one time there were a load of training clubs - just a wondering?

yes i remember the good old days when training your dog was also a social event were you could meet some very nice people all with at least 1 think in common

estweyn - it's venues

we didn't used to bung our kids off to nurseries, we looked after them ourselves!

now, if a dog who's walked round the block at 7am in the morning leaves a deposit outside a venue, the toddler group that has had the hall for two years wants the 30yr old dog club kicked out, and there's sod all any of us can do in this age :rant:

Agree with Strix. I recently started running classes and finding a venue was an absolute nightmare. The venue I finally found wouldn't be suitable for the type of club you're talking about as it's not big enough.

You need a working mens club like Beighton or a community hall but dogs aren't allowed in community halls thanks to health and safety and the working mens clubs I asked wouldn't allow them either.

I know the Wath and West Melton club do ringcraft and obedience, Beighton just do obedience although we have gone simply to get Takara into being handled again - not for ringcraft.

And people wonder why we have behavioural problems! Possibly due to the massive lack of socialisation dogs get nowadays thanks to our 'no dogs' society??! :rant:

Yes Lottie, those clubs were invaluable for socialisation (both canine and human) I know I learnt a great deal from GSD breeders when I first joined the breed, many helpful tips about showing and obedience all over a pint in the pub after the meeting, great days.
Sheffield GSD used to train at Dronfield at a riding establishment, but when I last enquired re training they said they no longer trained as there was no one really interested anymore.. I cant believe that..

... dogs aren't allowed in community halls thanks to health and safety and the working mens clubs I asked wouldn't allow them either.I've started challenging every idiot who makes this random statement at me

I'm sick to death of 'health and safety' being trotted out in a fashion which suggests that the HSE themselves are responsible for imposing such 'rules', when nothing could be further from the truth, and the more people who stop accepting this claptrap as 'true' the better! :rant:

did you know the world is flat? :rolleyes:

Anybody who pipes up 'but we serve food' as their answer gets short shrift from me too. The food standards agency have not banned dogs either

If the management of an establishment wish to declare that they have taken the decision to exclude dogs (and therefore their owners) then fine, but don't go hiding behind lies to do so, and don't go poisoning other people's minds with such claptrap either :rant:

Now liability insurance companies.... :suspect:

I want to see figures which relate to dog incidents... and those related to kids, and those related to ethnic minorities, and those related to men between 18 & 25 years of age....

... now which of those groups is a greater liability? :mad:

I agree entirely Strix, it's infuriating.

I haven't challenged it purely because most of the time, when in person, I hate confrontation so just say 'oh ok then' :lol:

From Health and Safety I understand it as their health and safety and assume that for their insurance they are covered for all the other groups, but not for a dog related incident and I can understand that should a dog related incident occur they would be in deep poop.

Unfortunately, I think it has a lot to do with our culture, how people will sue at the drop of a hat, the press and also because of the amount of people around nowadays who just hate dogs.

Personally, I'd rather eat in a restaurant with someone there with a dog laid by the side of their table than in a restaurant with someone on the next table with kids running around the restaurant hitting each other with menus and shouting because they're unhappy with something. Which is what I normally have to endure when I go out to eat.

I don't hate kids at all, I just hate being around out of control kids, it's just the same if there was an out of control dog, but if I have ever seen a dog in an eating establishment, they have never been running around out of control.

I think we live in very dangerous times for our dogs. There is an undercurrent out there that seems to have an intent to remove dogs from our society.
How many dogs do you see in pubs nowadays, we used to take our dog to the pub and she used to snooze in front of the fire and get tit bits from folk.
Even guest houses are not supposed to allow their own dogs in their food service area because of food hygiene. God help them in our house then.
Perhaps we need to keen a closer eye on what is happening and challenge a bit more like Strix suggests.

Challenging isn't difficult though

If somebody says they don't allow dogs, then I always politely enquire as to why - '... and can I ask you why that is?' (even if they've been as rude as most establishments are just because you've had the audacity to as in the first place, I'm impossibly polite... and firm ;) )

Now you'll usually find that the answer is some claptrap such as 'because we serve food', to which my response is 'but that isn't a reason not to allow dogs'

Cue the claptrap about health and safety - 'you do realise that it isn't against the law to allow dogs in establishments that sell food? If you have chosen to exclude dogs as your own management policy I'd prefer you to be honest with me instead of perpetrating legislative myths'

Now if this is overheard, so much the better, as it's members of the public who really need to know that me owning a dog isn't something I've chosen to do as two fingers to 'normality'

Sheesh - it's easier to be a Goth these days than it is to be a dog owner :rant:

*disappears to dye hair purple*