About our Club:
The Arkansas Schutzhund Club was established in 1990 as a member club of our parent club "DVG America" (KG-Midwest Region) While our club's name reflects the old sport name of "Schutzhund" (German for "protection dog") we have evolved along with the sport into what is now the (Internationale Gebrauchshund Pruefung) or an "IGP" club and follow the established and current FCI IGP rules and guidelines.
We have members with several dog breeds, of all skill levels from novice to national competitors. Along with varying levels of experience our members train and support many different training methods. If you are new to dog training, we know how intimidating it can be the first time you step out on the field with your dog. Our club atmosphere is friendly, patient and supportive. We encourage you to ask questions and participate while we share experiences, stay open minded and offer constructive criticism to help each other improve our training. We all work hard to achieve our training goals, strengthen our bond with our dog and have fun.
A schutzhund trial was originally a test to determine which dogs were worthy of breeding and tested for temperament and working ability. It is now, also, a highly competitive sport that is maintained by the efforts of teamwork between the handler and his/her dog. Schutzhund (now IGP) is designed for all dogs with working ability. All breeds are eligible to train and compete and are welcome at our club.
We train as a group weekly and have hosted many national and regional trial events in addition to our regular club trials. Our training grounds include a club house with kitchen and restrooms, covered outdoor area, fire pit, and lawn furniture. The grass covered, level training field includes stadium lighting and is highly maintained. We have all the obedience and protection training equipment in place. Tracking is excellent with abundant varied terrain.
Membership: An application and annual club dues of $250.00 are required and go toward maintaining the fields, equipment and trial expenses. Once monthly, (when possible) visiting world competitors/trainers come in to visit and work with our club for individual and additional fees. Contact us for a membership application and how to make dues payment.
Our training location is at: 14324 County Farm Rd., Little Rock, Ar. Please note that dogs must be kenneled at all times unless asked to retrieve your dog for your turn during a training session. No off-leash potty-breaks. Contact us here to schedule a visit or if you'd like to learn more about our club.
Understanding club organization:
DVG – Deutscher Verband der Gebrauchshundsportvereine (German organization of working dog sport clubs) DVG exists for only one purpose –– training and titling dogs of all breeds. It has over 30,000 members participating in many different dog sports. While the DVG is the oldest and largest Schutzhund (protection dog) training organization in the world the DVG in Germany offers agility (its most popular sport), flyball, search and rescue trials, rally obedience, water rescue, obedience, and many other sports. "Schutzhund", (now referred to as IGP) was one of the original DVG sports, and it remains an important part of the organization, even though the number of participants is relatively small.
DVG is divided into a number of regions, called Landesverbände (LV). All of the LVs are in Germany, except for LV DVG America, which covers all of North America. The president of LV DVG America is a member of the Board of DVG, and goes to Germany each year to the annual business meeting to vote on Board and membership affairs.
Some Landesverbände are further divided into regions called Kreisgruppe (KG). LV DVG America has 4 KGs – West, Midwest, Southeast, and North.
DVG falls under and is a member of VDH, (The German Kennel Club), roughly equivalent to the AKC (The American Kennel Club). In turn, VDH (German Kennel Club) is a member of FCI, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (World Canine Organization).
FCI is the largest canine organization in the world. It includes 92 member clubs and contract partners. Most are breed clubs, but there are also a number of working dog organizations. DVG, like many other working dog organizations, follows the rules of the FCI for running its trials and other competitions.
