Welcome to Hundesport Alaska, Inc. We would like to take this opportunity to share some information with you about our club. We are not always the best in our communication with visitors and potential members. We hope this introduction is helpful. We are an intense group of dog trainers who take our dog training seriously. If we are preparing for an upcoming event, we can be very focused. We don't intend to be unfriendly, so please be patient with us.

Hundesport is a true training club with elected positions that maintain our club's constitution and by-laws as it pertains to dog training. We are not like typical obedience "clubs" where you pay to have a teacher or trainer instruct you. The dues that you pay upon joining the club go directly into seminars, training sites, and equipment. The dues are not for a service even though you can expect club support in your learning experiences. We are here to help facilitate your training, teach you about the sport, and help guide you. YOU are ultimately responsible for YOUR training. Because of this, we have a few expectations of you and of every member of our club.

Schutzhund is a very difficult sport for new people. It can be especially confusing because of the wealth of knowledge that you will find necessary to learn. Training is directed by the Training Director however this person is not responsible for training you or your dog, as equally as important as following the direction of the Training Director is to accept guidance and direction from the Training Helpers.  We expect you to pay attention to the training that is occurring on the field. This is the fastest and maybe even the only successful way to learn enough about Schutzhund to succeed at the sport. Also, you will not be able to show up to training once a week and be successful in this sport. It takes a lot of time and energy outside of our regularly scheduled training times. There is no guarantee when you join that you will obtain a title, the work is up to you. If you haven't gained enough knowledge to feel comfortable working your dog outside of club training, wait until you do. "No training is better than bad training."

If you don't understand something that is occurring on the field, ask someone to explain it to you. We are here to help you and your dog succeed, so don't be shy. We also use a lot of dog training terms that can have a unique interpretation as we apply them to traits we see in a dog. On the surface, they may seem like simple concepts, but please ask for clarification. If you are impressed with a dog's performance, or you seem to migrate to a certain person who best describes training methods, please don't hesitate to ask them to join you on the field when it is your turn to train. If you don't ask, you may end up with help you don't want, or none at all! Because we feel that observing is very important, we would like it if you would stay for the whole training day. We would also appreciate your help with setting up the field, cleaning, and putting on events.

Schutzhund is a three-phase sport that involves tracking, obedience, and protection. Each phase requires specific training, and a significant time commitment. During our regular training sessions, we typically focus on obedience and protection. This is not a sport/hobby for all dogs and handlers. It takes a special dog, and a lot of hard work. We try to be as honest as we can in our assessment of your dog/puppy. Our intention is to make sure that you and your dog are both mentally and physically capable of doing the work. If your dog does not succeed in Schutzhund, this does not mean that you have a bad dog.

We will be most impressed with your ability to understand your dog's behaviors, and the relationship you demonstrate with your dog. Less significant is your dog's ability to heel, sit, down, etc. Obviously you need to make progress, but always make sure you and your dog are having fun and enjoying the time you spend together.