DPCA through Judges Education has developed am excellent team of seminar presenters, mentors and instructors to add an important new dimension to breed awareness and your Specialties.

DPCA now requires Doberman Chapter Clubs to conduct an educational event once a year. This communication is sent to provide you with the support your club needs to meet this worthwhile goal.

As chairman of Chapter Club Education I am responsible for providing the advertising and publicity and coordinating the appearance of mentors, instructors - presenters.

1) Your club incurs no expense for mentors or instructor- presenters, advertising and travel as we use local authorities. Your club may incur expenses for duplicating handout material and possibly for providing AV equipment.

2) Your club determines the date and time of the event with the understanding no other events will be held in conflict with the seminar. We strongly recommend the seminar be scheduled after BISS judging. If judging begins at noon, you may wish to consider starting the seminar at 10 AM.

3) Your club selects from a menu of three two-hour presentations.

Judges Education Workshop. * Judging is a process of prioritizing positives and penalizing deviations while applying the standard, which is constant.

Workshop Agenda

0 - 10 minutes - Breed History.

20-40 minutes - Master the Standard

40-80 minutes - Four Stations: Heads, Structure, Gait and Temperament

80-120 minutes - 'You Be the Judge'. Compare your evaluations with DPCA mentor/experts.

Breeders Education Workshop. * Topics include Breed History. Master the Standard. Genetic Strategy. Choosing the breeding pair. Care of the bitch. Whelping. Feeding. Ears.

Litter socialization. Early Training. (Leash and housebreaking)

Temperament testing. Matching puppy with new owner. Show home? If possible someone to provide a litter for group evaluation (takes a lot of courage). If not consider video or photos.

Q&A

Exhibitors Education Workshop. * Show training is a major challenge especially as positive attitude and temperament can be reinforced. One on one 'hands-on' demonstrates proper techniques for show training. Topics include. How judges see your dog. Chronology of training (puppy to special). Prepare your dog for competition, mentally, physically and nutritionally. Positive attitude and temperament. Mechanics of stress free show training.

Hands-on clinic - individual instruction.

*All registered students

Receive a recommended list of home study articles to be downloaded from the DPCA JEC and Breeders web sites. Partial list includes: 'A Judges Perspective', 'In Defense of Judges Education', 'Breed Trends'. 'Gait '. 'Ears - Cropping and Maintenance'. 'Temperament'. 'Structure'. 'How to Raise a Healthy, Happy, Confident Puppy.' Illustrated Commentary.

Mentoring of registrants by DPCA approved mentors at a ringside, reserved area.

Advertising (if we have 90 days lead time)

1) A full page ad and flyer will be prepared with your approval for use in the premium list and the judging program and for e-mailing to local all breed clubs. If there is time perhaps an announcement ad can be placed in Pipeline, DD and / or DQ and on the Chapter Club web site. And also on the Chapter Club's Specialty site.

2) A publicity release combining your specialty event with the educational program for release on Cyberdobes, Showdobes. The judge's event will require a separate release for judges list. If there is time we can release to Gazette, Pipeline DD and DQ.

3) Please note the promotion for the judge's and the fancy require different advertising approaches.

The program developed above will increase interest and attendance and should increase entries. The club must identify the area at the show site where the 'classroom' can be located. Other decisions involve registration fee, refreshments and a possible tie in with entrants. It may be a good idea to consider charging a $25 seminar fee but allow all Dobe entrants a 50% discount or perhaps a straight $10 discount. This will accomplish two things. It will make the entry more attractive and generate a good attendance for the workshop. Fee for AKC judges might be $10. Something to think about.

Traveling around the country doing Doberman and AKC Institute seminars I had an opportunity to observe what makes a great workshop. Besides enthusiasm and knowledge of the breed, audience participation such as hands on, you be the judge and a lively q & a, make the difference. DPCA has the talent and the desire to make it work. The only ingredient needed to bring it all together is you.

It begins with your assigning someone who is comfortable with e-mail and .pdf (Adobe acrobat files) and providing me with their name and e-mail address. Once we have established communications you can decide which event you wish to schedule at what specialty. It would be beneficial to our breed if you would schedule an educational event at each specialty, rotating the menu. But that is all up to you.

We will coordinate all events so there is no duplication where there is geographical exposure.

I am enclosing an article, which will be part of the breeder's kit. You may wish to share it with your members. Please have a computer capable coordinator from your club contact me.

Sincerely

Faye Strauss, chairman
Chapter Club Education for JEC
dpcaeducationjudges@dpca.org / 253-631-1442