Since its inception in 1979, the Club has served as a leader in dog training, education, and competition. Our members have earned nearly 200 titles, 5 of which are "schH 3 Club." Our mission is to promote a positive "Total Dog Concept" for animal to handler interaction with the German Shepherd breed and other breeds of choice.

Hosting numerous seminars, training sessions and trials at the Club, Regional, and National levels, five of our members are Working Dog Sport judges with one member doubly certified as a Police Dog judge.Located on 455 acres of wooded park land just south of Dunlap, Illinois, our training complex features two separate Tracking fields and a main area where the Obedience field is separated from the Protection field. Our grounds are surrounded with several miles of Trails cut into the timber surrounding the "working areas" where you and your dog can commune with nature and join in "practical" training sessions. The "Total Dog Concept" Club is the home of "The Terrible Trail" where the fields, streams, hills, and gulleys afford areas for Search and Rescue training.Our Founder, President, and Director of training Mike West, has owned and trained GSD's since 1965. Mike was a police K-9 handler for the Peoria Police Dept. for 14 years, and has been a Schutzhund and DPO judge for the past 18 years. He has competed at the National level twice with two different dogs, and is a court-certified expert witness and an I.L.E.T.S. police dog instructor / evaluator. From the AKC "CGC", to SchH 3, FH ...Mike has titled nine dogs.His goal is to share as much of his knowledge and experience with everyone involved in the Club. He is committed to helping members grow in their ability to take them as far as they can go with their dogs.

For information on training days and times, give Mike a call at 309-385-4419

A overview of our parent club

The German Shepherd Dog Club of America-Working Dog Association, Inc. (GSDCA-WDA) is dedicated to the welfare and betterment of the German Shepherd Dog. As a member of the WUSV, the World Union of German Shepherd Dog Clubs, through its affiliation with the German Shepherd Dog Club of America, the WDA provides enthusiasts a framework for activities in the United States patterned after those available to the world-wide GSD community.

WDA member clubs host schutzhund trials, conformation shows and breed surveys in keeping with the Total Dog Concept. This concept supports a dog that conforms to the breed standard and is also proficient in working skills, such as herding, tracking, obedience, or protection. Since the German Shepherd Dog was intended to be a working dog, our club activities are designed to preserve the necessary genetic vigor and characteristics of the breed.

The WDA provides clubs with qualified Trial and Conformation Judges for sanctioned events. A Judges Program trains and certifies WDA members as authorized judges. Clubs may also schedule certified Judges and Koermeisters for WDA events through an arrangement made with the SV.