The IGP Youngstars Academy continues to grow: young handlers received further practical training through an obedience seminar with Kathrin Heldt and Thomas Wesselmann, as well as a webinar with Connie and Peter Scherk on maintaining a calm, firm hold on the dumbbell. Both sessions demonstrated the immense value of clear, understandable training, structured approaches, and genuine support for the next generation in the future of dog sports.

Both events shared a common goal: to equip young people involved in IGP sports with knowledge they could directly apply to their own training—not in an abstract, theoretical way, but through a clear, structured approach that emphasizes the partnership between handler and dog.

Practical Obedience Seminar with Kathrin Heldt and Thomas Wesselmann

Obedience was the focus of the in-person seminar with Kathrin Heldt and Thomas Wesselmann. Work centered on technique, timing, and teamwork—precisely the fundamentals that ultimately determine the quality, expression, and reliability of the training.

Obedience entails far more than simply performing individual exercises. What matters most is that the dog understands what is required, the handler communicates clearly, and both work together as a team. This is precisely what the seminar focused on.

The young people were able to work practically with their dogs, ask questions, and receive direct feedback on their training. The focus was on clear training goals, precise cues, effective reinforcement, and a better understanding of how individual exercises can be built up systematically.

This type of support is particularly valuable for young dog handlers. They receive not only technical pointers but also motivation, confidence, and a sense of just how much fun structured dog sports can be.

Webinar with Connie and Peter Scherk: Retrieving, and holding the dumbbell calmly and firmly.

The second session took place online and was led by Connie and Peter Scherk. The focus was on a topic often underestimated in IGP training: holding the dumbbell calmly and firmly.

A clean retrieve does not begin only when the dumbbell is thrown. The foundation is laid much earlier: the dog must learn to hold the dumbbell calmly and securely, without mouthing, playing with, or spitting it out. Precisely this training process was the subject of the webinar.

Connie and Peter Scherk explained step-by-step what is important when holding the dog, which mistakes frequently occur, and how to teach the dog calm, clear behavior. The vivid demonstrations using numerous video examples were particularly helpful; this allowed the young people not only to listen but also to follow the training steps visually.

Participant feedback clearly showed how well the webinar was received. It was repeatedly emphasized that the content was explained very clearly and could be tried out directly in one's own training.

One participant wrote that she had “taken a lot away from it” and hoped to be able to apply the material just as effectively with her own dog. Another piece of feedback was: “I thought the webinar on retrieving was great. I learned a lot of new things.”

The explanations and video examples were also singled out for particular praise. One participant described the webinar as “incredibly educational, engaging, and interesting,” noting that the numerous videos made it much easier to visualize everything.

The option to participate online was also highly appreciated. Precisely because not every young person can travel long distances to attend in-person seminars, a webinar offers a valuable opportunity to receive high-quality input nonetheless. One participant summed it up well: he liked the fact that the seminar was offered online, as the venue would not have been anywhere near him.

Lots of motivation and requests for new topics

In addition to the positive feedback, there were also many requests regarding future sessions. The topic of "gathering" was mentioned particularly often. Several participants expressed interest in how this training is structured, when to start it, and how to manage the transition to further retrieving exercises later on.

Topics such as the path to the dumbbell, retrieving over a hurdle or inclined wall, heeling, rewarding during heeling, the basic position, the front sit, and the down-stay amidst distractions were also mentioned.

This shows that the Youngstars want to learn, understand, and develop further. That is exactly what the Academy is for.

Feedback from social media sums up the value of the events particularly well: the seminar was described as “absolutely valuable” for the young participants. Highlights included the effort put in, the clear explanations, the answers provided to questions, and above all the fact that the young people were inspired with motivation, enjoyment, and a love for dog sports.

Fostering Future Talent

These two events have demonstrated the importance of targeted support for the next generation in dog sports. Young handlers need environments where they can ask questions, be taken seriously, and receive expert, sound guidance. They need training insights that they can understand and put into practice. And they need people to show them that dog sports are not just about performance, but also about teamwork, responsibility, and the joy of learning together.

With the IGP Youngstars Academy, K9 and Sports creates precisely this framework.

Whether out on the training field with Kathrin Heldt and Thomas Wesselmann or online with Connie and Peter Scherk, recent seminars have clearly demonstrated the immense potential, interest, and enthusiasm among the next generation. They have also shown that it is well worth investing time, knowledge, and passion in these young handlers—for they are the future of our sport.