thats a tricky one! Our agility club is similar to the one you describe and there are owners (and trainers
) that I think behave harshly or inappropriatly with their dogs. They also have some really old fashioned ideas about dominance and showing your dog who is boss
However, if you are a confident owner who is used to doing stuff eg flyball with your dog, then you won't be swayed by other peoples methods. I find it upsetting to watch new people arrive who then take on some bad ideas by watching others.
On the positive there are some excellent trainers and owners at our club and hopefully there will be at this class you visited. I like to watch and learn from those that are good. I also like to think that some of the new people joiningthe club pick up good points from the more knowlagble and skilled members (not me some of the others
)
I don't suppose the perfect agility club is out there as there are not enough to go round. if you can stick to your guns about how you want your dogs to be treated then it might be worth a try, you can always leave if you don't feel the benfits outweigh the down sides.
Good luck