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Originally Posted by hcelsa I truly believe that competing at the highest level in any performance event (working toward an AKC OTCh or CKC MOTCh, a MACH in agility, a SchHII, or an HC) takes an exceptional dog, and a high level of handler/dog teamwork/understanding. |
Oops...that was supposed to say SchHIII.
And to continue my babbling...
Also, if I've mainly been involved in "X" dogsport I don't think I should make general statements about what it takes or what a dog needs to perform at high levels in "Y" dogsport that I've merely dabbled in a bit (I wouldn't know exactly what a dog needs to be successful in earning an OTCh for example...I could guess based on general dog experience, and I'd probably be fairly close...but I really don't have the right to make generalizations if I haven't been there). There is a huge difference in how much a dog is pushed/tested at the novice levels vs. most advanced levels of any sport...so generalizations shouldn't be made based on novice level participation. People do this all the time and it drives me NUTS!
And one last thought...my herding instructor trained military dogs prior to herding dogs (he's known with the GSD community in our area for being able to bring out drive in a dog that might not be showing as much as he/she could be)...he has said multiple times that while training a competitive herding dog takes more time, in both jobs the dog needs to have similar temperament to be successful at the highest levels.