[poohbearsmom]

Dogs who are trained in sports like SchH are dogs that have been trained to work in drive, and be controlled while in drive. This is probably the most important aspect of this type of training - CONTROL = trained dog.

Dogs who earn a CGC show that the handler has a minimal amount of control over the dog.

Dogs who earn actual OB titles have been trained more, and show a higher level of control, tractability and handler awareness, etc...

It does take a dog of certain nerve level to accomplish the above, but it's really no proof of temperament, just time spent training.

Dogs who are trained to levels of SchH, to me, are far safer in the long run, IMHO, because the dogs have actually been trained while in drive (prey, defense, etc..), and have experienced 'listening' to their handler while in those drives.

I guess the same could be said when one is training a dog in herding - after all, herding is quite simply the hunt without the kill - again, the dogs are trained in drive to listen to their handler. It is the handler that calls the shots.

Generalizing of behaviors is important in dog training. The more pressure one can expose a dog to, and help the dog work through, the more control the handler is going to have. CONTROL = trained dog.

While SchH is not a temperament test persay, it is probably the best indicator of temperament we have in the Western Hemisphere. The TT here in the States doesn't hold a candle to those in Denmark and The Netherlands. When you see a dog on a foreign field (not the field it was trained on), this is a new environment, and the weaker dogs many times cannot deal with it.

While I have seen some weaker dogs trained through their weaknesses in protection work (not many trainers can pull this off, BTW), it does take a certain strength character in a dog to be accomplished at the sport.

When dogs are trained in one venue over the other, it's usually because of time and life constraints - not because the dog is incapable of performing other tasks.

I was speaking recently with a friend, and the conversation turned to cross training dogs - most specifically training SchH dogs in Agility - because the agility has a way of making the dog more aware of it's body, and the use of it's limbs - AND because it's a fun, go go go type sport - which can be a real mental relief for dogs who are heavily trained in one venue, such as SchH.

Any type of training is going to increase the bond and enrich the relationship with the handler - as long as the training is done in a fair, humane and consitant way.

Let's also remember : A dog is only trained when it's handler is present. One must be able to guide or correct a dog, rather than rely on a dog to make a rational decision on it's own - ain't gonna happen.

Trish, I have no idea where you come up with the idea that SchH dogs are off the charts and unstable (my perception of your comments).

I have a dog sitting at my feet that's LOVES the bitework, and he's also passed the TDI with flying colors. He's a take anywhere dog, and has proven time and time again that he is stable, strong of nerve and confident in our human world.

Is SchH the end all be all? No, but like I said, it's an excellent indicator of what the dog is made of, since we don't have tough TTs like the Danes and the Dutch.