Anyone compete with their dogs? (or are involved in any dog activities)?

With my the recent loss of two very special pets (due to health problems associated with old age), I've been thinking in the future of getting a dog. My family has a senior Chow right now, who I don't live with at the moment but is a great dog, though I was never able to compete in any sport with her (tried junior-level stuff but she just doesn't have the right personality).

For my next dog, I'd like a breed that was very friendly and very versatile. I'd really like to get fully involved in some sort of canine sport- like confirmation, agility or obedience. Of course, I know this takes a lot of planning and training which is why I'm starting to think about it now.


So does anyone here compete and have advice to share? (or even breed recommendations)?

I'd love to hear all your stories! :dog:

I only compete with my dogs for space on the bed. :D

I don't do any competitions yet as my pup is only 11 months old. I'm really excited to try some agility with her! She's a Doberman Pinscher. You can't do any agility training/competitions till a dog is two years old because it's really hard/dangerous for their joints. She's done some little obedience shows and I'm eventually going to do some small local AKC conformation shows.

Don't expect to do well in conformation shows unless you spend a lot of money on the dog and buy it from a breeder who shows. I don't expect Athena to go on to the Westminster dog show, but it would be a lot of fun to show her off in small shows.

There are quite a few people who show dogs on this website. You'll just have to wait till they chime in.

As for what breed, it depends on what kind of competitions you want to get involved with. Herding, agility, tracking, etc all have specialized breeds.

Also if you want to do any AKC conformation showing you can't spay/neuter your dog because it's a competition for breeding stock. If you're dog can't breed then it's disqualified. The breeder also has to put a code on your dogs registration to allow it to breed and therefor compete in conformation. I had to almost beg the breeder to code Athena's papers so I could show her. A lot of breeders (decent breeders) will refuse to code the papers. Without the code you can breed your dog, but the puppies cannot be registered with AKC. Just something to think about.

As far as picking a dog to compete with, I would probably go one of two ways; decide what sport(s) you like and pick a dog that will enjoy it, or pick a dog you like and then go with the sport(s) that they are most suited to. As far as versatile breeds, there are dogs that can do a lot of things fairly well, and there are dogs that do one or two things *very* well. If you know you want to focus in one area and/or are pretty competitive, pick a dog that will do well and enjoy it- Border Collies are great at agility, hounds love to track. Dogs that were bred to be general working dogs tend to do well in several things, but sometimes simply can't compete with more 'specialized' dogs in their specific areas, although you can still have a lot of fun with them.

I do agility with my Lab mix, she really enjoys it and so do I! Speaking as someone who, admittedly, has never competed in obedience or conformation, I like agility because it seems to be a less rigid sport, where both the handler and the dog have a lot of freedom and initiative.There aren't as many or as strict rules, either, pretty much 'go through the obstacles in the right order, don't knock the jump bars down, hit the yellow on the contacts'. Other than that, you're free to develop your own strategy. One of the other things I like about agility is that there are organizations like USDAA and NADAC that allow mixed breed dogs to compete, which is great for me since Jess would never pass for a full blood Lab. Another great thing about the sport is the great variety of dogs that can, and do, compete- in my weekly class our instructor runs pit bulls, there are two ladies who run dachshunds, another with a sheltie, one with a labradoodle, and another with a beagle/terrier mix. That said, there are a few breeds that really 'excel' at agility, border collies being the most well known- if you watch the big, international agility competitions it's pretty much split between border collies at the taller jump heights and shelties in the shorter ones, with a golden retriever or a corgi here and there.

Like Isis said above, there are some parts of agility training (jumps, weave poles) that shouldn't start until the dog's growth plates have closed- usually around two years old, depending on the breed- because they put a fair amount of stress on a dog's body. People who are really serious, however, train their dogs from puppyhood to follow handling cues and run agility courses, they just remove the bars from the jumps and exclude other risky obstacles until the dogs are older. I started Jess in a group class when she was a little over 2 years old, and didn't start competing until more than a year later with her, but people who train their dogs more intensely than I did (pretty much just in class, I confess, although we've worked on a few problem areas here and there by ourselves) could shorten that time by quite a bit.

Anyway, hope this was some help :P

I have a Sheltie and a Swedish Elkhound that do agility and competitition obedience. The sheltie started agility at 6 months but we skipped every other weave so it was easier and did really low jumps. The Elkhound was 2years old because she was a rescue and that's when I got her.

As for breed that depends more on you, any breed can do agility and obedience some breeds are better at it and will be easier to title but every breed can do it.There is a Shih Zhu,a German Sheperd, Aussies,a Fox Terrier,a Poodle, a Basset Hound, Shelties, Border Collies, Labs,a Husky mix, a Dutch Shepherd, a Shiba Inu and my Elkhound in the agility class I go to. I have even seen a Great Dane and a Papillon run Agility. Not every owner can handle every breed though, Border Collies and and Aussies are common in agility but they are very energetic and can be too much for some people. Read about the pros and cons of different breeds and think about how they fit into your life. I personally like my Shelties but they are not the dog for everyone. Do you have any ideas as to what breeds you are interested in? Do you want a small dog or a larger dog?

Thanks for the responses....I love hearing about what people do with their dogs, and you guys have lots of wonderful advice!

I'm not really new to dog breeds or anything, but my two current ones (Chow are Greyhounds), aren't that trainable. I literally melt if I see a chow puppy or someone walking a grey:wuv:, but neither breed is good off leash or known for great obedience.

Another choice I'm torn between is adopt or purchase from a reputable (& recommended & researched) breeder. I've been involved in animal adoption for many years now, so I know how many great dogs are for adoption....and I've never purchased from a breeder before, but I'd like to raise a purebred from the start.

I've heard conformation can be really tough. Very stressful and competitive....still hasn't fully deterred me yet, but it would require a lot more time, money, & involved with a specific breed...Agility seems like a good alternative, and there are a couple clubs in town that I might try and sit-in with.

I think my major problem with dog breed is that I know too many!! For instance, I'd love to own a Schipperke someday or another nordic breed. I've been leaning towards Australian shepherd though (they seem less neurotic than some borders), but I can't say find them all that attractive (of course I also think Salukis are perfectly, stunning)...decisions, decisions, (and no whim purchases allowed like with the snakes) ;)

An Irish Setter might fit into your style preference. They are very pretty dogs and very easy to train. Also if you want a smaller one Corgie's are pretty darn cute and very trainable. Those are the two breeds that came to mind after reading your last post.

A funny story about an Irish Setter! My aunt had one and we were house sitting for her, which included taking care of Samson. I was yelling at my little sister to get me the remote because she was being a brat. I started to ignore her and look at my book. Next thing I knew someone set the remote on my lap, it was Samson!!! He did the same thing later that day when the phone rang! He was so awesome! We had no idea he even knew those tricks. He was a real treat to babysit!

I used to show my mom's australian shepherds for her, and can't recommend that breed enough if you want an easily trained, eager to please dog. My "partner" Flint was an absolute dream in the show ring. As you said, that's not for everyone though! We had to retire him early after making the mistake of letting a "friend" of mine take him to a show for us. After that, my perfectly mannered dog inexplicably started snapping at judges and was absolutely terrified of getting his head touched. (Can you say instant disqualifications? Sigh.) I'm sure that kind of... sabotage? isn't really the norm though, and up until then conformation was really fun. The competitive air is mostly friendly, and a lot of the people are truly passionate about the breeds they're working with.

Physical appeal however, I can somewhat agree. They are stocky little things, and as someone who loves long-legged, lanky breeds it's just not very attractive. Some of the blue merles make up for it - we had one in the kennel that was just gorgeous. Her grays were like a wispy, light color and she had the most amazing blue eyes. I hated letting that dog go.

Have you considered german or shiloh shepherds? I've finally gotten my hands on one and will probably never have another breed. I was hoping to do schutzhund with Aubrey, but unfortunately she doesn't have the right temperament for it. If I were to get a dog specifically for that (I'm not sure if you're interested in schutzhund at all?) it'd be a real german-line german shepherd, which comes with a hefty pricetag. Bleh!

I show in conformation and obedience. I'm actually at my breed's National Specialty right now, taking a break and surfing the 'net in my hotel room.

Showing in any venue, may it be conformation, obedience or agility requires an immense amount of time, money and dedication. Each of these activities is stressful and competitive. Training-wise, conformation is by far the easiest. Agility and obedience are far more difficult to train for, and contrary to popular belief are very competitve and take much more time than conformation. Money is also a factor - a friend of mine here is spending $1000/month on training classes for her current obedience dog - expect to pay this much, if not more if you want a truly competitive agility dog.

The breed you get really depends on what you want to do with your dog. If you are a novice in conformation, I don't recommend getting a dog with a lot of hair, nor a dog in a competitive breed such as Dobermans or many of the terrier breeds.

If you primarily want an obedience dog, as a novice in the sport you'd be best to avoid breeds with very independent temperaments. Salukis are wonderful dogs, but it takes a VERY talented trainer to work them in obedience.

If your interest is in Agility, look for an athletic and biddable dog - nontraditional breeds are fun, but if you want a dog that is a serious competitor it might be best to look at breeds that excel in the sport. However, as a novice it may be hard to get a really good agility prospect, as it is a very serious sport and the really good dogs go to people who have proven to be serious about it, and have the funds to pay for the training and trialing.

Competing with dogs is a very demanding hobby. It's not passive, it's active - it's best if you have a passion for dogs, and are prepared to live the life of someone who is "into" dogs. I can't begin to tell you how much time and money it takes. It's very hard to have other hobbies when you compete in the dog world. :)

If you do decide to get into dogs and buy a dog from a breeder, contact the breed's parent club to find a good breeder. There are many BYBs out there that say they're selling show quality puppies, but the reality is that if you want a show dog, you need to buy from a proven show breeder. Show breeders also produce pet quality dogs, but pet breeders almost never - and usually never - produce anything that would win in the ring. Even "small shows" are comprised of dogs from show breeders. Small shows do not mean the quality is less than the larger shows. It just means there are fewer dogs being shown.

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Originally Posted by Isis

An Irish Setter might fit into your style preference. They are very pretty dogs and very easy to train. Also if you want a smaller one Corgie's are pretty darn cute and very trainable. Those are the two breeds that came to mind after reading your last post.

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In my experience, the grooming needed for an Irish is pretty time consuming. I've shown a few, they can be real airheads sometimes! Out of the setters, I prefer the English, but none of the setters are well endowed in the brains department. Sweeter than anything though. :) I would not choose any of the setter breeds for competitive obedience.

Corgis are great dogs, but they need fair and consistent handling to be good obedience dogs. They are wonderful show dogs, talented obedience dogs and hilarious little agility dogs. But there are more bad breeders than good ones in the corgi breed, and care must be taken to get a good one. My corgi is not a show dog by far, but the corgi coming home in 2010 is from a very strong show and performance pedigree. I'm so excited!

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Originally Posted by sekaiNdobes

In my experience, the grooming needed for an Irish is pretty time consuming. I've shown a few, they can be real airheads sometimes! Out of the setters, I prefer the English, but none of the setters are well endowed in the brains department. Sweeter than anything though. :) I would not choose any of the setter breeds for competitive obedience.

Corgis are great dogs, but they need fair and consistent handling to be good obedience dogs. They are wonderful show dogs, talented obedience dogs and hilarious little agility dogs. But there are more bad breeders than good ones in the corgi breed, and care must be taken to get a good one. My corgi is not a show dog by far, but the corgi coming home in 2010 is from a very strong show and performance pedigree. I'm so excited!

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Awww I thought the Irish Setter was pretty awesome. Although, I've only met a couple and they weren't show dogs, just at home dogs that were super smart. I wasn't around to see how long it took the owners to train them though! :rofl: I just assumed that they were pretty smart because both dogs I met knew more tricks than I could think of! I didn't even think about the grooming part.....

Yeah, we have A LOT of corgi breeders around here, they are pretty much farm dogs, and Amish bred dogs so I don't know how much I would trust them. I've seen quite a few corgis in little agility competitions around here and they were pretty darn quick and seemed to listen very well! A friend of ours was one of the "farmer" corgi breeders. They were awesome little sheep herding dogs! And you're right about their personalities! The cutest little things ever!

Do you have a Pembroke or a Cardigan? Congrats on the new one, do you have pictures or is it "still in the making"?

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Awww I thought the Irish Setter was pretty awesome. Although, I've only met a couple and they weren't show dogs, just at home dogs that were super smart. I wasn't around to see how long it took the owners to train them though! I just assumed that they were pretty smart because both dogs I met knew more tricks than I could think of! I didn't even think about the grooming part.....

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Tricks and competitive obedience are apples and oranges. Competitive obedience is highly controlled finesse work, where the devil is in the details. Tricks are just that - tricks. There are quite a few "trick dogs" that would have real difficulty with competitive obedience... my first Doberman being one of them. She was an amazing trick dog, but we couldn't master traditional obedience at the level I wanted.

Now Ronin should make it to Utility if I can get my head out of my butt and improve my handling skills. Some dogs just aren't cut out for Utility, but the people I train with (people with multiple OTCHs) insist that he is the type of dog that could - and should - make it to Utility.

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Do you have a Pembroke or a Cardigan? Congrats on the new one, do you have pictures or is it "still in the making"?

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I currently have a Pembroke from a working breeder. Her temperament leaves a lot to be desired, she'll never see the inside of an obedience ring, and certainly not a show ring! Corgi #2 is hopefully on the way, his dam came into season about a week ago. Both parents are champions, the breeding is a very strong conformation and performance pedigree. Fingers crossed that the breeding takes and my first raised-from-a-puppy obedience dog will be coming home in February or March!

Here's my totally pet quality Pembroke girl:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../dIMG_3427.jpg

AWWWWW it's so cute!!!

Its so nice to talk to people about dog breeds!! lol....none of my friends really care much about dogs, nice to find people I can relate to. :)

I definitely understand the major commitment, dogs are a huge part of my life. I'm one of those people that keeps the "The Ultimate Dictionary of Dog Breeds" by my bed...my version of bible :oops:. So the agility/conformation is not just a passing thought, I actually want a dog I do it all with (or try at the very least). I really am taking all the advice, and I don't want to get over my head.

There aren't any ugly Aussies, and some of the red merles are just gorgeous. I find overall the breed has so much variety, they can look a bit motley though....but a show-quality Aussie is certainly pretty!

I like Shiloh Shepherds too....they are basically everything perfect with German Shepherds, without the bad conformation. Great dogs, but I just don't get the sloped-back thing. I think I'll look into some other Belgian Shepherd breeds, though I don't know how good the breeders are over here.

Beautiful Corgi BTW! They really seem like a charming breed, and all the Pembrokes I've met have been very sweet!

If you're interested in the Belgian breeds and aren't afraid of a little dog hair, I highly recommend Tervurens. They are wonderful agility and obedience dogs, and aren't as polital in the conformation ring as many other breeds with the same performance potential. They're a blast to work, they're one breed that I can't help but enjoy. And lucky for you, there are some VERY good terv breeders here in the States. :)

Many of the highly titled dogs in our club are tervs. I'd have one if it wasn't for all that darn HAIR! ;)

Quick post off-topic... here are the parents of my next corgi:

sire:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...rtlep/seth.jpg

dam: (PS - these are her puppy pictures, she looks MUCH different now. She's drop dead gorgeous as a mature adult!)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...tlep/addie.jpg

This is the breeder where most of the corgis at the obedience club are from - she's known to produce VERY nice performance dogs. :)

i compete with my dog all the time.
its too bad she always wins.
i guess she will always be better fed and loved :tears:

Tervurens were the breed I was thinking of for the belgian shepherds....just looked them up yesterday and they seem awesome in every way! They have that pointy face of a sighthound I love, the puffiness of a Chow, and the intelligence of a herding breed :gj:. They kind of remind me of a rough collie, which used to be my childhood dream dog!

Anyway, there are more breeders than I thought! There are a couple of them near my parent's home, so next time I'm there I'll think I'll poke around. :)


Those corgis are beautiful....Is it strange to walk a corgi and a doberman at the same time:oops:? They have such different profiles...but each are attractive in their own way. :cool:

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Originally Posted by Calift

Those corgis are beautiful....Is it strange to walk a corgi and a doberman at the same time:oops:? They have such different profiles...but each are attractive in their own way. :cool:

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Nope, not too strange. We have corgis because they're big dogs with hacked-off legs... they can handle just about anything the dobes throw at them. When we started looking for our second breed, we knew we wanted something smaller in body but not in spirit and drive. So the corgi was the obvious choice. ;)

I guess they must be pretty hardy dogs....weren't they originally bred to nip cattle hooves? :confused:;)

There is really geat advice on this thread. Mine is: pick a breed that you enjoy and can live with. I started competing with an Australian shepherd and Whippet.

I currently have four dogs, 9yr Whippet, almost 6yr Swedish Vallhund, 4yr Siberian Husky and 10 month Swedish Vallhund.

We train and compete in Agility, Obedience, Rally and Conformation.
My older Vallhund needs one more major for his AKC Championship and is working on his AKC Master Agility Ch. title. He also has his AKC Rally Excellent title, UKC CH and agility titles in UKC, USDAA, and TDAA.
My Siberian had his AKC Rally Excellent and is working on his AKC CD and just starting in Agility.
My Whippet is retired and had earned AKC Agility titles and the Vallhund pup is just starting in Conformation showing and Agility training.

I am on my third weekend of Agility shows with one more and after that Conformation.
It is not just a hobby, its a lifestyle ;)

Chase, Whippet - over the Rainbow Bridge:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...s/917339dc.jpg
Tripp, Whippet:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...s/df3244b0.jpg
Scout, Swedish Vallhund:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...s/9c3123c7.jpg
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...s/IM001284.jpg
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...s/100_1622.jpg

I do Earthdog with my border terriers. Don't have any pictures of them going to ground, but here there are relaxing in the buttercups.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...tercupBoys.jpg

Great, affectionate, game little dogs.

I love borders! One of the few terriers that's on my wish list... though I'll probably end up with a SFT as my first terrier. That's what I get for working for Smooth and Wire Quarterly, and having a boss whose main breed is SFTs.

But, for the record, borders are my very favorite terriers. :)

I won't tell. ;)

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Originally Posted by Calift

Those corgis are beautiful....Is it strange to walk a corgi and a doberman at the same time:oops:? They have such different profiles...but each are attractive in their own way. :cool:

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My friend has an Corgi and a Husky/Great Dane mix. That will get a few looks if she has them both out together. The Dane/Husky towers over the Corgi but its the Corgi who is the boss.

Tervs are beautiful. We had an older Terv come into the shelter once as a stray and was mislabeled a Collie mix(we aren't allowed to change the intake forms even when it's clearly wrong). Even though it was older it was still beautiful. I called a rescue who called a Terv rescue, who pulled the dog, and were able to find it original owner who had lost it while travelling and finally it was reunited with its owner. I don't know all the details since I just made the first call but I was so happy when I got word the dog made it back where it belonged.
I don't think the hair would bother me on a Terv but I have several cats( # varies depending on how many fosters I have), and a Swedish Elkhound who sheds a ridiculous amount, and the pair of shelties that are okay till they blow coat, so hair is already everywhere, the only dog that doesn't cause too much trouble is the big white mix that's outside much of the time by her own choice.Those sticky hair rollers are a godsend, I have them everywhere. Someday I would like a place in the country cause living in town has limited space for kennels. I want another sable merle sheltie like my Mira and Hana,a Papillion, a Husky or a Malamute, a Pit Bull, one of longer coated Shepherd breeds, a Corgi,a Vallhund and a few others at some point in my life. The Vallhund's look like small versions of my Elkhound and seem so lively. I would also like another Swedish Elkhound from known origins to raise properly from a pup. I am sure several random mixes will fall somewhere in there too and most I would be fine with a mix as long as they look like what I want and have a descent temperment.I love Shelties in general but there are just so many wonderful breeds out there, each with their own pros and cons that I don't want to have just Shelties.

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Originally Posted by kazboots

The Vallhund's look like small versions of my Elkhound and seem so lively. I would also like another Swedish Elkhound from known origins to raise properly from a pup.

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Yes, I have seen pics of the Swedish Elkhounds on the net and they do look similar to the Vallhunds.
My Valls are very lively dogs, the breed was developed as a farm dog/herder so they are energetic and smart.
Here is a pic of my 11mo female, Rogue. Her tail normally curls over her back but she was not very happy.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...s/100_3913.jpg

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Originally Posted by CritterVet

I do Earthdog with my border terriers. Don't have any pictures of them going to ground, but here there are relaxing in the buttercups.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...tercupBoys.jpg

Great, affectionate, game little dogs.

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I love Border Terriers. There are a bunch that do agility in my area.

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Originally Posted by DragonBallz

Yes, I have seen pics of the Swedish Elkhounds on the net and they do look similar to the Vallhunds.
My Valls are very lively dogs, the breed was developed as a farm dog/herder so they are energetic and smart.
Here is a pic of my 11mo female, Rogue. Her tail normally curls over her back but she was not very happy.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...s/100_3913.jpg

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My Elkhound Lilith does the same thing with her tail, I can always tell when she is frustrated or upset because it is uncurled and hangs down. I love my friend's corgi but I like the Vallhunds color better.
Lilith's shelter paperwork says Norwegian Elkhound but comparing color and body structure to a Swedish Elkhound even if she is not pure I am sure she is at least a Swedish mix not a Norwegian mix. Her pics are posted here:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=94945
Her muzzle is thinner but then again I have seen purebred shelties that come nowhere near the standards but have "papers" so she may just not be a good one. I love her regardless of what she is but too many people have asked if she is a Hybrid or said she is a skinny Husky and needs to eat more so the fact that she resembles a Swedish Elkhound so much explains both her color and her body type. She is closer to the Swedish than anything else I have seen. She definitely has an Elkhound nose too, she is always sniffing everything and can even find plastic toys that are hidden.

yes i do, i show dobermans and Boston terriers in confirmation. through akc. i have a show this weekend in shakopee mn actually. they are not my dogs tho i show for others.

Go to your local shelter and start volunteering. Better yet, become a foster parent for your local shelter. This earns you hands on experience with a heap load of breeds and mixes.

I'm surprised no one else here has mentioned rescue????????? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE border terriers, your dobermans are beautiful, some of you have some really nice dogs...

But there are a lot of lives out there that need saving. Dogs who would be incredible companions, competitors, obedience masters, what have you...they die every day.

I have two incredible border collies. Both rescued as puppies, one from a shelter, the other pulled from a puppy mill along with a bunch of others. I compete in disc dog and agility with one of them, we've even dabbled in a little SAR...and it DOES NOT cost me $1000 a month to train my dog. I'd hate to meet the dog that costs $1000 a month to train, personally. Yeah, my agility girl could probably go far and do GREAT things, she's an amazing little dog...but we do it for what it was meant to be: FUN. The dog has a good time, I have fun seeing her learn and grow, and I get a good workout.


Irish setters are prone to cancer, and temperament issues. At least thats what I've gathered from the 10 or so I've met over the past 5 years. Just sayin'...It pays to meet the breed and get a good feel for what you want to work with.

Foster. You'll be doing a good thing, earning a dog breed education, and you may even fall in love...

I didn't mention rescues because they mentioned confirmation and that means a purebred, but if you don't want to do confirmation mixes and rescued purebreds can excel at the other things and compete and win. You can register mixed breeds with AKC now as well, so are not limited to the other organizations.

I love your post Sarah!

I think doing volunteer work with a shelter or breed specific rescue or even fostering could be a great way for the OP to get a clearer idea of what kind of breed or mixed breed would work best. Getting information from experienced owners/breeders/handlers and doing breed research are great things and a must, but in the end your own heart and gut will tell you the dog you really want to spend your life with.

Doing some volunteering or even fostering will get you that real experience with the added bonus that you are helping a variety of dogs in need. :)

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Originally Posted by Calift

Thanks for the responses....I love hearing about what people do with their dogs, and you guys have lots of wonderful advice!

I'm not really new to dog breeds or anything, but my two current ones (Chow are Greyhounds), aren't that trainable. I literally melt if I see a chow puppy or someone walking a grey:wuv:, but neither breed is good off leash or known for great obedience.

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If you like Greys maybe you should check out a Whippet. I cant think of a more agile dog and they are very trainable. My Mother in law has three Schipperkes I cant believe someone else has heard of them....

my dog and i are both power sleepers. Does that count?

my gf's family's dog is going to try its paw at agility courses.. Just for fun, but of course part of that fun is hopefully competing!

He is still a very young puppy, and just got fixed yesterday, so it will be some time still before they get to any "real" agility training.

He's a lab/collie/? mutt from a rescue.

I dont compete with my dog, yet. I dont have a car which makes it difficult. But when I do I plan on doing some agility and weight pull. At this point we are just doing fun stuff at home that teaches some of the base skills.

Rescues are definately a viable option if you do not want to do confirmation. I personally would choose a sport over confirmation any day. Way more fun IMO.

I would choose a sport, and then look at the breeds that excell in that sport and pick one that will fit with your lifestyle. You can attend dog shows to meet breeders.

Personally I would get an APBT or Staffy Bull for most sports, easy to train, willing to please, and cute as a button.

Sorry I am late with my post...

But I do some work with my dogs. One of my dogs does obedience and some PSA (a protection sport). I just recently got another dog that I will be doing narcotic detection. I currently train dogs to detect explosives.

I would like to get into some agility stuff. We have been introducing the dogs to the equipment so we will see what happens.