Narrowing down..

[stardogs]

I do have to say that ime it's much easier to stack the deck when you can see a dog as an older pup, regardless of background, breed, etc. It's way easier to assess drives, social traits, etc. once they are more than a little roly poly lump.

Ziva I adopted at 5.5mo and she is an aaaamazing little agility dog - got her Master Agility Dog title in USDAA in 10 trials, saves my a$$ regularly on course, and is doing well in Tournament classes as well as titling classes as we work toward her ADCH. I have no idea what her mix is, but I selected her because she had everything I wanted (balanced toy and food drives, love of work, very social but not to the extreme, secure with new sounds and surfaces, etc.) and all those traits have held true as she's matured.

Kes is not as far along in agility as I'd like but he is doing quite well in dock diving competitions. I adopted him at about 16 weeks - he came home as a foster due to his breed and gender, but I kept him because, again, he had the drives and temperament I wanted.

I know you're talking about a purebred puppy, but I guess I'm just trying to point out that the selection process of the individual puppy is just as important as finding the right breed or breeder.

Hopefully you'll be able to assess the puppies yourself or have another experienced person do so - sometimes it's enough to find a litter you like and then base your final decision on the individual. Be willing to walk away if you can't find that perfect fit, too, though I know that's hard when it's a litter of puppies!

[MafiaPrincess]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

If you're interested in getting in touch with Melissa at Skyrocket, let me know. She's who I train & assist agility with. Over the past year there have been several cocker pups with really nice potential she's placed.

Cali, does she plan to put her site back up again? I enjoyed browsing and seeing what her dogs were up to if nothing else. I used to peruse her site regularly..

[Aleron]

Originally Posted by Dekka

Yes it it.

This thread is about someone looking to find a great agility partner... you are implying any reasonable (non Samie) dog can do it if you can train hard enough.

Not me. The quote is from someone who as a teenager, trained the highest placing Northern breed ever at World Championships, has won the World Championships twice and is always competitive in them. Perhaps you should email her and correct her for her misunderstanding that great agility dogs require training. I mean she shouldn't be spreading that sort of misinformation.

And just today she posted this to FB :O

"I’m definitely guilty of getting Bu with expectations: I expected from a BC to have a drive and love to play. She had neither of the two and it sure affected our relationship at first. But that taught me to forget about the expectations, accept the challenge and enjoy the journey. She might not be a dog I expected to get – but she is so much more! If I tried to make a perfect agility dog out of her, I would never learn that. So forget about a perfect agility dog – just make sure you make a perfect team with your dog. – Your dog who should first and foremost be your best friend. – And should always come first, before any result." LoLaBu Land Experience · It***8217;s all about the teamwork

Originally Posted by Dekka

The nice thing about talking to ppl in AAC is you are relegated to purebred dogs, so you get a lot more discussion about breeding for agility than you would say in AKC/CKC as you don't have the option of purpose breeding agility dogs.

Plenty of people in AKC breeding dogs for agility (and for competition obedience). AKC's acceptance of mixed breeds is a pretty recent thing and not all trials are even open to them. We actually don't see many sport mixes in AKC, at least in my area. Probably because mixed breeds have to be altered.

Originally Posted by Dekka

While I have no real desire to mix my JRTs with anything I do plan to start over breeding a line of nice small correct JRTs that have natural drives and excel in dog sports. Basically your posts have been telling me (generic me.. any breeder who wishes to do this) that I am wasting my time.

Do the hardcore JRT people find that as appalling as the hardcore BC people find breeding BCs for sport? I know the BCboards get all up in arms when someone talks about buying a sport bred BC puppy.

Again, I'm not sure where you are getting the idea that I ever said one can't breed for drive.

Originally Posted by Dekka

I do wonder what your actual experience is with agility. I did find your website. Cute dogs.. as you move up into competitive levels and non CPE you might notice that most dogs doing well at the masters level are ones that have natural talent, vs just training.

Great job "finding" my website. One of these days I get back to working on it and updating it. If you must know I've been involved in agility since the mid 90s and have competed in many different venues over the years. Also have competed in competition OB, Rally and conformation as well as dabbling in SchH, tracking, flyball, herding, lure coursing (now my dogs can "compete" in that too!) and whatever else caught my attention. All of my dogs had to be trained though

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by MafiaPrincess

Cali, does she plan to put her site back up again? I enjoyed browsing and seeing what her dogs were up to if nothing else. I used to peruse her site regularly..

It's not high on the list of her priorities. I actually volunteered to redesign and code her site over the summer if she'd tell me what she wanted on it, but she never got back to me.

I think part of the reason is she hasn't really had time to trial a lot lately. She's teaching full time, judging part time, and has moved something crazy like 3 times in a year for various reasons. Plus the health issues, of course (though praise God she seems to be in the clear )

[MafiaPrincess]

Well, I'm glad to hear she's okay. You always wonder is it health, did they stop breeding.. I heard about the previous health issues and hoped she was still good..

Her site could use a redesign It's nice to know she's busy. I'll totally keep her on my list.

[Dekka]

Originally Posted by Aleron

All of my dogs had to be trained though

WTF?

Are you doing this on purpose, or do you have a reading comprehension issue?

Of course dogs have to be trained.... YOU, yes YOU are the only one acting like some people think they don't.

My dogs too have done obed, rally, agility (and movies and commercials) Maf's dogs do rally, and a few venues of agility (as seen in her siggy) All the people who replied to this thread have trained dogs for dog sports.

Just what are you assuming exactly?

I can buy a good herding prospect... still takes training, just like with horses I can buy a good dressage prospect... still takes training.

Or do you really think that any dog with training can do great?

I am most confused as your posts don't make sense... and they don't make sense if your dogs are all masters level agility dogs..

[MafiaPrincess]

All I want is a good agility prospect. I am unsure why that is deserving of so much attitude from you Aleron.

The endless Sylvia Trkman posts are getting old. As is the attitude she's better than me. Why thank you. I'm mildly aware, you are more full of yourself than needed.

Originally Posted by Aleron

Great job "finding" my website. One of these days I get back to working on it and updating it. If you must know I've been involved in agility since the mid 90s and have competed in many different venues over the years. Also have competed in competition OB, Rally and conformation as well as dabbling in SchH, tracking, flyball, herding, lure coursing (now my dogs can "compete" in that too!) and whatever else caught my attention. All of my dogs had to be trained though

Gee whiz, agility since the 90's. Belgians for 10 years, web site that isn't that out of date as your 2010 litter is on it, and lure coursing is in your list of things you do with your dogs.. yet the AKC added it for all breeds feb of this year. Agility isn't in you list of things you do with your dogs.

Can't be that out of date. So yet again for all the attitude where are the titles to back the snark up? Herding breed, that you breed yet I see a few HICs. You proclaim decades now of agility experience yet you have AKC novice titles, and CPE level one and two titles.

Originally Posted by Aleron

In fact, I've not seen one dog who agility instinct. Hence the training comment, which really was innocent enough. Oh well, good luck in finding an Instant Agility Star

Endless snideness. Who said I wanted an instant star? Seems it was all you.. I am kind of offended. As Cider has been rocking the dog sports and that has required a lot of training.. are you calling me a liar? Do you think my siggy is a lie? The only way your statements make sense is if I had never trained a dog in dog sports. Yet I have trained 2. So that leaves me to conclude you don't believe that I actually do dog sports and my siggy is a lie...

[Linds]

Originally Posted by MafiaPrincess

Endless snideness.

Pot, meet Kettle.

[Dekka]

What snideness? I reread this thread (or are you talking about other threads?) Where Aleron keeps saying that Maf is looking for an insta dog and thinks she will get a dog she doesnt' need to train.

Keeps going on about you need to train an agility dog (preachign to the choir, we all know that ) but just won't let up.

She won't put her money where her mouth is. I really don't blame Maf for getting fed up. Being fed up and telling someone to put up or shut up isn't the same as coming into a thread and basically calling Maf a liar. Because she is right, insinuating that she thinks agility takes no training is also insinuating she has little to no experience and the titles in her siggies are a lie. I would get snarky too if someone kept insinuating I was a liar and saying that wanting a dog from good proven bloodlines was some how 'bad' because I wasn't as good as "X" world competitor....

[sillysally]

I don't see where Maf is being made out to be a liar at all-that's quite a leap....