Sport v Working & Show

There are always plenty of lively discussions about the differences between working and show types of the same breed of dog, but what about the sports dogs. Are dogs bred specifically for sport/trials (working, field, sheepdog etc) different again in looks, temperament and type to the working/show?

What is the difference between sport and working?

To my mind, sport is a pastime or a hobby, working is to do a job.

I don't know how many breeder breed specifically for sport homes, but have heard of it a few times (in GSDs and especially BCs). One would assume that these dogs come from working lines originally, but when bred over generation after generation from sports dogs for sport homes, does a split happen?

Well I think most working gundogs will say their dogs work even if they or their progeny compete in a sport such as Field Trials.

So Working Cocker Spaniels differ from Show/Pet Cocker Spaniels, not sure if there is a "sport" strain.

I dont think at the moment it has been happening for long enough
Round here there are a couple of 'sport' kennels for border collies and they do have a look - dainty, fluffy and pointy - quite pretty - but pretty bad tempraments from what I have been seeing

People I was speaking to in america had more experience of agility and flyball breeders over there
there were kennels breeding really small collies for height dogs for flyball (or crossing with JRTs)
But they said that lots of kennels were starting with good working collies and a few generations of breeding for sports they were having to add more working dogs as the drive was getting less and less

There are certainly many breeders of collies for Agility, Obedience and Working Trials.

Excellent ones with superb temperaments would be Waggerland, Glenalpine, Stardell just to name three. All of which have champions in these disciplines.

Leslie Olden started her own line a few years ago based on Waggerland with the affix Nedlo.

They rarely go as pets or as sheepdogs.

Cool, I knew there would be some good ones out there - not the ones I am seeing just now sadly

No, I am not sure there is a sport strain either as such, but are the hobbyists - ie those that want a dog for field trials only (if there are such people?) breeding only from field trials champions for a certain type of spaniel?

In border collies, the trial hobbyists just want, what is being called, a Saturday afternoon dog. They want a dog that is easily handled, that doesn't have the sort of push you need for a lot of work, and are often quite weak dogs. Not all, I hasten to add. If some manage to get into the National Team with the Saturday dog, they are often shown up as not having the amount of push that is needed for every day work. I don't think this is a different strain as such either, just a different type of dog that is favoured.

In GSDs, I have been told that the working dog seems to be coming away from what it was, with a focus being on sport, and the true balanced temperament being lost in the quest for more and more drive, with a need for more electric training

This is the type of thing I mean, rather than a different strain I guess.

It was collies that really started this discussion in my mind, as there appear to be real strains of sport collies and kennels.