Thats quite right about the pup that was kept crated etc. I have heard of this a few times in the competitive obedience world, one of my friends told me. They take them at 5 weeks, the puppy is kept isolated from any of the other dogs, only sees the owner and is made into a robot by the treatment it gets so they are 'successful' in the obedience world. The way she told it to me it was like normal to her, although she did say to me she would never do it. She was actually telling me about it when Cariad and Lona were little and I think the hint was that if I kept them isolated from each other then they would be 'better' behaved. I just find the whole concept totally abhorrent actually and cried, because I just could not get my head around how people could do this. I do train, but I train because I enjoy it, I cannot imagine doing that to my dogs just to win a rosette.

I can't see how anyone with any conscious could do it really. Like you say, turnign them into training obsessed machines purely for the owners glory of wining. This one was not walked in the conventional way either, it's exercise was a formal retrieve of a dumbbell, with finish, again and again and again. No way to live.

It is apparently the normal way they go about it, thats how they get these dogs to be absolutely perfect.
My friend has just got a puppy at 6 weeks, she is adament that it is fine to do this, breaks my heart. My puppies do not leave me under any circumstances whatsoever until they are at least 8 weeks, some haven't gone till later than that, and it has not impacted on them whatsoever. Everyone always says how confident and well rounded they are. Just could not let any pup of mine go at 5 weeks to someone who was going to leave it on its own without any company or contact with anyone else. Just awful to even think of it happening right now to a puppy somewhere, yet it is

And what happens to them when they are no longer useful as obedience dogs I wonder? How do they cope in a world they have been completely unprepared for I wonder.

I was on one of my dog walker walks recently, meeting another dog walker when a camper can type thing drew up with lots of collies in. I was still waiting for my friend and had only got Tonks out so far. The women took one dog out and walked it for five minutes just so it could go to the loo (maybe they were just on a loo break)...the last dog she got out was a year old collie very nervous and it was lunging at Tonks, who was sat perfectly still with her back to the other dog paying attention to me, and the women apologised and said that her dog was only used to collie and had no real experience of any other breed. Now Tonks is never ever going to win any real competion, although she always did well in our dog training and agility little competitions, but she is extremely well rounded. I can't see how people can put competion above raising a well rounded dog. Surely being well rounded should come first.

Oh I've heard of several cases of these collies sheep worrying when they are at Obedience things, they only know what they know, end of. My friend has one of Cariad's daughters (Kofie), she does flyball with her, they were sat watching the obedience bit at one show and a collie just came at them and attacked Kofie, for no reason anyone could see, it just ran off straight at them. I'm sure its not the case with all of them, but it does seem to be a sort of well covered up problem

Poor dog. Hope it didn't affect Kofie long term.
On a slightly different note a collie that I walk occasionally attacked another dog recently, he's treated as a family pet and very loved but has always been iffy with other dogs. Anyway they've book a full behavioural assessment with a friend of mine. The owner has spent so much of "behaviourists" in the past, before I met her, and it sounds like she's had a bunch of idiots round. Two told her he just needed to do agility and that would cure him, and another suggested obedience or fly ball?! Like having a sport to concentrate on would suddenly teach him that other dogs aren't a threat and not to attack them! She was very nearly going to take him to someone in London who said he was an expert and would muzzle the dog, bring his own dogs in and could solve the problem in a day for £300! Thankfully her usual dog walker dissuaded her of this and said it would take a full behavioural assessment and months of work from the owner to change the dogs ways and she wouldn't get a completely different dog just one who could walk past dogs or concentrate on her rather than attacking.
I like walking him as he give out very clear "back off" signals and escalates them appropriately....but unfortunately when he snaps and goes he really goes for it.

We are training for therapy and we are also going to start working two days a week at a senior center (yay) soon enough, as well. Nigredo is my partner and his training has to be done a certain way otherwise he won't pass his exams. Not all of it is pleasant.

He must be fine with being handled WAY too much, he must always walk on a loose leash in public. He must stand still and wait on people going through doorways and elevators. He must always keep all 4 paws on the ground. He must not touch any dropped food or take any food from anybody other than me. He must not be scared of yelling, wheelchairs, crutches, crowds, or sudden noises.

Lots of it is hard for him, and for me... but we perservere because he truly enjoys visiting with people and getting all the attention and being out and about all the time. You have to take the good with the bad.

He's not a "robot" or "automaton" because at home... he can do things that he can't do in public such as jump on the beds. It is far from competitive obedience, but it takes tons of focus and isn't always fun or easy.

It does seem to have affected her confidence when she has another dog in another lane running towards her during a flyball comp. she's not happy and sometimes it just sends her into panic mode, and she'll stop, try and run out etc. She's giving her a break from it, she does other things with her anyway, but flyball was what she really enjoyed and was good at, only Utonagan registered as a flyball dog actually.
She's also doing Rally Obedience, her older collie is amazingly good at this, and Kofie has now had a little try at it.
I too have had bad experiences with collies and my dogs, and I try not to be near any if I can possibly help it, been attacked too many times now, and if my dogs retaliate then it becomes that big dog attacked that poor little collie, never mind they have been pushed beyond the point of no return.
I make very sure my 2 younger girls are not even in the same road as one if I can possibly help it

Don't think that it is only in the show world that poor breeding practices happen because it isn't.

I know of at least one breeder personally who bred dogs for police work who once bred from a very unstable, but high energy dog who removed the pups just after birth to give to a foster mother because the birth mother was so unpredictable.

OMG there is practically a battle between my girls as to whos going to look after them best. Cariad helps deliver then gets really wrapped up in them, cleaning them etc. the mother in the end has to give her a stern warning to clear orf - or else.
Then another one wants to be the nanny, those babies are kept so clean and loved by everyone, but also taught their manners when necessary, it is amazing to watch. I spend hours watching all the interaction. Cannot imagine how stressful that must be to have to worry about the mother attacking the babies.