i always feel a two way bonding surge after jogging.

You get out of a relationship (any relationship) what you put into it.
I`m surprised a grown man hadn`t worked that out before.

Thats a bit unfair.

This is the second dog he owns and has not come from a dog family.

Storm loves to work and would (and has) take part in every training class in a single night so he has loads of one to one.

Willow used to be the training clubs demo dog for new starters (now taken over by Storm) so she also had loads of one to one training.

Meeka will lay down and refuse to budge if taken into any kind of training environment so hasn't had any real one to one at all. She responds to wait, heel and leave reliably (which is enough to keep her safe when out) but doesn't participate in any kind of training at all.

I love all of my dogs for different reasons but Meeka is my soulmate, so, no, in my case, training hasn't had any influence on the relationship with my (untrained ) dog.

I totaly agree
I have heard so often on the border collie forums people who have a real problem dog but when they put the work in that dog has become their closest best dog
The more time you spend working with your dog the more you understand them
If you are training positivly then you are looking for the good and you cant help but see how much good there is in your dog, and celebrate every step forwards

also of course your dog learns to love working with you and looks to you more often for fun

I do have to say there is no better feeling in the world than when you and your dog are just grinning at each other so in focus that every step you take is mirrored by them as if your eyes are a physical connection

sorry if that came over a bit waspish.
Still think you get back what you give, though.

I have had my dogs from young puppies so dont know what or how things would be diferent if i did things another way...

But what i can say, is if i go a few weeks without doing much training with them i dont really notice anything different, but then when i do get back to training regularly, i notice that they they are alot more tuned in, more focused and just generally a stronger bond.

Like when i was agility training ripley, i was going to classes that were 'ok' but wasnt really interacting with the dog as much as i should have been if you like as there was no formal training, i then started one on one lessons with her which were an hour long and very intense, it was pointed out that the reason she was unreliable and 'freethinking' was because there was no connection or understanding....fast forward just 4 months and our realtionship is so different, we have a better understanding of one another, she is now looking for instruction of what to do next and is wanting to work for me rather than work for herself. This has transferred into general home life, i feel because she is so much more tuned in, we are now a partnership rather than just working parallel to each other...if that makes sense?