I do totally agree with the little quote.

I have said it, and thought it for a long long time;

Much as I have learned loads for Kerrie, and I love her to bits. I know that, she would have been an amazing dog for someone who had the know how and the skills right from the off. (not me, who has had to figure it all out)

I do believe she could have been a good sport dog, she is very very smart, and very handler dependent.
I also feel that a better handler could have solved her DA

Yes, I do feel guilty

i think i left the same club, but at agility, the whole win at any costs attitude made me really uncomfortable, the whole idea for me is to have fun with my dogs if they do win thats a bonus, but its not the be all and end all.


On the other side, i have one dog that i wish i had, had from a pup her drive to work is out of this world, just a pity someone let her go self employed from an early age, and i have had to spend the last 4 years correcting that, if someone had put the work in early on she'd have been an outstanding working dog, as it is she's about there

When I started to read this thread I immediately thought of an older neighbour who had a very similar experience to yours. He enjoyed a local agility club - it turned out his dog had great potential but he didn't and everyone at the club was just awful to him - stating outright that he should pass her on to someone who would take her all the way.

Yes, in some ways its a bit of a shame that so many dogs don't reach their potential because of their handlers but do the dogs care? I'm damn sure that Meg didn't think 'if it wasn't for him I'd be a champion by now'. she has a very happy life and there is a strong bond between her and her owner.

What we think would be a better life for dogs is not always what they like best anyway.
My OHs dog is a great example, he goes to work with my OH most days which involves a walk on the beach in the morning then spending the rest of the day sat behind a shop counter with a short spin in the park at midday. This dog is really clever and great to train so I often tease my OH and tell him he's like someone with a ferrarri that he just uses to fetch milk from the local shop.
On paper the dog would be much better off staying at home with me where there is a couple of acres for him, daily training, stimulation and play with the other dogs etc. but the dog prefers going into the shop and is dead fed up on the one day a week he doesn't go in!

You have no reason to feel guilty. Is it possible that someone else may have done better
I guess its possible
its also possible that many many people would have done worse - and most people would not have tried - she would have been dumped or PTS

and these 'better' people were not there for her - you were

Oh, I am under no illusion, that she may have been PTS or abused because of the way she is. But at the same time, I do feel guilt.

I am the same with Cookie, I do think that someone else who knew better would have got him out of his DA earlier and fully, where as for the most part he is now fine, but still kicks of every now on then, especially on lead and if the other dog is kicking off.

Don't you believe it, not everything can be cured, so don't beat yourself up unecessarily.

(Let me do that for you)

I think I probably just love him too much, if that is possible. As such I want the very best for him. I would be no good with children, if there was anything wrong with Cookie they would end up starving