> A correctly temperamented Cavalier should be an excellent agility candidate. > They are after all, a spaniel, a sporting type breed. Maybe there are not > that many Cavaliers with an active, fearless, sporting character who can > excel in agility--but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be that way. ============== Character alone does not make a consistent top agility candidate. To get to the top of the heap, the Cavalier must be competitive with those of other breeds far more genetically geared for agility AND, perhaps more importantly, the Cavalier's handler must be more self-driven to learn and succeed. For Cavaliers in general, I believe their handlers have a far greater challenge than do the handlers of the more naturally endowed agility breeds.
Over the past five years, I have witnessed many handlers of slower, less agile breeds pick as their next dog a Border Collie or a Sheltie or a Jack Russell, just because the handlers want to win so much, and recognize that the odds of winning with those breeds is a surer thing, so they will compromise on their initial breeds-of-choice to do so. What "should be" is for one's imagination. The reality is that some Cavaliers will make wonderful agility dogs; many will not; and only a very few will excel at the higher levels; whereas, for some notable other breeds, success at agility comes much more naturally, and those breeds are the ones which dominate the sport. Nevertheless, I have found that in the agility ring, no breed seems to act like it is enjoying the sport as much as Cavaliers. With their tails twirling like helicopter blades, their gaits literally bouncing between obstacles and through the weave poles, and their perpetual grins on their faces, they are a joy to watch regardless of how well they place in the competitions. Rod Russell Orlando, Florida USA ========================================================= "Magic Commands": to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL to start it up gain click here: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 2002 by its original author.
