Quote Originally Posted by YigYang
The biggest part in the Test is the conditioning.
Everything your dogs has relies on his conditioning and endurance.
A dog is like a human. For example lets use boxing.
You are not going to put a boxer in a ring that has been out the gym for awhile.
why??? simply because he or she is in no condition to compete.
I made the claim that the ability also relies on the conditioning of a dog because a boxer who has not been conditioned or prepaired physically will not compete at its full potential because while in the ring. Without conditioning your arms and legs become fatigue, same thing with a dog, its mouth, strengh, ablility, endourance all relies on the conditioning part on the keep
I think testing "Hard" is a waste because i see it as in why test a dog "Hard" if the dog isnt prepaired or conditioned to be tested hard, while in his real test you can make an evaluation because your pet will be in some type of its peak. Take it how you want to but I have seen many people loose great pets like this, coming from experience
Hope this help a little bit
Good point to bring up YigYang.

I agree, there is no question that top conditioning brings out the best potential in any performance animal. Absolutely. However, wouldn't you agree that overcoming adversity is another matter entirely?

In other words, I agree that a dog in top condition going :50 is going to put on "a better performance" than he would if pulled off the chain ... but the point I am making is it will be harder for that dog to go :50 while not in shape. When checking for gameness, adversity is what challenges "the will to continue," so being tired as hell (through lack of condition) will be a bigger game test for a dog than will being fresh as a daisy through optimal condition, thanks to the dog being in the best shape of his life.

So, yes, being in top shape will bring out the best in any dog, no question. However, being out of shape will challenge a dog's "will to continue" more quickly, and thus will let you see just how game your dog is a whole lot sooner, thus minimizing the trauma because you don't have to sit there and watch them for 2 hours before they start to slow down.

This brings up another matter, which is AIR, or natural stamina. Some dogs have great natural air, and can actually go :50 no problem because of this. In fact, one old man I know (who's been doing dogs since the mid-60s) said this to me: "Jack, if any dog doesn't have the natural wind to go a good strong hour, hard, right off the chain, then I don't need that f---ing dog."

And he has been associated with some of the greatest dogs in the history of the game ...

Jack


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