Last Spring it was to raise baby chicks. Once I put them under my CATCH DOG'S care, I did not lose a single chick. If you do not have that flexibility with your dogs, then YOU are doing something wrong. The dog is just a stupid dog.
That is an impressive video. It is also an interesting example because, for the sake if discussion, for most it is completely irrelevant. Honestly, I do not think somebody with a high-prey Malinois is going to find that very relevant to the job they want their dogs for. Sport and police dogs are pretty purpose-driven, and said purposes do not include guarding chicks.
I suspect this is not news to you.
However, I think this comment bears some discussion:
If you do not have that flexibility with your dogs, then YOU are doing something wrong. The dog is just a stupid dog.
I disagree. Most do not have that level of flexibility with their dogs, and most dogs are not built for that. Reason being, that particular job is not what is being required of most dogs or from most people. If it were, I suspect priorities would shift. I also suspect if, say, Michael Ellis were using one of his dogs for that work, he would pick a dog most closely tailored for that sort of work and train to that goal. He knows dogs well enough that, were I a betting man and he set out to do that, I would put up some money for it. I also suspect he does not give two craps about that with his dogs. He trains and breeds mainly Ring Sport dogs, I believe police dogs, and dogs for S&R I believe. As such they are very purpose driven. Part of said purpose does not include farm work as a general rule. So when you say "[f]or any working dog to be worth a damn, they will do any job you need for them to do," a prey-driven K9 handler of a dual-purpose would probably to their "prey dog" with years of service under its belt and say they already have that.
My point being, at this point in the evolution of dogs I am fine with purpose-built dogs. I am also not sure I am faulting predominantly prey driven sport dogs, or training with prey drive, the way you are. These lines of dogs and styles of training came about for very specific reasons. Your goals are different than some other people, hence it makes sense that your breeding goals and training style would be different. Different horses for different courses, as they say.
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E-Dog - 2012 WPBTCA National Championships
The time when screech owls and Bandogges howl and spirits walk and ghosts break up their graves.
Act I, Scene IV of William Shakespeare's "King Henry VI"