Wow, really loved this article! Food for thought, for sure.
I currently run three dogs. Well, to be more accurate, I trial with two and have one in training. Muttilda is my very first agility dog and I originally got into the sport with her as a confidence builder. I didn't really plan to trail at all, but as she progressed in her training, my timid, insecure little dog started to show some great focus and athletic ability. We are now running Masters in AKC. In training Muttilda is very excited about agility and will work through sequences with speed and accuracy. What she needs from me in practice is clear handling, and approval. She is VERY sensitive to criticism, and it took me a while to figure out that using any kind of negative marker really damps her spirit. In trials she still struggles with confidence, but she does best when we stay calm and business-like with very clear cues, me being careful not to make a mistake and get in her space, and with calm encouragement throughout the run. Too much energy shuts her down, even if it's happy energy.
My second dog, Rudy, is more confident by nature. He is not super motivated, and has to be "in the mood" to give me a good run. With him I have to cheerlead a lot, so needs more upbeat energy and verbal praise from me. Running him is sometimes exhausting, because I have to feed him so much energy! We are also running Master level.
BookIt is my 12 month old smooth BC puppy. He is a completely different ballgame. He is your typical border collie in his desire to work. He has great focus already and SO MUCH drive! It is very different running him, as I have to consciously tone down my body language (I'm so used to cheerleading). He is also so much more independent, works happily from a distance and really just wants me to tell him where to go next. He'll take care of the rest. He just needs me to be clear and focused. And fast....it's going to be a huge learning curve for me to run him once we start trailing...
