A dog does not have to come from champion lines to be an Arrowwood Champion. As a team, both
trainer and owner work hard to create the best dog possible. When the dog knows and performs all that we've taught it,
we have created a champion.
There are two phases that make the perfect dog. First and most important is the home, family
dog. This dog must be outgoing and playful to all that come in contact with it. It must be trustworthy and the owner should
not have to worry about any unprovoked aggression. The dog must be as obedient at home as on the training field without distraction.
Both owner and dog must be happy and eager to please.
Second is the dog at work. This dog must have the utmost obedience, distracted
by nothing. This dog should focus on nothing but the owner and the task at hand. This dog must be stable enough and trust
its owner enough to conquer a genetic trait of unstable nerves. This dog must want to please the owner enough to conquer the
genetic trait of zero to low drive. The dog and owner must have the attitude and willingness to conquer any task put in front
of them. The dog has to work to please the owner. The work that we give to these dogs is obedience, tracking, and protection
sport (PSA) competition. Some dogs do not do all three and they will
still achieve champion status. The obedience is the most important aspect of any dog. This must be extremely tight with the
understanding that the dog must do anything that the owner says at any time. How far should the handler push? Push to the
point that the dog with no leash works happy. Push for eye contact as well as making sure that the dog stays by your side
no matter what. The dog must trust the handler in knowing that it is safe from all distractions such as people, other animals
and noises. The most important command in your trust building is your Stay. The Stay is shown by how far you can get from
your dog and how long you can stay away. You must be able to stay out of sight for a minimum of five minutes. Once you can
get this, then and only then, have you created a Champion.
