Based on what you want I think size is a definite concern. I tried some freestyle and Frisbee dog stuff with Nikon and part of the problem is that when he does get all amped up and crazy he is just too big for some of it and will hurt himself or me. I have to keep my dogs *very* dialed in for flyball and agility. Normally I like things full speed and full drive from the beginning but with these two activities there are real safety concerns and I don't encourage the speed, power, and drive until the dog has a very clear understanding of each exercise and can do it safely. For example for flyball teaching the swimmer's turn people with little dogs literally have them bounce off the wall. Nikon can and will do it off a wall but doing that repeatedly is too much for him and too much for the wall! Our instructor has to give me separate drills because she is used to mini-aussies, smaller BCs, small terriers. I had to build some of my own equipment that I know is safe for my dogs. With both Pan and Nikon I chose or was placed the smallest males in their litters and I've still got two 70-75lb dogs. Some days it would be so much easier with a BC or small Mal.

The one thing that always draws me back to the shepherds and what I see in Nikon and love is that everything he does is deliberate. By that I mean his drive is not the neurotic type where you flip a toy with your wrist and he does a backflip. All that stuff is cool to me but at the end of the day I prefer a very clear-headed, thinking dog. Nikon takes all forms of training very seriously, even learning silly pet tricks for food treats. I also really love this about him. He is a fast learner and easy to train, where as Pan doesn't have a serious hair on his body and is very fast speed-wise and has more drive but takes longer to train because he can just get crazy-stupid in drive. When I'm working with Nikon I can see him really trying to put things together in his mind, anticipate the next step, consider the rewards and the consequences. This suits me well as I do not like to train by luring.