The hard work for me came in channeling this excitement and energy into his becoming a top competitor and performer. One drawback of owning a sheep-herding dog is the amount of exercise required to keep him happy. In his younger days if Wizard didn't get a good workout every day he would drive himself and anyone else around crazy by trying to get volunteers to play with him. This breed simply has a ton of energy. Some dogs chew on an old shoe.
Sheep dogs start chewing at one end of a couch and finish at the other.
In fact, my current performing dog, Magic, is working to link-up the Eurotunnel with our backyard. Some weekends when I played the flying disc game Ultimate, my team might play three games. Naturally, before, during halftime and after each game, Wizard ran wild on the field seeking any human willing to throw him his beloved toy. It was quite a sight to see one dog amid 20 players running, jumping, catching and seemingly never tiring. Yet, by the end of the day when we got in the car, he would lie down and immediately go to sleep.