A lot of people in dog training hide behind years.
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Years in dogs. Years around dogs. Years breeding dogs. Years handling dogs. Years giving advice about dogs.
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But years alone do not prove skill.
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A person can spend twenty years repeating the same weak timing, the same poor observation, the same bad habits, and the same beginner-level mistakes and still call it experience. That may sound harsh, but it is true. Time by itself does not make someone sharp. It does not make them accurate. It does not make them skilled. It only tells you they have been around.
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Dog training does not care how long somebody has been in the game. It does not care about old stories, old titles, old talk, or old excuses. It cares about what that person can actually see, actually understand, actually apply, and actually produce today.
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That is where the difference shows.
Real skill is not built by coasting on the past. Real skill is built by continuing to learn, continuing to refine, continuing to sharpen timing, continuing to improve observation, and continuing to correct weak areas instead of pretending they do not exist. The best dog people do not stop because they have been around dogs for a long time. They keep going because they know there is always more to see, more to understand, and more to improve.
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That is one of the biggest differences between people who truly grow in dogs and people who stay stuck while calling it experience.
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At JBK, improvement has never been treated as optional. Getting better year after year means staying honest about where growth is still needed. It means going to lessons. It means attending seminars. It means learning from people who are stronger in specific areas. It means being willing to look at your own handling, your own timing, your own blind spots, and tighten them up so the dogs benefit, the work gets cleaner, and the clients get better results.
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At JBK, continued learning is part of the standard. Being skilled does not mean pretending to know everything. It means staying honest, staying teachable, and continuing to improve so the dogs, the work, and the clients all benefit.
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That is how real dog work improves.
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It is also how respected competitors and trainers continue to separate themselves from the crowd. In obedience and rally, people such as Kim Berkley and Brianne Farr have produced measurable, current results with Border Collies at a high level. Trainers such as Rachel Flatley and Debby Quigley have built reputations not by repeating old claims, but by continuing to work dogs, teach, compete, refine, and produce results that hold up under scrutiny.
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That matters.
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Because dog training is full of people who want credit for how long they have been around, but not all of them want the pressure of honest evaluation. Not all of them want correction. Not all of them want to admit where they are weak. Not all of them want to keep learning once they know just enough to sound experienced.
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But dogs expose that quickly.
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Dogs do not care about a person’s ego. They do not care how long someone has talked about dogs. They respond to timing, clarity, pressure, release, consistency, and skill. They show the truth of what a person is capable of producing in real time.
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That is why years alone mean very little.
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A person can spend decades in dogs and still remain at a beginner level if the same mistakes are being repeated year after year. On the other hand, a person who stays teachable, observant, and committed to getting better will continue to improve their eye, their handling, their results, and the quality of life for the dogs in front of them.
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That is the standard.
Not stale experience. Not old stories. Not inflated self-image. Not time served.
Real skill. Current ability. Continued growth. Better results.
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Recommended Trainers and Further Learning
The following trainers are referenced here because their records reflect continued learning, current ability, and real performance. Their work supports the same principle discussed in this article: real skill is not measured by time alone, but by what a person can continue to produce, refine, and improve over time.
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Kim Berkley
Kim Berkley is recognized for high-level Border Collie work in obedience and rally. AKC states that her Border Collie Zayne won the 2022 AKC Rally National Championship, the 2023 AKC Rally National Championship, and the 2023 AKC Obedience Classic, and that Zayne also placed second at the 2022 and 2023 AKC National Obedience Championships. AKC also states that her Border Collie Zuko won the 2024 AKC Rally National Championship. Her record reflects precision, current ability, and measurable success at a national level. (American Kennel Club)
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Brianne Farr
Brianne Farr is known for competitive success with Border Collies in rally and for continued work across multiple dog sports. AKC states that Farr teaches training classes and competes in obedience, rally, agility, herding, disc dog, and dock diving. AKC also states that her Border Collie Aurora won the 2020 AKC Rally National Championship. (American Kennel Club)
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Rachel Flatley
Rachel Flatley is known for substantial performance accomplishments, instruction, and long-term development with working and sport dogs, including Border Collies. Clean Run states that she has trained dogs full-time for more than twenty years and has earned over 300 performance titles on her own dogs, including Border Collies. Clean Run also lists obedience and rally accomplishments that include over 50 High in Trial awards, over 30 High Combined awards, and four Obedience Championships. (cleanrun.com)
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Debby Quigley
Debby Quigley is known for an extensive competitive obedience record and long-term instructional contribution. Clean Run states that she has earned over 200 AKC Obedience High in Trial awards and over 150 AKC Obedience High Combined awards, along with multiple Obedience Trial Champion (OTCH) titles, and that she has earned multiple wins and placements at AKC national events. Her record reflects the kind of ongoing skill-building and proven results that deserve respect. (cleanrun.com)
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Readers who want to continue learning would do well to study accomplished trainers, seek out strong educational material, and learn from people whose work shows real ability rather than just long years in dogs.
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