At this stage, I believe Lightning has all the skills needed to earn an AKC Junior Hunter (JH) title and a breed club Working Certificate (WC). The JH would require four passes of Junior Hunt Tests. The WC needs a single pass at a WC/WCX event.

Competition can be frustrating. If nothing else, it’s a great opportunity to hear people say, “My dog never did that before.” I’ve been thru JH and WC with Lumi  and Laddie, and I don’t feel the need to go thru them again with Lightning, at least at this time. I’d rather continue training till he’s ready for his first Qualifying stake, sometime in the future.

However, all sorts of good reasons exist to run a dog in competition when you and the dog are ready, and you’ll learn a ton every time out. If you pass, great. If not, you’ll know where you misjudged how ready you were and what area or areas to shore up. If you decide to try it, I hope it’s a great experience for you.