I have been thinking about this topic a lot...
What i value in our wolfdogs (may it be twd or swd) is their bodystructure, which when correct, enables them to trott a certain way. not race, but a relaxed trott, which imho in a healthy dog, the size of our wolfdogs , their ability to stretch, the long limbs, should easily be the 12+ k an hour.
two weeks ago a marathon was cancelled in holland, halfway through more or less, some pro's had already finished, at a not as good as normal time! I find this correct, same as i find it correct to cancel other races at a certain temperature!
But i don#t feel this endurance run can be compared to a marathon, and i dearly hope those running it don't see it that way.
What is the difference to me?
In a marathon , or any race, you take yourself/animal to the limits of its abilities, seeking those limits, factors as temperature do indeed influence this a lot!
The endurance test imho this taking to the max is one of the signs that a dog has actually failed the test. IMHO this tests should be able to be done at a relaxed trott, never coming near the limits.
a week and a half ago i took my boy biking, first since a long time, cause it was a long time since i have been in holland. I took him from my home town to delft, about 15 k, untrained, other than our daily walks. He was unleashed most of the time, picking his own trotting pace, mostly offroad. Because of a miscommunication i was not picked up and had to go back on bike as well. That left me worried a bit, but i took him back, don#t ask me time, i just made sure he could follow me at an easy trott, offroad in the grass most of the time however. Yes it was sunny and warm, but my boy never experienced any problems, his pads looked good all the way, and that evening he went with me horsebackriding and showed no fatigue signs. next day i was a little soar, i had not ridden abike or horse for over a yr, my boy however was ready to move and play.
That imho is one of the strenghts and one of the specifics i love and value about our wolfdogs, their natural strenght, combined with a wonderfull gait.
the endurance test as i see it is a way to tast and also train the natural abilities of the dog, never seek the limits.
I have never seen a endurance test, hope to one day, however not with my boy, he takes to little pleasure in walking next to my bike leashed, but i hope someone can tell me my assumption an the test has been right, and in the process, explain to me why there is need for placing dogs, which could lead to taking it into a race, which is imho taking it on another level , pushing dogs to limits to aquire 1st place and best time
