I have a question that I'll develop at length in another post - something I'd like you good people to think about too.

For now, a simple analogy: Here in Montana we have the Race to the Sky, an exciting, all-out dogsled race that is a precursor to the famous Iditarod.

For months and years the team trains and bonds with the driver/owner. Once each team starts, the jumping, barking, and pent-up energy and excitement in the dogs goes silent as they all dig in and put all their energy and muscle into running. The lead dog hears the musher's commands and puts his all into the speed and stamina required to pull that sled at beakneck speeds through the unseen dangers of the course ahead. All the other dogs pull in unison with that lead dog.

The way to win the race is to trust that lead dog, give him general directions, and give him his head.

We also have agility and herding trials for herding dogs. Those dogs, exceptionally intelligent and highly trained, operate under the direction and control of their master, who develops a fine-tuned relationship with the dog in which the dog's instincts and ability are under the handler's control.

The way to win at agility or herding is through constant communication and control.

With this new OC, will McVay be a handler who wants control over his dog, or will he let his dog run his own race?

P.S. To GlacierRam: Even been to the start of the Race to the Sky in Lincoln?