I had family dogs when I was age 11, the first a mix named Jeep, who I trained on my own.
As an adult, in 1980 I got my first sighthound.  I began training all the time, first in Honolulu then on the U.S. mainland.  Griz, a Borzoi, worked obedience, and he also had a stellar career in lure coursing.  Then I got Juniper, another Borzoi, followed by several deerhounds.  They all trained in obedience, agility, and rally. 
I have titled dogs in obedience (CDX), Rally (RE), agility (Novice), and tricks (TKP), mostly AKC titles, the main exceptions being a mid-level title in Freestyle and a number of non-AKC rally titles. I have also finished one deerhound and pointed others in conformation.
A number of different DKC instructors have contributed to my way of training a dog, with the goal always being a constantly improving relationship with your dog. One of the biggest helps was a clicker training class.
My border collie, Eclipse, was a natural service dog and my next dog Iowa (deerhound) learned this skill from Eclipse.
I am most proud of my current service dog Darwyn (border collie) when he does his medical work unobtrusively in public, but with precision and accuracy. 
What I like about the DKC is that, through thick and thin, it is always there, offering classes and independent training times, and putting on shows and trials