@elbrant That's how all my 8-some learned to catch.
If food dropped on the floor - you lost it ! So they all stood on their hind legs and it was like feeding a nest of fledgling sparrows. A gentle toss of the treat and someone caught it !
Most people incorrectly use the terms dominant and dominance with regard to dogs. Here is a good blog post by Dr. Sophia Yin on the topic.
http://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/dominance_in_dogs_is_not_a_personality_trait
Welcome, and 'ditto' Janneke on the stories. I'm clueless when it comes to the racing aspect–-actually I'm clueless on many aspects, but racing is a big DUH?!?! moment for me.