by PJ Mueller
The Border Collie is known as the world’s pre-eminent herding dog, capable of immense feats of endurance and intelligence. If you adopt a border collie it is understandable you may want to try out herding, or stockwork, with your dog.
The Border Collie as a distinct breed was developed in the 19th century in the “border” regions between Scotland and England as an invaluable aid to shepherds. BCs working the hills of Scotland and Wales collect sheep from every nook and cranny of the fields and forests and bring the flock to the shepherd, often working at a distance of a mile or more away. This is called gathering and border collies gather the flock. They also excel in farm duties, from moving sheep in small or large flocks from field to field or in and out of the barn or a trailer, putting sheep into pens for sorting, treating, foot baths etc, separating out one or more individuals that need doctoring, or lambs from their mother at weaning. This is the historic use of the breed and there are many dogs still doing these jobs on farms and ranches all over the world today. Border collies work flocks of 2000 ewes on 10,000 acre ranches or flocks of four sheep on five acre hobby farms. This is the job for which they were bred.
There are many other herding dogs i.e. dogs bred for, and initially used for, herding livestock in the US and any other country that raises livestock. While some breeds resemble the border collie a bit Kelpies, Aussies) no other breed is quite like the BC and most are quite different. Some dogs are bred as drovers (Corgis for example ), some as boundary dogs that patrol an area acting like a living fence (German Shepherds, Tervs and others) and many are general farm dogs capable of doing a variety of tasks. But none can really do the type of long distance independent work the border collie can and if you are reading this you probably have or are thinking of getting a BC, so we will stick to that.
Today, people do have BCs to help them with their stock but, with the exception of large cattle ranches, most of us no longer farm livestock for a living so when we think about “herding” with our dogs we are really thinking of a dog sport. There are many BC owners who have gotten a flock of sheep because they need it to train their dogs, and they may end up as hobby farmers, but really the sheep are for the dog not vice versa. So, there is a growing sport of “herding” in the US. What does that mean and can you, a border collie enthusiast, get involved?
I will take a brief look at three aspects of the sport of herding. There are plentiful books and other resources to teach you more. First is the dog, then the training, then the competition itself.
The Dog
border collies were originally “purpose bred” for their skills that could help the shepherd, but increasingly they are bred for the type of herding behaviors that will win trials. Well-bred promising dogs now sell for over $20,000. Although we say BCs are “bred for” herding, not every dog will excel, just like not every Thoroughbred is Kentucky Derby material. Some don’t care about sheep, some can’t give up control to work with a handler, some don’t have the physical conformation or the mental stamina to take the training, some are not kind to their sheep and the sheep revolt. So, if you adopt a rescue dog are you getting one you can train to herd and compete? Who knows. Understand that not even all well-bred $20,000 dogs work out so your rescue of unknown background is a crap shoot. The only way to know for sure if a dog will do well in herding is to buy an adult that is already trained.
When looking at a rescue, look for a young dog (under two) less likely to have set habits. The dog should want to be with and interact with humans, be well put together with proper shoulder and stifle angulation, have “drive” to be active but also an off switch. Dogs that can’t settle and constantly obsess over little things will wear themselves out before they get on the field. Look for medium size and medium bone: Dogs with very short legs may not be able to keep up, and very tall or very large dogs may be more prone to injury or exhaustion. Unlike when you look for an agility prospect, toy drive is not predictive of herding interest or ability. Also, a dog known to “herd the kids and the cats” is in my opinion a negative not a positive. You want to herd sheep not kids. A good herding dog knows the difference. If the dog has been exposed to sheep and shown interest that is a positive but is only the beginning. Some rescue dogs turn into really great competitors, in the right hands. Others don’t. If your dog has a known pedigree, herding -knowledgeable people may be able to tell you something about the talents of his progenitors. That said, although famous ancestors may pass on their great traits, they don’t always, and “unknowns” can have surprising talents. If your dog has lines tracing to American BCs bred for working cattle, he may have more of an opinion (less of a team player) and a greater propensity to bite stock, both of which can be detrimental to successful sheep dog trialing.
The Training
This is the tough part. Herding trainers are thin on the ground. Of necessity lessons have to be one-on-one, not groups like agility. A lot of space is needed and of course livestock. This makes herding lessons pricey. Also depending on where you live there may be a lot of driving involved. People have been known to try and train herding with a chicken in the hallway of a Manhattan hi-rise but this is less than ideal. Generally you will start by finding a trainer who agrees to take you on and doesn’t live farther away than you are willing to drive at least once a week. If you have a good trainer a few months effort should let you know if you and your dog are going anywhere in the sport. Then you can buy the farm and your own sheep…..Well this is what happens to a lot of people who get completely captivated, but you often CAN develop some reasonable ability with weekly lessons, depending on the dog and your skill and your level of ambition.
Some people who can’t have sheep are able to have ducks and many (not all) border collies will accept this livestock as a reasonable facsimile for training the job. Another option is to send your dog to be trained for several months at a trainer, but if your dog is more than about two years old and has not been started training you may not find a trainer willing to take the dog. A trainer who specializes in border collies is in my opinion essential. Border Collies work and learn very differently from all the others (Bouviers, Belgian shepherds, Corgis, English Shepherds, Aussies, ACDs, Rotties and so on). Can you learn from a book, an on-line course, trial and error with a few pointers from a clinic? Well some people can and do (but in that case you will need your own sheep and land)—it depends on your individual aptitude. There are some basic behaviors, and they seem deceptively simple (walk up on the stock, go left, go right, stop). But the fluid combination of dog, person and sheep, not to mention the dog having centuries of inbred behaviors, and the fact that a third species with a mind of its own is involved, makes mastering this sport very difficult for many who were not essentially born in a barn.
The Competition
Some people say they just want to train the dog, to see him do what he was bred to do, or to help him settle down if he has “baggage” from his previous life. That is fine and may be admirable but if you are not serious you may not get far and a trainer may not take you on, although some will. Also do remember that stockwork is not for “exercising the dog” or “watching him chase sheep”. Sheep are sentient beings who did not ask to get involved and must be respected and cared for at all times.
Most people are a bit competitive and once they get going they want to show off what their dog has learned, so we come to trialing. There are multiple different associations offering herding (or stockdog) trials: ASCA (Australian Shepherd Club of America), AHBA (American Herding Breeds Association), AKC, and USBCHA (United States Border Collie Handlers Association) are the common ones in the NE. With a border collie, you can compete in any of these, although for AKC you will need a dog either registered with AKC or with a PAL number. For the other groups you just have to pay a little to join or sometimes not even that. Depending on where you live, you may find five trials a month, one trial a month, or one trial a year. Be prepared to drive. ASCA, AHBA and AKC all offer principally what are called arena trials – the course is set inside an arena about the size of a horse ring. There are multiple different course configurations and some are set in a field but generally not a large area. The courses include obstacles called gates or chutes that the stock must be put through, between, around or into (pen or trainer). These trials are generally all judged, meaning there are certain criteria to be met and a judge assessing how close you come to the criteria. Like equine dressage if you have ever done that, or sort of like ice skating. The main criterion is usually “lines” – the stock should follow a straight line at a steady pace as they proceed around the course from place to place and points are lost for not doing so. The dog with the highest score, i.e. fewest points lost, wins. There is a time limit but speed per se is not a factor. There is a subset of trials called Point and Time Trials where the behavior and straightness of the stock does not matter so long as they go through the designated gates as fast as possible. These trials are not common but they can be exciting and you can win money!
USBCHA trials are open to any breed of dog but usually only border collies show up—occasionally a kelpie or an Aussie. These trials are in fields and follow a classic cloverleaf pattern of gates through which the dog must move the sheep. If you’ve seen the movie Babe, you’ve seen this course. As the levels advance from beginner (called Novice/Novice) to the top level (Open), the distances get greater and greater until the dogs may be working literally out of sight of the handler. For this kind of competition dogs must be trained to whistle commands because they can’t hear you yelling at that distance. In arena trials however your dog is never more than maybe 100 yards away and can be controlled with voice commands if you choose. Because they cater to ALL herding breeds, ASCA, AHBA and AKC have courses that are not always optimal for border collies (although most BCs are versatile enough to do well on them), with tight spaces and slow paces. Some courses are designed to try and mimic chores on a farm. The USBCHA course plays to the border collie’s strengths, always starting with a sweeping outrun and fetch of the flock to the handler’s feet.
ASCA, AHBA and AKC have duck (or turkey or geese) and cattle competitions in addition to sheep, often all at the same trial. The courses are identical other than the type of stock. USBCHA has a cattle division but not here in the NE. There are also cattle arena trials out West where a lot of money can be won – that’s a whole differnt type of competition—and if you have a horse then there is Rodear: One handler, one horse, one dog and three cows on a timed obstacle course.
You can learn more about all these organizations and their rules, regulations and trial set up at their respective websites. You can learn more about USBCHA training and trialing in the NE at the NEBCA (Northeast Border Collie Association website. Join this organization and become part of the border collie herding community of the Northeast. Many people start out by showing up at a trial (trial calendars are on various websites) and watching. Most handlers, if not about to run, are happy to talk about their dogs and their sport.