Hi
Caroline thanks for taking time out of your busy day...so
lets get started if thats ok...
Q1.
Sheepdog training is an area of dog training that is quite new to us
and some of our readers, could you explain what takes place in sheepdog
trials?
Sheepdog trials began in the late 1880’s as a test amongst
shepherds to see who had the best working dog – but also as a
social event. Many shepherds of long ago were also poets and singers.
These gathering gave them a chance to shine. The
International Sheepdog Society is the governing body of these trials
that are for working Border collies only. Border Collies
registered wit the Kennel Club only and not the ISDS are not
allowed to compete.
It takes many years of practice and a good dog to achieve the sort of
ease of work that is achieved in these trials
The most important aspect of Trialling is the welfare of the sheep
above all else – followed by that of the competing
dogs. All Trials are insured so that the welfare of
the general public is also covered.
The Course, which is divided into sections, replicates the sorts of
task that is expected of the working collie and each section has a
certain number of points allowed. All dogs start with 100
points, each section is judged and points removed for mistakes. The
whole is timed – usually about 12 – 15 minutes
depending on the tasks to be performed. The aforementioned
ISDS have a set of Rules that all Trials must observe.
See my website section
‘Training’
- drop down ‘sheepdog trials’ for further
information.
Q2.
Caroline could you give our readers some advice and tips to consider
when choosing a puppy?
There is always an element of luck attached to choosing a puppy but it
is always a sensible move to see the parents working – even
if the puppy has an illustrious pedigree.
The ISDS keep records of all registered matings and litters - these can
be traced back for at least five generations.
Seeing the parents will give you a clue to the nature of the pup, its
potential temperament – sometimes pups show early
‘interest’ in sheep - and how they
respond to being trained and their work role. But ultimately,
as before mentioned, it will be luck!
See my website section ‘breeding’ – drop
down ‘choosing a puppy’
Q3.
Should someone choose a pre-trained sheepdog or should they attempt to
train their dog themselves?
The only ‘down side’ – beside cost
– of buying a ready trained dog is that you will need to know
how to work it! They do not come with all the answers and you
can ruin an expensive purchase in very little time if you do not know
how to handle it correctly. Therefore the novice handler
still needs lessons even with the trained dog. Mind you the
dog will help a lot but it must pay you respect otherwise chaos will
ensue. And after all you would not purchase a new tractor if you did
not know how to drive the thing!
You can pay anything from £1500 - £2000 for a
trained dog – and these are modest prices. A good dog is an
investment and much less expensive to run than a tractor!
See my website (link at the bottom of the page) section
‘breeding’ - drop down ‘pre-trained
dogs’
Q4.
What is so special to you about Sheepdogs (Border Collies) and are they
as intelligent as most people think?
I am glad you determined that it is Border collies we are talking about
because there are other sheep dog breeds used in England –
Bearded collie, Kelpie and the New Zealand Huntaway.
Most Border Collies are highly intelligent – some so
intelligent that they cannot be bothered to work sheep at all and
prefer some other dog to wear themselves out!
These dogs mainly want to work for you, to give of their best, to be
praised for what they do, to keep sheep and lambs safe and to be your
companion. They are extremely loyal and prefer to work with
just the one handler – although there are dogs trained to
work for anyone. Sheepdog Training Schools for
example
Q5.
How difficult are sheep to handle and how long does it take to train
dogs to the standard when they can enter competitions (trials)?
One of the ‘essentials’ for working a dog with
sheep is ‘sheep sense’ on the part of the handler.
This is an understanding of how sheep operate. They are
flight animals and you need to know how your breed and age of sheep are
going to react to the commands that you give your dog. Dogs
with long years of experience will have their own ideas of how to work
and very often know more than their handler! Of course, there will be
young dogs who think they know …….!
Without sheep you cannot train the dog for work.
My courses are for the working sheep dog. There are some
trainers who allow people with collies have weekly sessions at the
training school but remember that you are awakening a deep urge in the
dog and it is cruel to let them be trained for work and then for this
not to be followed through on a regular basis.
So much better if you do not know anything at all about sheep to take
the dog to Agility classes in order to keep your collies intellect up
to speed. I am not happy about Flyball as it over-stimulates
although I am sure the dogs thoroughly enjoy the exercise!
Q6.
Caroline if my dog started to chase sheep – what techniques
should I use to cure this problem?
If you own or have access to sheep then you would get some training in
order to work you dog but see the section about collies as pets on the
all about sheepdogs website.
As the dog likes chasing and catching things then a ball would be
good!
In severe cases there are trainers who specialize in sheep aversion
work and there are electric collars but these I am not happy with and
in Wales they have been banned.
Q7.
Could you go into more detail some of the dog training commands that
trainers use when training sheepdogs to herd sheep and how difficult is
it to master using the sheepdog whistle?
Basically the commands are:
Stop
– dog to stop
or lie down, an essential command;
Away
– dog moving
anti-clockwise;
Come
By – dog moving
clockwise;
Walk
On – dog to gather
or drive sheep;
Steady
or Slow – dog to
slow down;
Look
Back – dog to look
back and be prepared to leave gathered sheep to fetch
stragglers;
That’ll
Do- dog to return directly to
you.
Mastering a sheep dog whistle is not all that difficult once you have
worked out how it operates! However whistles are not vital to
training or work if conducted in confined areas. A dog has
very keen hearing and even the softest whisper can be detected. Where a
whistle is necessary is in the wide open spaces where the human voice
would not be heard.
See website, Training section - drop down ‘sheepdogs in
training’ on the website and follow the link to training
route.
Q8.
Are Border Collies susceptible to any specific behavioral
problems?…..
No, only the handlers!
Border Collies are essentially herding dogs and not the ideal
pet. Therefore it follows that if it is not in its natural
environment and has a handler that has no understanding of the type of
dog then yes, you will get problems.
See website Breeding section (website link at
bottom of page) - drop down ‘Sheepdogs as
Pets’. There is a long list of the sorts of ways to handle
collies and other websites to look to for advice.
One way of de-stressing your collie is to make sure that it is not
receiving a high protein food. For a non-working dog 18%
protein is enough. Giving it tinned dog food –
except Chappie - is always questionable. A good kibble is far
better and please – do not overfeed your dog, you will kill
it!
Q9.
What are sheepdogs like as pets?
Not good pet material. These dogs get very worried if they
are not handled in a positive way. These dogs are not for the diffident
handler. Strong, gentle handling that is not too
‘lovey dovey’. Collies have to respect
their handler
There are always lots of Border Collies in Rescue centers.
See website Breeding section (website link below) – drop down
‘Sheepdogs as Pets’. There is a list of human
behavior towards the dog and contacts for advice.
Q10.
Caroline you have had great success starting and setting up sheepdog
handler courses – could you elaborate on the course, what is
involved and how long it takes a complete ‘newbie’
to learn how to train and handle sheepdog’s?...
There is no quick method of training a working sheepdog!
My courses are for five sessions of about two hours with four or five
other people. Even with practice between sessions, this will
only give a very basic understanding. And you need to have
experience of working livestock – sheep – and
understand also that different breeds and ages of sheep react in
different ways. (You would never believe how high a Manx Loaghtan sheep can jump!)
There is a Training Booklet (FOC) Edited by me and available through
www.allaboutsheepdogs.com
Website Training section – read the introduction and then the
drop down ‘sheep dogs in training’ and follow
‘training route’ within the text.
