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The question is: can this dog be your pet AND your tool/partner in the field of herding.
The answer is “Yes” but there ARE limitations.
My first trial dog “Blaze”, was a freaking handful! He lived in the house ( I lived at the beach in a duplex), slept where he wanted, babysat my kids (infant & 2 yr old) and went everywhere w/ me. I was actively herding and he DQ’d every trial. He blatantly disregarded what I told him and merrily tore into sheep at Mach 9. I took him up to the gentleman who bred him to get some lessons and he told me two things:
1. These dogs can’t be pets
2. Women can’t train these dogs, they don’t have doggy voices.
HMMM, since my living situation was such, he HAD to be a pet and I wasn’t up for sex change operation, so it just needed to worked around. So I took to heart the lesson on training, came home and worked on the dog. However, I was starting to observe w/ a jaundice eye how Blaze liked to dictate some terms. That had to stop. He started being kicked outside MUCH more and allowed to join up w/ the pack on MY terms.
A short time later, I took him to a Ralph Pulfer clinic (this gentleman became my mentor) and he introduced me to rubber hoses. Now, don’t let your deviant little minds run to the gutter, but these articles can FLY briskly through the air and nail a dog about misbehave on sheep.
Suddenly, I was WINNING trials!!
Also, Blaze and I started San Pasqual Stockdog Training Facility, so he was worked almost daily. Cattle, sheep, ducks, goats, all stock needed to make this endeavor succeed.
The ability to live with the pet dog and achieve success as a herder depends on the keenness of the dog and the authority of the handler. If the dog is not interested in herding to the degree necessary to accept the training, then the dog will prefer the life of a pet. If the dog is keen to work, then home life isn’t as fun as herding and the dog will therefore prefer herding.
I’ve only seen one dog ruined by its home environment. A Border Collie w/ tremendous talent just up and quit herding after less than a year of training. She had NO restrictions or rules at home. The only time she was disciplined (i.e. corrected) was while herding. I could see her just looking at her mom and saying “screw you! I’m going home to play” .
The importance of herding to a dog is reflected in how important it is to the handler! Again, another anecdote…
A young man brought an Aus Shepherd to me for lessons years ago. This dog was WORTHLESS!! I suggested this guy give up and do something else. He wanted to herd. Not the dog. The adventure went on for an eternity (it seemed to me) but they were making progress. One day, it dawned on me this dog was working to PLEASE his owner. They eventually progressed to the point that he could enter a trial.
Another individual started raising sheep on a large property in Nor. Calif and wanted to use her Rottie. I love Rotties as herders but this dog was NOT keen. She informed me she was NOT getting a BC so he just had to do it. EVERYDAY this dog did chores and became one of the first Herding Champions in the USA.
The importance of teamwork is not to be underestimated. Dogs are PACK animals and want the approval of the Alpha. Be the Alpha, make herding important, don’t spoil them too much at home, and you can have a herding PET!
Tags: alpha, blaze, herding, home, pack animal, pet, training
Great post! Such important info for those of us who love to herd but need a pet too. Links are up on my site back here.
Keep it up!
Blair
good information for Tux and I.
I think I’m going to enjoy reading these post, n ow that I’m in forced retirement. Clancy sure does miss the jobs he had at the barn. He is learning to be a house pet and is really good at learning anything I require of him.
Miss seeing everyone on the weekends. Enjoy.
Musick
Great info. Always trying to balance pet vs working dog. Interesting about the doggy voice. I catch myself asking Pip, rather than telling her, and that is always when I lose her confidence in my handling and she runs amuck. Herding or otherwise. She is a pet, and a herder, but, I think a happier “dog” when I am definite in my commands whether we are working or playing.
Great post.
Becoming the alpha has been so hard for me, it goes COMPLETELY against my nature. But sheepherding lessons with Terry have taught me a lot, and have forced me to learn how to be tougher with my aussie (he’s my first dog). I now realize how dominated I’ve been by Pootie, and how bad that is for him as a pet. We have a long way to go, and I don’t think Pootie will ever be the best sheepherder in the world (nor I), but I don’t know what we would do without our Saturday lessons. It makes a huge difference. And we already have a title!
I too agree. I think dog owners in general “ask” their pets far too often. Herding really made me see this. Both or BCs are better behaved (especially the stubborn, thinks she knows better than everyone, female) and we are better owners for the experience. Even though it’s been awhile your lessons still resonate in my ears Terry!
Good Article, I am a firm believer that women are only limited at doing the same job as men if they have the attitude that they don’t want to do that kind of job (men are limited by the same attitude). I don’t live in your area of the state. I have a Corder Collie which I rescued 1 year ago. I took her to one place for training and she just wanted to circle the livestock in the ring. The trainers looked like they were having difficulty with stopping her from the activity and after 4 times, I decided that they thought she was a basket case. I researched some and found references to dominent female Border Collies, how they act and everything pointed to her being one of them. I then took her to another facility and explained the situation, the trainer took her out in the field to a flock of at least 25 sheep to test her there instead of the ring. She went off to the sheep on her own and the trainer didn’t have any trouble with her. She was then going to try her on the cattle but my dog came-up with a blistered pad when going through the gate so we stopped it at that for the day. She stated that she thinks I should give her her weekly herding fix and that if I don’t want to that I should sell her and stated that she knows someone who would love to buy her. I have had plans to train and work her at least once a week anyway and think that the new trainer is what she needs, what do you think?
Louis