Archive for February, 2010

Pre-Trial and HT

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

Tomorrow we are hosting an AHBA herding trial, along w/ a JHD . This is similar to the PT course in AKC.  I wish to take a moment and address how best to run these courses as I have seen many a wreck that was unnecessary.  Proper approach to the sheep would have eliminated much of the messiness of the runs.

First, the sheep used in tests are mandated to be of a tame and dog-broke nature, so they shouldn’t be easily panicked.  I always put the PT sheep on a good pile of hay, away from the entry gate so as to allow the handler to enter the arena at a safe distance.  Leave the dog 0n it’s “stay” at this gate and advance BY YOURSELF to the sheep.   The sheep  will migrate to the person if the dog is calmly at a safe distance.  DO NOT WALK YOUR DOG TOWARD THE SHEEP ON LEASH!!  I can’t tell you how many times competitors have walked toward the sheep w/ the dog straining on the leash, causing the sheep to run away.  I observed one handler literally drive her sheep to a corner w/ her dog leashed, hoping to “capture” the sheep from running.  WRONG!!  Put yourself in the sheep’s hooves and see how readily YOU would stay in a trap w/ a prey-driven dog.  It was a disaster and I had to run out to drive the dog away from the sheep.  Another handler w/ a nice Corgi, chased the sheep around the arena w/ the dog leashed to his side and complained the sheep wouldn’t stop running!   He would get w/in 15′ of the flock and off they would go!

When your dog is on a good “stay” and you have the sheep calmly eating from your pocket :) …send your dog  around the sheep on the WIDEST side so as to get more distance.  This requires a FLANK (read previous blogs).  If the dog runs AT you or the sheep, your woolies will take flight assuming you have no control.  If the flank begins properly; as in the dog bends AWAY from the sheep, the sheep should stay close  and follow you around the course.

When the handler w/ the Corgi went for his 2nd run, I suggested he do it this way.  Voila! Sheep stayed w/ him and they did a great job.

A word about “Dog Broke, Tame” sheep:  they are DOG SAVVY!!  They read them better than most people.  If the dog is demonstrating even the smallest lack of control, they are flighty!  If you go into the arena and your dog breaks from his spot and begins the chasing motion, they are gone!  It’s the nature of the wooly beasts to SURVIVE!   Everything about your dog’s attitude should be keen but controlled. I will be addressing the technique necessary in achieving this.

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Outrun training

Saturday, February 6th, 2010

Earlier I discussed the importance of “flanks” in your herding training.  They should be wide enough to let the stock know the dog is there but not within the “flight zone” so that the dog can get into proper position to illicit movement desired.

The end result of this is the “Outrun”.

The outrun is a GIANT flank that allows the dog to get around the stock and begin the gather.  Border Collies should have a natural cast to acheive the outrun but other breeds can be trained to do it.  It takes more work, lots of chasing the dog wider but I have seen Aussies, Rotties, Aus. Cattle dogs, GSD, etc go in excess of 100 yds to do the gather.  Having a great outrun will allow the handler and dog go to any trial and do well.  I routinely train my clients and their dogs to prepare for a Border Collie novice trial, even if they are not a BC.

When pushing the dog to go wider, they usually look at their handler as if they are CRAZY.  I mean, seriously WHY so wide???  Frequently the dog is looking WHERE to go, as in a geographical location,  rather than AWAY from the stock.   If there is a hill near the lift point, the dog will not want to go up it or around it.  This is a GREAT opportunity to teach the dogs that terrain is NOT a barrier.  MAKE them go around it.  When you go do a trial with a tree trunk, small hill, rocks, whatever on the outrun path, the dog will not see it as a barrier and go TOWARD the sheep.  From your training, you can indicate to the dog to go AROUND it, thus not getting too close to the stock.  If you have done your FLANK training properly, the dog will know to go wider on the command.

You will NEVER be able to train a good outrun in a fenced, small area.  The dog needs to learn the sheep can GET AWAY.  I start ALL dogs in outrun training in an open field and yet when we first go into an arena, the dog almost always runs too tight.  The fence puts pressure on them and they want to get tighter.  However, it’s so much easier to get them to widen out if they have learned it in the field.

The outrun is the technique needed to get the dog into position for the “lift”.  I will be discussing the importance of the “lift” in the next blog.


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