Fastest Border Collies in the West.
Fastest Border Collies in the West.
I've been to a few outdoor trials. The kind where the sheep are way up on a hill, shrouded in mist, and you don't see them or the dog until they are halfway down. Epic stuff.
I've almost exclusively had herding breeds in my adult life. None ever got the chance to try their bred-for skill other than my Aussie who couldn't herd his way out of a cardboard box. I did have a couple BC mixes that would serpentine when they walked, which was fun to watch.
Fun. When I lived in a cabin in the Adirondack mountains one of my neighbors raised sheep. It was fun to sit on the porch and watch the dog at work when I needed to move them from one field to another.
I actually took my last Border Collie to sheep herding classes. He tested very high in herding instinct. Pretty good for a dog rescued from the shelter. We never really got into serious competition because you almost have to own a ranch with sheep and practice every day to get to that level. We could do it once a week. I still like to watch other dogs do it. I have had Aussies in the past too. My last one, who died last year wasn't a herder, but he could jump a foot in the air to catch a frisbee.
My current Border Collie Puppy is going through obedience classes now. I am still trying to figure out what else she could do. Frisbee, Agility or even herding. You have to give them something to do with all that energy.
I want to get sheep for my Great Pyrenees, so he has something to protect. I just need to buy a house with some land first.
I have been to a couple in England. They are interesting to watch for sure.
In reply to Snowdoggie (Forum Supporter) :
I was going to ask how you even begin to train for something like this vs how much just comes instinctively. I've only ever seen it done on video, but it's super impressive the way a skilled dog and handler are able to work together to maneuver a big dumb group of sheep at will. I'm sure my Aussie mix would absolutely love having a flock to tend to.
Speaking of, funny story from when he was a pup. The place I was living in at the time had a cattle pasture behind the yard, although when I first brought him home it was right around this time of year and the cows had been kept elsewhere all winter, so it was a few months before he first saw them. Spring finally rolls around and one morning the cows are back. Dog spots them for the first time as we're stepping out into the backyard for his morning business and stops literally mid-stride, paw suspended in the air. It was as if some primordial gears in his head had begun to turn and all of a sudden life made sense.
"Go ahead; make my day."
If dogs with this much herding drive don't have a job, they will find one.
My BC mix wasn't full bore, but she did develop a paw washing obsession because she was bored. And, the world revolved around my existence. It's flattering, until it's annoying. You can't be a casual owner of a high drive herder.
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