[quote=babybluetx23]Thanks! Will do. I have been looking on AKC's website about herding. It sounds like it is RIGHT up Harleys Alley. Im not all that interested in it, but if Harley likes it and he excels in it, I may be more interested in it. Besides it isnt ME having to do the work, It is him and thats what it is ALL about!
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After picking myself off the floor from laughing. At the upper levels of herding, you are right, the dog does the work. But in the beginning, the handler is very active
I am not trying to disway you or anything, but you do realize that you will be stepping in sheep ????. You may even fall in sheep ????. If it is muddy, well, it is easier to fall. Your dog WILL eat sheep ???? and then lick you all over. You will be stepped on and run into by the sheep. It is an active sport with lots of knee injuries.
Herding is calm, controlled movement of the stock as directed by the handler. Fizbin has been on sheep since he was 8 weeks old. He is now three years old. He is a high drive dog. Our saving grace is that he does not want to hurt the stock. He normally goes at mach 10.
Last Saturday we were in an AHBA ranch trial. He did a lot more work then he needed to and had one of the fastest times for completing the course. Even tho we were in level 1, he did a level three take out pen. Meaning he went into a pen and scooped out the sheep all my himself. I was supposed to take him by the collar and lead him into the pen, but he would not stop for me to do this. Fortunately he did a very impressive job as the sheep didn't crash or damage the pen (there had to be some emergancy repairs to pens and fencing during the trial).
After the take out, the sheep were to go through a gate and then be sorted. The sheep ran to the correct gate and I managed to block Fizbin as he was exiting the hold pen. I got him under control and tried to "heel" him to the gate. Unfortunately he couldn't help himself as he saw the sheep "escaping" and had to stop them. He ran right for them. I thought I would be paying for sheep with broken necks as they tried to go through the gate without me opening it first. Fizbin changed course, got there before the sheep did (how he does that, I don't know, but he can out run sheep) and turned them before they crashed into the gate. I was running
Herding is fun. It is also a lot of work. The dog already has five years worth of experience on you because of his instinct. You don't. I can only practice once a week. In reality, Fizbin needs to practice 3x aweek. Herding is not something that you can sometimes do and expect the dog to pick up from where you last were. Also, the sheep don't always cooperate
Please do have him instinct tested. It is a lot of fun to watch a dog "get it" with sheep. It is also possible, if you have a reliable stop, to put an HT title on him (or should I say, an experienced handler can) without a lot of practice.
I have some pictures of Fizbin herding at home. I will see if I can post them here later.