Herding in the USA ? - Page 1

Does anyone train GSD's to herd in the midwest?    I would like to know a little bit about this and I'm looking for someone who actually does train and herd sheep.  

The only HGH club I know is in the NE. 

I heard sheep in the midwest, but they sound the same anywhere!  Even in Germany they say, Bah

The mid-west is a very large area, could you narrow it down?

Thanks,

Susan

Where in the midwest are you? I know of a couple of gals who teach herding in my area but again where are you?

I'm in southern Indiana between Louisville and Evansville right on the Ohio river in the Hoosier National Forest.

I used to buy and sell lambs for Saudi Arabian exchange students attending the University of Evansville.   Then I moved here and raised wild Mouflon sheep.   They were allowed to free range on a hill top covering a couple of hundred acres.

I used my Dog at the time to help me find them and bring them home.  She was a German Shepherd but didnt actually herd sheep.

Mouflon would not be herded anyway as they are a wild breed and tend to turn and fight a predator, or just run.

I now have a pup from herding backrounds and I want to raise a few head of sheep for my personal use.   I'd love to be able to train my dog to actually herd them.  I was just wondering if anyone who trains herding dogs was even close to me.

I'm in the middle of nowhere and nothing seems close, the same apply's to Schutzhund, everythings a long drive.

Anyway, any info would be great.

Thanks.

Honestly, I would look into and ask the Border Coliie groups in your area. Google and Google some more. 

BAAAH....Don,

Thats the thing, the only herding dogs I ever saw working were Border Collie or Austrailian Shepherds.

I hate Google by the way...................  dont even ask.   I've done enough venting lately.

I cant say that I really need a sheep dog, I was just wondering if I could find someone with some knowledge about training them and take it from there.   I'd rather discuss training than politics or law suites or who did what to who.

I really think theres more to a German Shepherd than Schutzhund or show.   I've got one who loves to track and I'm learning what I can about that.  I have one whos my favorite and I think she could do it all but she's more my companion and home guardian.   My new pup has herding in his backround and I'd love to see what he has in him.

So.. there you go.

The tending style of sheep herding that I believe that Two Moons is asking about is not how a border collie would herd. 

Susan (firethorn) would know more if there are places to train the tending style of sheep herding close to where Two Moons is.

Probably the closest person tending is outside of Lexington KY.  Mary Weir moved there last fall and is getting a flock together.  She has Briards but has been very successful in herding both tending and gather /fetch type work.   She likes dogs that are active and want to work.  Another person in the midwest is Diane Wright in Battlecreek MI but that would be quite a hike for you.  There are also people tending in the Dallas TX area and there are trials there on a regular basis.  I believe there will be C course (the AKC tending course) offered in KY this year or next.  AS you are familiar with sheep, you may want to go visit a couple of these people or come east and then find stock to work on closer to home.  Tending is not rocket science, and is extremely instinctive for our breed.  It is a very nice, calm way to manage sheep.   It looks nothing like what a BC or Aussie does.  We are so Angliophiled in this country that when we think of herding we think of this type of work, yet tending with a GSD is what the breed was developed for and is absolutely as effective as what teh BC does in the British Isles.

susan