HERDING PEOPLE!!! - Page 2

Hey

Herding gal here as well as Schutzhund.

Here are pics of my guys herding.

"EMTTGT06  What region you located in? "

I'm in eastern Washington state. Lots of herding folks here, but no GSD herders, just me.  All the GSD people are on the west side of the state.

phgsd, Good luck with your test tomorrow!!

Rezkat5, I was hoping you would post pictures.  Now that is real herding.  That's the size of herd that Anja needs.  She needs more work to SLOW her down, so I can think!!

Rozoan

You're only a stone throw away...well an airplane away!  There are a lot of herders in the midwest here as well, but don't seem to be a lot of GSD's, but I'm just getting started so i might be suprised.

yea working 200 vs. working 3 in "a" course vs. HGH or "c" course is ALOT different.   I find a big difference between working 20 vs. 200!  :)

I couldn't even imagine working "a" course with my guys, well maybe when they are old and decrepite!   I would have to really squish what they heart and souls are telling them to do.   Both of them like to patrol, though the younger one is more of patrolling machine, whereas the "older" (well almost 6) is more methodical about his ways.  But, still gets the job done and can kick it up when needed.  ie:  if sheep don't want to move.  The big challenge with the younger one is getting her to stop as all she wants to do is work the sheep, and sometimes you do need to actually stand!

This is working 20 at a recent  C Course trial

Where are the herding clubs in the Midwest?  If not clubs, are there groups of people who get together and work their dogs?  I'd love to have one of my youngsters tested for herding instincts.

Judy

Where you at Judy?

I do herding, in fact have been to the nationals, however I work 3 border collies and so I dont post pics or talk about it, this being a GSD board an all

C course and HGH have the same skill set however.  I've found that the good (independent, cover the whole flock, etc) C dogs can and will do HGH with relative ease. The same is true going the other way. Of course the operative word is good. Some dogs do not have enough independence or diligence to do either well.  But some of the C judges don't see that  and do not penalize it.  They tend to reward the quietest or smoothest run which is often a dog that has too little drive. But C is able to allow more people access to the work.  There is a huge difference between having to get 25 head of sheep and 200 head.  If we had had to wait to find flocks of 200, tending would have never happened here.

Sadly A course really rewards the dogs that do not have correct drive for the breed. Dogs with a very small amount of drive, dogs that have very low energy levels and dogs that are very easy to stop win a lot on the A course.  None of which a GSD with correct herding talant should do.   But that is what we do most in this country.

We just held the GSDCA C course National here in New England two weeks ago.  We had 10 advanced GSDs entered most of the days and turned down a few as we only had so many sheep and so much judging time.  WE had dogs entered in Tests adn the started adn intermediate classes as well. 

Kathy's young female took the intermediate class two out of three days and went Reserve high in trial as well.  Diane Wright was in from Michigan and Clary Douwes adn Debbie Humble came in from Washington state.

Susan

Well said Susan.   :)

Operative word is that "I" find it different.   LOL  I find that I still will use too much of the dog's  "power" when moving the smaller flocks.  ie: employing the dog as is it were a flock of 200 vs. a flock of 20.

My dogs like it either way and are doing both.   And you are right a good dog with correct drive will be able to do both.