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I have been herding with my Rough Collies since 1985.
It’s fascinating, its fun and a real teamwork. My
Collies has to be able to cooperate and even work on its own initiative.
I started herding with my Rough Collie Samantha
(1984-1993, her mother was a super hen herder) in 1985, she was
excellent in fetching the cows in for milking every morning and
afternoon and to move the bull calves. She also worked together with a
border collie in herding sheeps, they where a superb pair.
When Samantha died Sammie (1993 -2006, which should in
time be Norway’s Most All-round Meritated Collie) continued the work. I
have also worked Sammie’s son Sheppegutt (1996 – 2009). Now Sammie’s
granddaughter Heike (born 2002) and Heike’s son Tengel (born 2007) are
keeping up the herding work. Tengel is my fourth generation’s
sheepherders.
The first we have to do is learn the Collie when we
take him home at 8 – 10 weeks young to walk with a leash, learn it how
to stop – say command. Learn lay down and sit. Be consistent, but train
with positivity.
As I wrote earlier I introduce my Collies early to
sheep/hens. Sammie was an extraordinary Collie and she herd the hens in
at night when she was only 3 1/ 2 months young. In the sheep field I
have them in a long leash, about 15 meters when I let them in for the
first times. Here I can see if the show any interest, and see how they
behave around sheep. That we are doing several months.
Then I start with a few sheep in a pen, get the sheep
moving and let the pups/young Collie loose. My Collies have then ran in
front of them and stop them, this is something that they are born with,
if the Collie do this it is a good subject to work with.
It’s also exciting to now see that the previous
training has been successful and that the Collie remembers the commands.
Should he be too eager, then use a long leash and give a little jerk and
praise when he stops. Never forget to praise. The most important is to
have a Collie that can stop the sheep.
Collies, is not as low in the body as the BC when they
herd, and don’t use their eyes like the BC, but I have had both
“eyeherder” and “bodyherder” in my Collies, so in my experience it’s
very individual when it comes to Collies. My Sammie was also very vocal
when she herd.
The first I learn them is to stand in front of the
sheep so they don’t run away. We are two persons, I send Heike and say
stop. Should she not stop then comes a little jerk in the leash. They
don’t connect the jerk with me as the helper does the jerk. At the
beginnings short distance. When she stop the sheep we have come a long
way. There shall also be a distant between the Collie and the sheep,
extreme important if there are lambs in the flock. Then Heike should be
able to bring the flock towards me, I send them out to stop the sheeps
and then I go towards the flock. Heike is on the opposite of me (12
o’clock from me). I have learnt Heike the difference between left and
right and as I move left or right she does the opposite. If she is too
close to the flock I go between the flock and her to “push” her out.
Here I also let Heike circle around the flock when I all the time is
between her end the flock. After a round then I am changing directions.
Then the time is to get the sheep to move. Heike shall then move the
sheep. There shall be a distance between her and the sheep.
Samantha herd bull calves and as we don’t approve of
the dog going in and “bite” sometimes they have to. It’s not easy to
work with bull calves and Samantha was allowed to nip them in their legs
to move them. She never did that on the sheep or on the cows.
Now it’s time for Heike to learn to drive the flock. I
use a small long pen and Heike can’t get in front of the flock. I go
behind her and checking that she is doing it right. And praise.
It’s limited what I have written about herding here,
but I am hoping that I have given some tips so that other with Collies
wants to try the wonderful work of herding.
If you have some questions don’t hesitate to ask me and
I would try to help:
roeysla@online.no
To look at more picture and read more about herding
with Rough Collies take a peek at my homepage: http://home.online.no/~roeysla |
It
is important that they know and are responsive to certain commands
before they are taken for a first training session on stock. They have
to know, as a minimum, stay (stand, sit or lay down) and recall. They
also have to know left from right, and here I use my arms.
