Sheep Herding Dogs at the Lucky Ewe Ranch (in the high desert)
The dogs were mainly Border Collies, the aristocrats of herding, with a sprinkling of Corgis, German Shepherds, Australian Shepherd, Belgian Sheepdog, Belgian Terveran, Shetland Sheepdog. It is absolutely breathtaking to watch the Border Collies work: utter intensity, intelligence, swiftness, all manifested in absolute silence moving the sheep with the famous Border Collie “stalk and stare” (seen in this gallery in Sport, the grey, black, and white dog). Biting is absolutely verboten — even though it seems the sheep expect it, a la Babe. Incidentally, the only bite was administered by a German Shepherd.
In one course, the dog must herd the sheep through “gates,” through a narrow passage, and into an enclosed pen. In the second course, the sheep are brought out at the opposite end to the dog, who must whizz along the perimeter of the field and come up behind the sheep so as not to spook them, then bring them down the length of the field to the handler, then herd them through a gully and gates, another set of gates, into the pen, and, finally — the most challenging — into a ring marked with white powder, and them split the sheep apart, guided only by whistles and voice commands.
Click on the image to see the gallery.
2 years ago • Notes