Working Stockdog

[abcollie]

OK,

My turn ... I also wasn't going to respond to this thread but now I can't help myself :~)

I think the hardest thing to find is a good working dog that can become a great trialing dog. I've had (trained up and imported) many really good work dogs that "got the job done" but VERY few take that "next step" and become top trial dogs.

The best trial dogs I've had were "work dogs" first but had that "special something" that allowed them to become great trial dogs. That combination is rare and that's what I think is what good breeders "strive" for. They don't always get it but I think it should be a goal.

However, to say that it's harder to get a good work dog than a good trial dog - - - I disagree with completely.

I also want to say I "do believe" Herbert knows (due to a lot of experience) about dogs that can work all day long. Have you seen some of those "spreads" in Texas :~)
_________________
Candy Kennedy
www.abcollie.com

[Howdyjabo]

Candy-- if your post is in response to mine
I think you missed my point

[ccnnc]

Karen asked....

"When was the last time you heard anyone bragging about the dogs that they got placed and doing real money making farm/ranch work?"

I'll wager that a lot of folk are talking about the fact that the top four dogs at this year's cattle finals were all from VIRGINIA and all four work sheep/cattle 365 days a year.

As for the brooo-ha-ha about the HA's new offer of insurance for lower classes, I'd wager that it would all go away if the word "sanction" was deleted and replaced with something like "The HA now makes insurance available for trial hosts who may not have insurance for these events."

FWIW, I think making this insurance available is a positive step that may also generate a bit of new revenue.

Colin

[Kensmuir]

"...The HA now makes insurance available for trial hosts who may not have insurance for these events..."

Unfortunately, Colin, that ISN'T what they said.
_________________
Bill Gary
Kensmuir, Working Stockdog Center
W8101 690th Ave
River Falls, WI 54022
715.426.9877

[Howdyjabo]

Yup colin--- now lets see how many first and second generation progeny end up working for a living.

[abcollie]

[Amelia]

Candy, Karen's point, and I think Hub's too, is that we should focus on promoting/producing working dogs to eliminate the continuing erosion of the breed into "sport dogs." I agree and I don't have any real work for them even though I do know what a day's work with livestock looks like up close and personal.

so what to do? personally, i only keep dogs that can do a day's work even though i only trial them. maybe I do that because i do know what a day's work looks like and have great respect for the stock and stockmen.

imo, the HA must do what it can to prevent the decline of "working" dogs by the masses that are coming into herding, trialing and dog sports without any idea from where they came. again, imo, we do that by continually raising the bar and by being exclusionary to a degree that people really have to "want" it to get in. i think we are, and i think that it's very important that we continue to be the "gold standard."

when i was over for the world trial in 05, i was graciously hosted by a hill shepard. The way we "practiced" for the trial was by checking for mastitis every day and dipping 1200 hd. he told me that the way he had "practiced" for the previous international was by gathering cattle the day before he left for it. i think that's what karen and hub are referring to.

having said that though, i have a very talented young dog for sale. he would make a very useful farm dog. here's the number of producers who have contacted me about him: One
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Amelia Smith
www.BorderSmith.com
http://bordersmith.blogspot.com/

[IdahoDog]

Megan, if you go back and read the topic, it was talking about how the BCSA was using USBCHA trial successes for their big award. I was pointing out that there are also breeders out there using "cash back" for USBCHA trial successes as a selling point for their puppies. That's all.

[Donald McCaig]

Dear Fellow Handlers,
I've had a sheep farm (100-150 ewes) for 30 years until three years ago when health made us sell all bhut twenty five. We had sheep before we had sheepdogs. Now, like many on this list, I rarely work dogs, often train. I do get my dogs out and about which helps a little but I've no doubt that John Helle's dogs (5000 ewes/western Montana) get more experience than mine do. John has never trialed but buys his dogs from trial stock.

Even a farm flock, like ours was doesn't provide the experience a big spread does. Except for accidents or sickness, 150 ewes only need one dog and excepting shearing, breeding and lambing, most days he could stay in the kennel.

So we must make do - as Beverly Lambert has, for one example - with training and shifting venues.

Yesterday I was driving home when I spotted a neighbor with four full grown rams in a fence corner, unable to bring them to the barn where one would go on the truck. Four people: no movement.

I stopped and jumped Luke out of my car. He wriggled through the wire and, a few minutes later, the rams were on their way to the barn.

No. It wasn't pretty. The 300 + pound rams had never seen a sheepdog before and Luke only had a few feet to maneuver in that corner.

Wool flew. I rapped the most aggressive ram with the owner's stock stick, Luke hated it. But he came at them until, finally, they turned and went to the barn.

Luke is a six year old trial dog. Most of his experience has been trials and unfamiliar venues and training.

I wish he'd had the opportunity to learn more on his own, but today, when I have a bit of farm work to do I take out one of my young dogs.

That's the reality most of us are faced with: too many dogs/too little work.

They adapt, as we do.

Donald McCaig