HERDING GROUP Q&A
The Herders that are most popular have become that way due to their loyalty and friendship to man. Most are notable for their ability to perform the work they were designed to do; gather and move sheep, reindeer, cattle, swine, kids (human and goat), ducks/ geese/etc., protection, search and rescue, etc...
competition in AKC obedience (OES HITs!) we joined a herd- ing/livestock dog club and participated at the Scottish High- land Games and Herding Trials. My first Portuguese Water Dog (Multi BIS Timbermist’s Lancar Flor de Mar CDX, AWD, etc.) was awarded a Herding Instinct Certificate. “Lancer” looked like the black sheep of the family with our five OES. Participating in various herding events increased my interest in all the herders and their different styles of flock “management.” Eye, loose-eye, drov- ers, heelers, headers, etc. They truly are “living fences.” Have I bred any influential Herding dogs or shown any notable winners? In my heart and on various pedigrees. Multiple Group placements before the huge Working Group had herding breeds allocated to make up the Herding Group (1983). ROMs, POMs, Top Ten, Best in Show/Brace, HITs. Can I speak a bit about breed-specific presentation? Proper movement/proper speed, overall condition, and correct grooming are essential elements for each breed: German Shepherd Dog— Flying Trot; Old English Sheepdog—Pace and amble are accept- able, long neck with a topline that is higher in the rear than at the withers; Pyrenean Shepherds—A flowing gait “shaves the earth” and all the variations on proper presentation of the differ- ent coat types, which may include matelotes (felted hair on croup and rear), cadenettes (matted hair on chest and forelegs); Briard— “Quicksilver” movement, double dewclaws, low-carried tail ending in a crook; Border Collie—Movement, head carried level or below withers, with hocks close together; Puli—Corded or brushed coat; Bergamasco—Three types of hair that form flocks; Bearded Col- lie—Natural, natural, natural presentation, may do the “Beardie Bounce”; Swedish Valhund—Double coat with harness markings; Beauceron—Movement extended trot; Spanish Water Dog—Sin- gle coat, natural curls or rustic cords, minimal trimming, tradi- tionally has a docked tail. What about breed character? How do I assess this in the Herd- ing breeds? Attitude, type, movement that is or is not shown. Best assessed in a pasture or by livestock pens, at Herding trials, and at various performance events. Several Herding breeds have enjoyed enormous popularity. What makes them so iconic? The Herders that are most popular have become that way due to their loyalty and friendship to man. Most are notable for their ability to perform the work they were designed to do; gather and move sheep, reindeer, cattle, swine, kids (human and goat), ducks/geese/etc., protection, search and rescue, etc... They can get the job done and be great companions. They are multi-taskers. The ease and maintenance of coat care for some of the breeds contributes to their popularity. The Herding Group has added more than a dozen breeds since 2000. How competitive are they? Some of the new breeds are
very competitive. Excellent representatives can draw a lot of atten- tion and be competitive—of course! Can I speak to the value of a performance title in a Herding dog? A performance title for a working Herding dog is important for keeping focus on functionality of the breed. It helps to main- tain purpose and it helps to identify their natural instinct. (Plus, the dogs tend to enjoy the activity.) What do you have when you take the “herd” out of the Australian Shepherd? Cattle out of the Australian Cattle Dog? Do I have any advice to offer newer judges of the Herding Group? Go watch the herders in action. See how their form fol- lows function. Attend Herding Trials, Agility Trials, Drafting, Schutzhund, Temperament Tests. Visit with well-established breeders who have dogs that do both their specific jobs and [com- pete in] Conformation. When judging, keep in mind that these dogs should be in condition, well-muscled, bright-eyed, having the potential and ability to alternate being in a show ring or out on a ranch working livestock or doing performance, protection, scent or tracking work. Having a Herding dog in the conformation ring that “likes the groceries” is far from correct. Be aware, some are presented with “honest’ working nicks and scars. Which Herding dogs from the past have had the greatest influ- ence on the sport? Ch. Atlanta’s Mystique (German Shepherd Dog), Ch. Galbraith’s Iron Eye (Bouvier des Flandres), Ch. Cord- makers’ Mississippi Mud (Puli), Ch. Bugaboo’s Picture Perfect (Old English Sheepdog), Ch. Dejavu’s In Like Flynn (Briard), Ch. Covy Tucker-Hill’s Manhattan (German Shepherd Dog), Ch. Lockenhaus’ Rumor Has It V Kenlyn (German Shepherd Dog). a few Shetland Sheepdogs, Australian Shepherds, Corgis, and many more... Is there a funny story I can share about my experiences judging the Herding breeds? I was judging the Herding Group at the Port- land Cluster several years ago where I had pulled the dogs I was considering for the four Group placements. When I went to point GROUP ONE to my choice (an Icelandic Sheepdog) I did not see the dog in the ring. (They are small, but not THAT small.) Well, the handler had not only left the ring, but had hauled back to her set-up. I had already said, “Group One to the Icelandic Sheepdog!” My mind was totally set. People hustled to get her and the dog back to the ring—even though it seemed like an eternity. The really fun part is that the dog went on to be awarded Best in Show (first IS ever). D-R-A-M-A, fun and... The woman showing a Belgian Sheepdog in torrential rain and extreme mud (even under the tent); slipping, falling, and slid- ing out of the ring and into an audience of men. Her skirt wound up around her waist and who knows where her lingerie wound up?! ! ! I asked if she was hurt. Her response: “Only my pride. And the view!”
248 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MAY 2021
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