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HERDING INSTINCT in Border Collies is often
referred to as an aborted
prey instinct;
that is, they stalk and
eye stock (their
prey) in much the same
way as wild dogs hunt
prey. Herding dogs, however,
don't (or shouldn't)
follow through with the
kill. Many other
breeds exhibit various
forms of prey drive.
For example a Jack Russell
Terrier may chase
sheep around a round pen
like a young, inexperienced
Border Collie - but they
clearly don't have
the ability or talent to
become a herding
dog. Thus herding instinct
is much more than
prey instinct and includes
a number of inherent
behavioral traits that
allow a dog to effectively
work stock. Basically anything
that the dog
does naturally in working
stock can be thought
of as being part of their
instinct. This
includes, gathering/heading
behavior, eyeing,
balance, wearing, pace,
flanking, and a number
of other responses to stock.
Many of these
aspects of instinct are
not apparent on initial
exposure of a dog to stock
and can only be
evaluated with training
and careful observation
in different situations
on stock.
A Border Collie is said
to have HERDING ABILILITY
if he can use these various
aspects of herding
instinct to effectively
accomplish a job.
Obviously, different dogs
have varying degrees
of ability (different amounts
and combinations
of instinctual behaviors)
and thus will present
a whole range of training
challenges and
problems from easily trained
to very difficult.
Herding ability in a Border
Collie allows
the dog to apply his instinct
and develop
capabilities with each
exposure to stock.
For example the distance
a dog works off
stock, the amount of eye
the dog displays,
the keenest with which
he works, etc, increases
as the dog learns how to
apply his instinct
in various situations.
Certainly, an important
aspect of herding ability
is being able to
learn valuable lessons
from the stock. These
lessons are often the best
learned and allow
the dog to work independently
when required,
that is, they respond appropriately
to the
stock. In addition to the
above, enthusiasm
for work, strong desire
to please (biddability),
endless energy, and courage
are traits that
figure importantly into
herding ability in
Border Collies. A Border
Collie without the
ability to use his instinct
and to learn
from his handler and stock
is not much more
useful to a farmer than
a Terrier with lots
of prey drive.
HERDING TALENT in a Border
Collie usually
refers to attributes in
a dog that make him
an exceptional herding
dog. Talented Border
Collies have precise balance,
the correct
amount of eye (and an understanding
of how
to use it), natural pace,
natural square
flanks, and an understanding
of how to hold
himself off stock. They
are able to work
independently at distances,
think on their
own (and make the correct
decision), deal
with stubborn stock that
a less talented
dog couldn't handle. They
possess and understand
how to use power and have
the strength and
knowledge to deal with
a reluctant sheep.
Dogs with talent learn
quickly from experiences
on stock and easily master
difficult situations.
Without some talent it
is very difficult
to train a herding dog
- that is, the dog
can have all the instinct
in the world but
no ability or talent to
use it.
HERDING INSTINCT EVALUATIONS
are commonly
done by many organizations.
They are useful
because evaluations provide
an opportunity
for BC owners to see their
dogs react to
sheep. For many this first
exposure leads
to more training and hopefully
to herding
titles and a better understanding
of what
herding ability and talent
are. However,
herding instinct evaluations
are not a reliable
gauge of herding ability.
In many cases they
are nothing more than a
test of prey drive
and certainly don't measure
ability or talent.
Training, exhibiting and
using the dogs for
farm work are the only
mechanisms to accurately
evaluate what ability/talent
the dog has.
For breeding purposes we
have to be very
careful not to over interpret
what herding
instinct means. While instinct
certification
could suggest that you
have something to
work with if you want to
do herding, it might
also simply mean the dog
is having fun chasing
sheep and will never have
a clue about herding
balance, how to do an outrun,
how to gather
sheep, how to handle a
single, etc. We have
to be truthful to the public
by explaining
these limitations when
selling puppies. In
the best of all worlds
we should do more
to evaluate true herding
ability before breeding.
If we don't we could easily
end up with lots
of BCs that have all the
herding instinct
of a Jack Russell Terrier
and no talent to
use it.
The GATHER is instinctual
in Border Collies
and consists of 3 parts;
the outrun, lift
and fetch. Many times at
sheepdog trials
a tie will be broken with
a "silent
gather" - the dog
is sent to gather
the sheep to the handler's
feet without a
single command. This instinct
and natural
ability is what defines
a BC and separates
it from all other herding
breeds.
The OUTRUN is the first
part of the gather.
The outrun is where the
dog runs out to get
behind stock off in the
distance. As the
dogs runs out, he should
be casting out (moving
off the center line to
the left or right
depending on the direction
he was sent) and
looking in for his stock.
As the stock is
spotted, the dog should
hold himself off
at an appropriate distance
such that he can
get behind the stock without
upsetting them
or causing them to move
in a direction other
than toward his handler.
The outrun ends
when the dog begins to
approach the stock
in a manner meant to cause
them to move from
where they are standing.
TheLIFT is defined at the
instant the stock
begin to move off of the
spot where they
have been standing. It
is that magical moment
in which the dog communicates
an understanding
between him and the stock
such that the stock
will go where dog asks/tells
them. This is
probably the most important
part in any gather,
it sets the tone and tempo
for all that follows.
In that split second a
dog can communicate
any number of things to
its stock - assurance,
dominion, fear, aggression,
weakness, etc;
depending on the dog and
its attitude toward
work and stock. The ideal
is a calm assurance
where the stock seem to
float from the spot
where they had been, comfortably
giving control
over to the dog, not terrified
and not wondering
if perhaps this dog can
be challenged and
beaten.
The FETCH is the last element
of the gather
and consists of the trek
from the lift to
the handlers feet. The
dog should maintain
a position that keeps the
stock calmly moving
directly toward the handler,
moving himself
around as needed to keep
the stock moving
in a relatively straight
line. The stock
should be brought calmly
to the handler,
not rushed, not run, but
also not allowed
to dawdle.
The DRIVE is the controlled
movement of the
stock in any direction
other than directly
towards the handler. This
includes driving
the stock away and/or across
the field. Driving
can be difficult for Border
Collie since
their primary instinct
is to gather and bring
the stock to the handler.
To drive requires
that the dog understand
DRIVE BALANCE and
INSIDE FLANKS.
The term WEAR is used in
two different ways.
One refers to a dog keeping
stock bunched
to his handler as his handler
walks in the
field. The other refers
to a dog that is
fetching stock and whipping
back and forth
behind the stock. This
action is necessary
on larger groups of stock,
in order to keep
them bunched and to hold
balance. When seen
on smaller groups of stock
it usually reflects
a dog that doesn't want
to or know how to
pick the balance point
and stay on it or
just doesn't want to slow
down behind the
stock.
A FLANK is the movement
of a dog around its
sheep in response to a
command from the handler.
Typically, a SQUARE FLANK,
is movement at
a 90 degree angle from
the line in which
dog is traveling or standing.
When the dog
turns squarely, he releases
a bit of contact
on the stock moving further
away rather than
just maintaining his distance
as he goes
around. This allows for
a more precise way
of moving stock since the
initial movement
of the dog takes pressure
off the stock and
doesn't change their speed
or direction.
At the end of the flank,
he comes back onto
a more concentrated contact.
An INSIDE FLANK is when
the dog is asked
to come between the stock
and his handler.
This is very difficult
for a Border Collie
as his instinct and breeding
direct him to
be on the opposite side
of the stock in a
position to gather. However,
Border Collies
can be taught to refocus
some of that gathering
instinct and to drive stock
away from the
handler. The inside flank
becomes important
when the dog is driving
stock away from the
handler and the dog is
asked to come between
the sheep and the handler
to change the direction
the sheep are moving. Left
to operate on
instinct alone, a Border
Collie will *always*
choose the shortest path
to get himself into
a position to gather the
stock to the handler
and thus prefers to go
around on the outside
(shortest path) rather
than the inside (longest
path). The area between
the stock and the
handler is a very uncomfortable
one for most
Border Collies.
A SLICED FLANK or TIGHT
FLANK is a less-than-square
flank. This type of movement
is very upsetting
to stock. Border Collies
work by "heading"
stock, working (concentrating)
on the heads
of stock and making them
move by influencing
where their heads are facing
and moving.
Movements concentrated
on rumps or shoulders
are inefficient and leave
stock feeling threatened
and unsettled. The ideal
is to move stock
calmly, in a settled fashion,
without causing
undue stress. Slashing
movements in the field
of vision of the stock
are counter to this
goal. A square flank allows
a Border Collie
to slip out of the range
where it is affecting
the movement of its stock
and then slip back
in at the appropriate point
where it can
again influence their heads.
A dog has COVERED its stock
when it has gone
far enough around to have
affected all of
the animals. This doesn't
seem so important
when talking about gathering
up a few animals,
but Border Collies were
bred to gather many
animals spread over many
rough, uneven miles
of terrain. Even on a few
animals, a dog
that doesn't cover his
stock is likely to
leave behind stragglers
and is not communicating
a proper attitude to its
stock.
A dog is maintaining CONTACT
with its stock
when it is in a position
to effect its stock.
HEADING is the act of affecting
the heads
of the stock. A Border
Collie is a heading
dog, it moves stock by
moving the heads (the
tails will follow). If
stock is running away,
a heading dog casts out
and around the stock
and heads it to stop it.
BALANCE is the ability
to hold stock to a
particular line or point.
A Border Collie
balances stock to the handler
naturally,
bringing it in a straight
line directly to
the handler, by controlling
the heads of
the stock. The BALANCE
POINT is the particular
point or spot a dog must
be in to cause the
stock to move or continue
to move directly
toward the handler. This
point is constantly
changing from moment to
moment as dog and
stock move. It is a Border
Collie's unique
talent to find and know
this balance point.
A more advanced dog that
has been trained
to drive stock away from
the handler will
also learn to hold DRIVE
BALANCE. Basically, this
dog can be set in
motion driving stock in
a certain direction
and he will maintain balance
and continue
to drive the stock away
on that line.
A Border Collie works stock
by using EYE,
an intimidating sort of
stare/eye contact.
Border Collies have varying
degrees of eye.
A very loose-eyed dog doesn't
use that calm,
intimidating manner of
movement as much as
a dog with more eye and
has more trouble
moving stock calmly. The
stock is upset by
the jerky movements of
a loose-eyed dog.
A very strong-eyed dog,
on the other hand,
may get into a position
to stare at the stock
and become completely mesmerized,
never following
through on that stare with
any movement at
all. These dogs sometimes
end up just watching
the stock as they ignore
him. EYE is very
much tied in with a Border
Collie's unique
working style and abilities.
PRESSURE is a general term
describing more
than one thing and might
be defined differently
by different people.
--There is said to be FIELD
PRESSURE caused
by areas on a field where
sheep either want
or don't want to go. For
example, sheep may
be strongly drawn to a
gate or strongly repelled
by a particular pen in
a pasture. The dog
has to take this into account
when deciding
where the balance point
is on stock. If a
field has no pressure,
the dog may be able
to get directly behind
the stock and bring
them directly to his handler.
However, if
the stock really want to
move off to one
side, the balance point
will be somewhere
towards that side as well.
--There is also a type
of PRESSURE ON THE
DOG. When the dog is uncomfortable
for one
reason or another, he is
experiencing pressure.
Many things can create
this pressure, especially
in younger or less-trained
dogs. A dog that
is in over his head will
feel pressure from
the situation or from the
stock. A dog being
asked to do something he
doesn't understand
or isn't ready for is experiencing
pressure
from the situation, his
handler and probably
the stock too. A dog in
a tight spot or a
situation that he perceives
as potentially
dangerous is feeling pressure.
Different
dogs react differently
to these pressures.
One may bite the stock
(GRIP), another may
turn and run, another may
calmly try to figure
things out.
TYPICAL HERDING COMMANDS:
Away to me -- flank counterclockwise
around
the stock
Come bye -- flank clockwise
around the stock
Lie Down -- Lie down or
stop
Steady -- slow down
Walk up -- approach the
stock
Look back -- turn around
and go back for
more stock behind you
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