Working Sheepdog Demonstartions
If you've visited our site before, you know that we love dogs and constantly marvelat what they can do (and there's the cuteness factor, too...for that see TheHudsonsDogs and Collie Pups pages.)
While Tom really wanted to check out the different single malt whiskeys, Patty wantedto be sure to see the Sheep Dog Demonstration at Leault Farm. In America, we callthem Border Collies, in Scotland, they are simply referred to as Sheep Dogs.
Shepherd, Neil Ross, brought out seven of his eighteen dogs, including 9-year-oldMoss, who is still working. In addition to verbal commands, Neil used a differentwhistle for each command for each dog. So when he wanted Meg to go left, only shewent left. Of course, dogs will be dogs, and sometimes have different ideas aboutwhat should be done — or go selectively deaf. In that case, Neil would say (andthink this in a very strong Scottish brogue), "...I'm warnin' ye, Ben!"
 | Two dogs lay quietly, while two others move the sheep. And a puppy checks out the situation. |
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The working dogs ranged in age from 11 months to 9 years. It takes up to two years to fully train a sheepdog.
Here the dogs lay down and hold the sheep for a photo opportunity. |
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Once Neil had told four dogs to go to a certain spot and lay down, he had another herd the sheep between
the laying dogs, who were ever alert. He did have to do a little "warnin'" on a couple of occasions. |
Our Rosie, who has some Border Collie in her used to herd people and Stanley (usually separating them, wanting all attention...) — proving it doesn't matter what animal it is, it probably needs to be told where to move.
The dogs moved the dogs from pen to behind the black pipe, then through the pipe and between the buckets, and back to their pen. |  |
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