Why I Love Herding |
Back to Get to Know the Bouvier
|
Jane Baugh - Contributing Author
My first introduction to herding was in 1996. It all started when I was at an agility class with my new Bouvier puppy “Sadie.” Sadie seemed to be enjoying going through the tunnels and doing the dog walk when she ditched the equipment and decided she wanted to herd the horse in the field next to us. My instructor said “I think you have a herding dog.” I was curious about herding and decided to test Sadie’s herding instinct. Well from that day forward I was hooked! Turns out Sadie was a dog of a lifetime in many ways. She had a sound temperament, was confident, loved to show in the conformation ring and was a good honest herding dog. If I only knew then what I know now…Twenty years later, I enjoyed the sport even more with Sadie’s grandson Trey. I’ve been lucky to work with some wonderful herding clinicians and have access to sheep, geese and cattle. |
"Trey" working through a challenging situation.
|
Several years ago I was at a clinic where sheep and cattle were offered, the clinician and my friend who was hosting the clinic convinced me to run Trey on cattle. Of course I was scared to death but decided it was worth a try. Once I got over the fear of working cattle I really enjoyed it, and so did Trey. Cattle do not “flock” like sheep so the dog has to work harder to keep the cows together. They also move slower than sheep, and there is more time for the handler to think about the next command.
In the early days, Bouviers were used on farms to herd cattle. The “Bouvier,” meaning cow herder or ox drover, was well known for their abilities as a cattle drover. The Bouvier is without question one of the finest of the European cattle dogs that were found driving herds of beef from the grazing grounds to butchers pens - just as sheepdogs once escorted flocks. Well into the last century, a cattle drover walked his animals to the slaughterhouse along lonely country roads, assisted only by his droving dog. The drive often took days in miserable weather, and it was the Bouvier that took on this grueling work. The drover depended on his dogs, and they rarely let him down. With instinctive initiative the Bouvier went about its tasks without waiting for orders from its master. It would even work alone if the drover went away for a short time. Using its bulk and strength to redirect straying animals it would nudge them back onto the road and prod them towards the rest of the herd without having to nip at their heels. Bouviers are also known to throw “body blocks” at the front end of a cow when necessary. Bouviers require a fair amount of training, more so than the smaller herding breeds because of their power and presence. The overwhelming impression given by a Bouvier is one of power. They tend to work close to the livestock and have to be taught to work farther off as to not upset the livestock. All this takes training time and patience. Once Bouviers understand the stock will move when they are at a distance they are more willing to stay farther off the stock.
There are many rules in herding and the dog needs to understand the rules and follow them to have a successful outcome. It is important that the dog and handler have a good working relationship, and there is mutual trust and respect. The training will go much smoother if the dog truly views his handler as the pack leader. One quote I heard many years ago that has stuck in my mind is “the handler must own the game.” I can’t emphasize this enough. You do not want the dog working for himself. The dog’s job is to listen to the handler and execute the task at hand. And the handler is always right – even if they give a wrong command. It’s important to follow through with all commands. Like most herding breeds Bouviers tend to be independent and choose to do things their way, they can be stubborn and willful. However I’ve seen some biddable Bouviers that are willing to please their owner, this trait will make the sport much more enjoyable in the beginning stages of training. I enjoy herding because it is challenging and fun. Most Bouviers are happiest when they have a job to do. I got involved in the sport of herding because it requires teamwork; the handler and the dog must read each other continuously. Also I believe herding is probably the most difficult of all the performance events. In all the other performance events, there is the dog, inanimate equipment and/or possibly another human (aside from the handler). All of these things can be controlled by the trainer to teach the dog and handler in a logical and controlled fashion. All that goes out the window in herding. There is the dog, the handler, the obstacles or course, and the livestock. The dog and handler have worked out a relationship and have commands down well. And the livestock have their own agenda and have refused to follow the script - any script. That’s where the fun starts. It's now the handler's job to remember the course, control the dog, read the livestock, move at the correct time (sometimes backwards and at top speed), remain upright no matter what and assist your dog if needed. Herding is a multi-tasking sport and that can make it very challenging for some people, me included!!
Trey is a multiple conformation champion and has earned herding titles in AKC, AHBA and ASCA on sheep and cattle. His breeders/owners are James and Jane Baugh, he was trained exclusively by Jane Baugh, and was the first recipient of the ABdFC Tammy White Memorial Herding Trophy.
In the early days, Bouviers were used on farms to herd cattle. The “Bouvier,” meaning cow herder or ox drover, was well known for their abilities as a cattle drover. The Bouvier is without question one of the finest of the European cattle dogs that were found driving herds of beef from the grazing grounds to butchers pens - just as sheepdogs once escorted flocks. Well into the last century, a cattle drover walked his animals to the slaughterhouse along lonely country roads, assisted only by his droving dog. The drive often took days in miserable weather, and it was the Bouvier that took on this grueling work. The drover depended on his dogs, and they rarely let him down. With instinctive initiative the Bouvier went about its tasks without waiting for orders from its master. It would even work alone if the drover went away for a short time. Using its bulk and strength to redirect straying animals it would nudge them back onto the road and prod them towards the rest of the herd without having to nip at their heels. Bouviers are also known to throw “body blocks” at the front end of a cow when necessary. Bouviers require a fair amount of training, more so than the smaller herding breeds because of their power and presence. The overwhelming impression given by a Bouvier is one of power. They tend to work close to the livestock and have to be taught to work farther off as to not upset the livestock. All this takes training time and patience. Once Bouviers understand the stock will move when they are at a distance they are more willing to stay farther off the stock.
There are many rules in herding and the dog needs to understand the rules and follow them to have a successful outcome. It is important that the dog and handler have a good working relationship, and there is mutual trust and respect. The training will go much smoother if the dog truly views his handler as the pack leader. One quote I heard many years ago that has stuck in my mind is “the handler must own the game.” I can’t emphasize this enough. You do not want the dog working for himself. The dog’s job is to listen to the handler and execute the task at hand. And the handler is always right – even if they give a wrong command. It’s important to follow through with all commands. Like most herding breeds Bouviers tend to be independent and choose to do things their way, they can be stubborn and willful. However I’ve seen some biddable Bouviers that are willing to please their owner, this trait will make the sport much more enjoyable in the beginning stages of training. I enjoy herding because it is challenging and fun. Most Bouviers are happiest when they have a job to do. I got involved in the sport of herding because it requires teamwork; the handler and the dog must read each other continuously. Also I believe herding is probably the most difficult of all the performance events. In all the other performance events, there is the dog, inanimate equipment and/or possibly another human (aside from the handler). All of these things can be controlled by the trainer to teach the dog and handler in a logical and controlled fashion. All that goes out the window in herding. There is the dog, the handler, the obstacles or course, and the livestock. The dog and handler have worked out a relationship and have commands down well. And the livestock have their own agenda and have refused to follow the script - any script. That’s where the fun starts. It's now the handler's job to remember the course, control the dog, read the livestock, move at the correct time (sometimes backwards and at top speed), remain upright no matter what and assist your dog if needed. Herding is a multi-tasking sport and that can make it very challenging for some people, me included!!
Trey is a multiple conformation champion and has earned herding titles in AKC, AHBA and ASCA on sheep and cattle. His breeders/owners are James and Jane Baugh, he was trained exclusively by Jane Baugh, and was the first recipient of the ABdFC Tammy White Memorial Herding Trophy.