We took the terrier sheepherding this week, just for fun.
There is a place in Escondido, not too far from San Diego, where one tough, leather-skinned lady runs the show/dog training facility. I didn't dare take a picture of her. She didn't seem like the type to tolerate such frivolity. . .
I imagine this service is vital to anyone who has a ranch or substantial livestock that need to be managed. The facility had several working dogs. We watched one help the owner load all those sheep onto a trailer for transport. Whenever one or more sheep tried to go a different way, the dog jumped in its way and directed it back onto the truck.
It was a nice day, not too hot, but very dry. Maggie was thirsty and had to drink several times from a huge plastic watering tub that lay on the ground.
This instructor explained how the stick is used to guide the dog. Stick directed at hind legs means keep going. Stick in front of face means change directions. He warned us that he would "pop" the dog on the nose if it tried to bite the sheep. Maggie was very amenable to training and worked easily. Another dog, a German shepherd wanted a bite out of a sheep when it was his turn. He got a pop on the nose.
There are several vast open field where dogs who are more advanced in their training work with greater numbers of less orderly sheep. We watched while other owners learned to train their dogs.
This was Maggie's debut, but she passed her aptitude test with flying colors!
Of course, she had the easy group. These three sheep were compliant and used to training with dogs. Leathered lady said they were "broke," meaning they were broken in and easy to work with.
A budding shepherdess.. . The sheep know that the human is there to protect them, so they always rush up to the human and lean in against the legs.
Sheep enjoying a break after being herded by dogs.
A+ on the test. Good job!
