Sheepdogs are generally dogs that are descended from a long bloodline of dogs that are instinctive in herding livestock. Often these dogs are breeds such as Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs, and the like. By far the most common breed that participates in this activity is the Border Collie.
The Border Collie works in a different way. He will fixate on cattle with an unblinking, almost hypnotic gaze, while his movements will be closely coordinated and equally hypnotic in nature. He can move at lightning speed when necessary, but will generally make his movements in a low crouching motion to avoid startling the sheep unnecessarily. It will crouch, stop, crawl, and move forward when instructed to do so. Sometimes it crawls forward or sideways just a little at a time, falling to the ground and stopping for long periods. Their movements can also be lightning-fast turns and runs towards cattle. It will also move directionally according to the wishes of the pastor. Most of the time, his movements are done without direction of any kind from the shepherd, since he has generally been trained from the beginning to herd the animals on his own.
All the herding skill that is put into play is due to his instinctive ability to work the cattle or because the shepherd has directed him. The shepherd directs the dog with hand signals, low whistles, or almost indistinct silent commands. All of this dog steering should be fairly calm and performed without startling or sending the sheep into a stampede. Every move on the part of the participants, the dog and the shepherd, is intended to achieve the end result of bringing the cattle to a particular location. Each move is also calculated to avoid scaring the sheep.
Most sheepdog trials will use three to six sheep that will be released into a large area of closed paddock. Observers can stay out of the paddock during the competition and there can often be more than a hundred as shepherd dog trials are quite popular spectator events. The freed sheep swirls as the shepherd enters the arena with his dog. When the trial begins, it is the dog’s job, with occasional guidance from the shepherd, to direct all the sheep through or around various gates and into a small final paddock area, which will then be closed off by the shepherd. Typically, the event is scored not only by how long it takes, but also by the adequacy of the signals being transmitted to the dog and its response to those signals.
Sheepdog trials are one of the most popular events at state and county fairs throughout the Midwest. In addition, they are almost always found in specialized exhibitions of the various breeds of sheepdogs.
Many of these shows also have what’s known as a “herding test,” which can be quite entertaining to watch. The herding trial is usually an event where ducks or geese are used as livestock. The dog should attempt to herd these birds without direction from their owner or guide into an enclosed area. It is amazing how many herding lineage dogs are able to complete a herding trial with flying colors, without any direction. It is a testament to the purity of the bloodline and instinctual ability of the dog and successful completion is a coveted reward for the breeder of a sheepdog.