Introduction
This evening, I am reprising the 2012 Scottish National Sheep Dog Trials held at Strathaven in Lanarkshire, south of Glasgow. Handlers and dogs are: J.B. Ramsay with Rib, D. Wallace with Rob and N McEachern with Ann. These trials illustrate a close working rapport between man and dog. From the dogs perspective these exercises are controlled hunting.
Here is selection of images illustrating trialling in process.
Summary information on Sheep Dog Trials
- Incepted over 100 years in Europe with aim of assessing everyday tasks involved in managing flocks of sheep.
- Training a dog to the highest standard can take many years. The higher the standard of training the easier to manage flocks of sheep with minimum stress.
- Dogs are commanded by a mix of whistle or voice, predominantly the former.
- Whilst dogs enjoy trialling, sheep can suffer stress and hence are used a maximum of twice with breaks.
- Sheep dog trials are subject to standard rules established by the International Sheep Dog Society.
- The trials take place over a standard course entailing:
- Gathering the flock from a distance of up to 1000 yards.
- Driving the sheep through two sets of gates and then to a shedding ring.
- Shedding of two unmarked sheep within the ring.
- Penning on completion of the shedding exercise.
- Points are awarded by a judge for each discrete task.
A selection of video clips is provided below. Number four is particularly interesting.
Information on the Border Collie
The Border Collie is a working and herding dog breed. They come from the Anglo-Scottish border region and are used to herd livestock, specifically sheep. The Border Collie is considered a highly intelligent, extremely energetic, acrobatic and athletic dog. The breed is well-known for herding and protecting abilities. Rough collie dogs are described as strong, loyal, affectionate, responsive, and fast. Life expectancy is 10-17 years.
More information for the tourist
Sheep dog trials are held throughout Scotland, mainly during the summer and in the Highlands. Use search term Scotland Trials – International Sheep Dog Society. A wide range of information for the visitor can be found in Visitors’ Guide to Scotland. The ISBN for the book is 978-1-9161332-0-4. Also available via Kindle.