First, you have to have a mental image of a perfectly correct "square flank". This involves the relationship between the dog and SHEEP not the handler. Dogs do not square flank off the handler, they square flank off the sheep. As the dog runs in half circle or part of a circle around the sheep […]

I remember the first time I put a shepherd's whistle in my mouth--a silent little bubble dribbled out one side while my eyes nearly popped from the unreleased pressure behind the instrument. By day two, a reedy pitiful note would moistly eek out on occasion if I held my mouth just right. A few days […]

The Stop will be one of the most important commands a handler can teach their dog. The dog stopping in an exact spot can make the difference in accomplishing a chore correctly, winning or losing in a trial situation, or even saving a dog's life. Introduce the stop command to a dog away from stock. […]

by Lori Herbel We've all had those great moments in herding when our own outstanding handling expertise and our dog's natural, God-given talents have put us in awe and made our hearts swell, and given us cause to be proud to be herders. But why, oh why do those moments seem to be much fewer […]

by Joy Sebastian-Hall A factor that influences every facet of our daily lives is attitude. How well a thing is accomplished, how quickly it gets done, how a person feels about it, all boils down to attitude. Herding is a dog sport that can have radically different results depending on the attitude of a handler, […]

by Lori Herbel   Wouldn't it be nice if you went to a trial and knew what the judge was looking for? Many times exhibitors go to a trial and have no clue what's important to that judge, that day. Of course they all judge by the rules and regulations in the orange book, but […]

As 's breeder, owner and handler, I was thrilled to hear that he is the first dog to earn a Master Herding title! He finished his AKC Herding Championship in June of 2010 in two weekends with five 3 point major wins on both sheep and ducks. In 2011, I decided to try Advanced A […]

AKC’s Herding program offers both tests and trials. The herding test is offered in a non-competitive pass/fail format as an Instinct Test, Herding Test, and Pre-Trial test. All are conducted within a fenced arena and includes the use of livestock such as ducks, sheep, or cattle. During a test, a dog must demonstrate the ability […]

All dogs 9 months of age or older from the following breeds are eligible to participate in Herding Events. Effective January 1, 2011 all dogs 6 months of age or older from the following breeds are eligible to participate in Herding Instinct Tests. AKC Recognized Breeds Australian Cattle Dog Australian Shepherd Bearded Collie Beauceron Belgian […]

Dear Performance Events: I have been doing both AKC and ASFA lure coursing for a number of years, with several sighthound breeds. But my husband and I have also run non-sanctioned lure coursing fun days at our farm for as many years as well. We initially confined them to the sighthound breeds but started allowing […]