Finding a responsible dog breeder…

A friend and I were discussing Addi’s new championship title, and she remarked on how nice it is to see a collie with titles on both ends of her name.  This started me thinking, and gave me an idea for a new post about choosing a new puppy or dog breeder.  Thank you Anne for the inspiration!

I have always felt that both the prefix and suffix titles are equally important.  The CH, or Champion title, before a collie’s name proves they meet the breed standard.  Champions are collies that are not only beautiful, but are sound and have all the physical qualities and traits that make them suitable for reproducing the next generation of puppies.  But the championship title isn’t the only thing to consider, the titles at the other end of the name can be just as important when choosing to breed a dog, or purchasing a puppy from a reputable breeder.

The titles at the end of a dog’s name are often overlooked, but can provide significant information about the dog, and also about her or his family line.  When you see that the collie has earned performance or working titles, it proves that the collie has the correct temperament and intelligence inherent to the breed.  If you are looking for a puppy that may excel in herding or obedience, then searching for a collie with those titles might be your first step.

In every dog breed you will see less than reputable individuals trying to sell litters on social media.  If you ask to see the puppies’ pedigrees, and they either don’t have one available, or if you see many generations listed in the pedigree without any titles, you may want to look elsewhere for your next puppy.  You should also check with the National club for that dog breed, to see what health testing they recommend, as it is different for each dog breed.  For the collie, you would check with the Collie Club of America, to see what tests they recommend.  If the breeder hasn’t done those tests before breeding their collies, we recommend looking for another breeder.  For collies, they should be tested for MDR1, PRA and DMS.  When all three tests have been performed, the OFA will give the collie a CHIC certification.

The first mission of the CHIC program is to provide recommended guidelines for health testing. If a dog has the required testing submitted to the OFA, it gains the “Canine Health” or CHIC certification, showing that all appropriate testing has been submitted to the public OFA databases. DNA testing results do not have to be clear/normal to obtain CHIC certification. The only implication is that all relevant breed screenings have been submitted. The dogs must also be identified permanently, via a microchip or a tattoo. In addition to the parents having their CHIC certification, collie puppies should also be seen and examined by a certified canine ophthalmologist, and a copy of the test results should be given to the new families.

When looking at the titles and health testing, you will also want to make sure the dog breeder is a member of the National club, as Collie Club of America members have to follow a code of ethics.  We also recommend that the breeder is a member of a local breed club as well, which shows they are actively involved in the breed.  Members of local breed clubs are typically the ones who are involved in hosting dog shows and trials, helping when a collie is in need of rescuing, and promoting the breed by educating the public.

There is a lot to consider when choosing a puppy from a responsible, ethical dog breeder.  Identifying these 4 things should assist you in choosing the right puppy for your family and for your lifestyle:

1) Titles, both the conformation title of champion or Grand Champion, and the performance/working titles found at the end of the dog’s name.

2) Health testing, all breeding dogs should have their CHIC certification from the OFA.  All puppies should be seen by a regular veterinarian and a certified canine ophthalmologist prior to being sold.

3) Membership - the breeder should be a member of both the National and local breed clubs.

4) And ideally, unless they are just starting out, the dog breeders should have earned the title of AKC Breeders of Merit.

It can be difficult to decide on one, specific breeder, but that relationship can be invaluable throughout the dog’s lifetime.  It’s important to choose the right breeder for your new puppy.  The breeder can be a reliable source of information about feeding, training and caring for your collie, and they are always happy to hear updates over the years.  We love seeing pictures of our collies with their new families, watching as they grow, learn new tricks, earn new titles,  celebrate birthdays and just enjoy their lives.  Hopefully this post, and the  others we’ve written, will help you find the preservation breeder that is just right for you.

Fast CAT? No, it should be called Fast Collie!

We had another busy weekend, and the collies made it to another Fast CAT trial.  ZuZu, “Lightning Legs McCollie”, had two great runs.  On her second run she had her fastest time yet!  She only needs 15 more points for the first Fast CAT title.  With her speed, she is already in the top 40 fastest runs for collies.

Addi, my sweet, happy-go-lucky girl, did her best.  But with her calm, laidback personality, she is unlikely to set any records.  She has decent times and has so much fun chasing the plastic bag, and that's all that really matters.  She will hopefully get enough points at the next trial, on the 29th, to also earn her first Fast CAT title, BCAT.

And then there is Peyton.  Her first run went really well, with Peyton finally earning a respectable time.  And looking at her face in the picture, she seemed to be really enjoying it.  But on her second run, she changed her mind halfway down the track, and gave up the chase.  In her collie mind, it just wasn’t worth it.  I’m not quite ready to give up yet, because I think she’s having fun, it’s hard to tell with my stoic girl.

All these amazing pictures were taken by Wild Sage Photography

I’m so thankful we discovered this fun dog sport! The collies are really enjoying getting the chance to hang out with us at the events, the fresh air and sunshine, and the excitement of everyone cheering for them.  The collies 10/10 recommend giving Fast CAT a try!

The collies try FastCAT!

Today we are excited to share our ninth post in our series, The Versatile Collie.  Collies are such versatile dogs, they excel at many different activities, including FastCAT!  Please read below to learn more! 

This past weekend we tried something new with the collies.  It is a dog sport designed around a dog’s natural instincts.  It’s an AKC sport called FastCAT.  FastCAT, or the Coursing Ability Test, was created to time a dog’s speed while doing a 100 yard dash. The dog chases a lure, down a 100 yard course, and is timed with points awarded based on how fast the dog runs.  The AKC even keeps records of the fastest dogs, by breed, you can find them listed here.  But FastCAT isn’t limited to just purebreds, any dog can compete, they just need an AKC canine partners or a PAL registration number.

Peyton, she looks like she is enjoying the run!

This was our very first time attending a FastCAT test, so we had a lot to learn.  But everyone was very friendly, helpful and welcoming.  The dogs are allowed to run twice each day, you just have to register twice. Typically you need two people for each dog, one to release the dog on one end of the course, and one to catch the dog at the other end.  The catcher’s job is also to cheer and encourage the dogs to run as fast as they can to try to catch the lure.  This will help them get the best time possible.  But if you don’t have a second person, and many didn’t, there are always people willing to release your dog for you.  I did this for an adorable border collie and a Samoyed, while waiting for our next run.

Go Addi, Go! (This amazing photo was taken by Jon Washer)

The points are calculated by a formula. The formula is 204.545 divided by the dog’s run time, which equals the MPH the dog ran.  You then take the MPH and times it by the dog’s handicap. The handicap is based on the dog’s size, to make it fair for those dogs with shorter legs.

204.545 divided by run time (seconds) = MPH
For example, Addison completed one of her runs in 11.42 seconds, 204.545 / 11.42 = 17.91 mph
MPH x Handicap = points

• under 12" = 2 handicap
• 12" - under 18" = 1.5 handicap
• 18" and over = 1 handicap

17.91 mph x 1 handicap (Addi’s in the 18 inches handicap) = 17.91 points.

17.91 mph x 1.5 handicap = 26.865 points
17.91 mph x 2 handicap = 35.82 points

Her first run was a bit slower, she ran the course in 12.78 seconds, which gave her 16.01 points.  When you combine the points for both runs, she has a total of 33.92 points.  Not bad considering it was our first time, and neither of us knew what we were doing!  Peyton stopped 1/2 way on her first run, as she didn’t understand this new game and she was also suspicious of the photographer.  He was stretched out on the grass, behind me, and she thought that seemed highly suspect.  She completed her second run, but she was still hesitant.  Her score was 20.85 seconds, earning her 9.81 points.  The titles are earned once the dogs have accumulated enough points, so we have a way to go. 

FastCAT titles 

BCAT = 150 points 

DCAT = 500 points 

FCAT = 1,000 points

FCAT multiple = every additional 500 points (FCAT2 = 1,500)

Addison looks so happy! You can see how wet the ground was that day, but the water spray made the pictures so pretty!

We are signed up for a couple more FastCATs in the upcoming weeks, so I can’t wait to see their speed increase as their confidence grows!  All the dogs competing were having so much fun.  We were the only first timers, so I’m hoping Addi and Peyton will begin to enjoy this just as much as the others.  It’s a very exciting dog sport, and I was surprised at how many collies have already earned the FCAT title. Our own goal right now is just to have fun, and maybe to eventually get that BCAT title!

Addison, looking proud of her new ribbons!

All the pictures during the event were taken by Jon Washer photography, he did such a great job with everyone’s photos!  Please see the links below, for other posts in our Versatile collie series.

Barnhunt

Trick Dog

Agility

Pet Therapy

Service Dogs

K9 Nosework (Scentwork)

Sulky

Herding

Dogs just wanna have fun!

 Most dog sports are fun for dogs, and if my dogs don’t enjoy whatever competition we enter, then we move on to something else, there is so much to choose from these days!  When you compete in conformation, obedience, barnhunt, or any other sport, the dogs don’t care about winning, they only care about having fun with you, their person.  So no matter how much we enjoy winning the ribbons and titles, if our dogs aren’t enjoying the competition, then they won’t excel.  People tend to forget that these sports, trials, shows and events should be an opportunity to enrich our dogs lives, and provide a wonderful opportunity to bond with them.  I’ve seen competitors forget this, and get frustrated with their dogs when they didn’t win.  And the dogs don’t understand why their person is unhappy with them, they were just having fun.  

When we lose, and we do our fair share of losing, we try to remember that our collies did their very best, and we praise them like they are the best dogs at the show or competition, because they are.  There is a great quote by W.R. Purche, “everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.” My collies are always trying their best to understand what we are asking them to do.  Sophie and Sorsha figured out the rules of Barnhunt pretty quickly.  There are only three things: 1) climb up on a hay bale, 2) go through the tunnel, and 3) find the rat.  It is timed, but with a few practices, most dogs seem to catch on instinctively and are able to do all three in the time allowed.  I wanted to share this video of our recent Barnhunt practice.  Sophie and Sorsha have done multiple Barnhunts now, and you can see they get right to it.  Peyton tried it for the first time, so they made it easy for her to find the rat.  One thing I noticed afterwards, that made me smile, Sophie’s tail never stopped wagging, she was having a great time!

This weekend we are going to try a new sport that we’ve never tried before.  I’m hoping the collies enjoy it, all the dogs I’ve watched competing at trials seemed to be having the best time!  Come back next week and I will tell you all about it!

Dreaming of a collie like Lassie?

Americans have always been enchanted by the rough collie, thanks in large part to all the Lassie movies filmed throughout the years.  Lassie became a star of both television and the silver screen and everyone fell in love with the beautiful, majestic collie breed because of her.  Lassie also had books and memorabilia created with “her” image, and her very own comic book series.  (A little trivia, the collies playing Lassie in the movies and tv shows, were always male.)  People became avid collectors of all things Lassie, and for many, a deep rooted desire to one day have a collie of their own was born.  It’s really not a surprise, Lassie was a hero collie, portrayed as brave, compassionate and highly intelligent.

But how do the real life collies compare to this icon?  Well, some of the capers that Lassie found herself embroiled in were highly improbable.  No collie could perform such daring rescues, such harrowing escapes, or such problem solving feats…could they?  I have to say no, at least not with the regularity portrayed in the movies, books and television shows.  But that doesn’t mean they are incapable of greatness, I have read many stories of the countless acts of heroism and of the intelligence of the collie breed. 

Albert Payson Terhune wrote one such true story about his collie Wolf.  In his book, entitled Wolf, Terhune writes of how his brave collie saved a stray dog from being hit by an oncoming train, only to be struck and killed during the rescue.  

In 1954 a collie named Tang was honored by being awarded the very first annual Ken-L Ration Hero Award.  On five separate occasions this hero collie saved children from death or life threatening injuries.  On four of the occasions, people witnessed Tang pushing a child out of the path of oncoming cars.  And for the fifth rescue, he placed himself in front of a milk truck, barking to alert the driver that a two year old little girl had climbed on the back, saving the child from a serious fall.

In 1957, a sable collie named Blaze won the Hero award for saving his family’s two year old daughter from an enraged mother sow who was trying to protect her piglets.  In 1964, another collie named Buddy, guided a herd of goats out of a burning barn, and kept all 70 goats safe until his family could arrive to put out the fire. In 1966, a collie named Hero lived up to his name.  He won the annual award for saving his family’s three year old son from an attacking horse.  The blue merle collie was a show dog, and had a sweet, friendly temperament.  But at the time of the attack, the normally affable collie, prevented the horse from trampling the young boy by fighting off the crazed animal.  Hero suffered multiple injuries during the rescue, including four broken ribs and a skull fracture.  He fully covered, and returned to competing at dog shows a couple months later.

Buddy, with two of the goats he saved

Hero, and his boy

There are many other stories, of collies saving their families from house fires, drowning, and finding lost children.  One of our own collies showed an uncanny ability, when he escaped my sister’s yard.  He somehow found his way across town, and arrived at our Grandmother’s house, and alerted her to his presence when he barked to be let inside. What made this even more remarkable, Reggie was still a puppy and had only been to her house once before!

In the book, The New Collie by the Collie Club of America, there is a story of how my Uncle Fran’s collie, Dove, helped find my cousin when she was lost.  It was in August of 1967, on Cape Cod, where my Uncle was working as a naturalist, when two year old Martha wandered away.  Dove, using one of Martha’s stockings, was able to track Martha by scent, and led Uncle Fran to her just as the sun was setting.

Martha and Dove, Blackrobe Snow White Dove, CD

In my writing, I have extolled the collie’s compassionate and sweet temperament, which enables them to excel at therapy dog visits.  And I’ve also written of my collies countless antics, which show both their intelligence and their innate sense of fun.  So while they may not perform heroic acts on a daily basis like Lassie, I think there is a heroic heart inside every collie. 

The American Working Collie Association

This picture is of Gibbs, one of the collies we bred 8 years ago.  He has earned multiple herding titles, along with being the very best friend to his family could ask for!

Did you know that collies are more than just a pretty face?  While their beauty has captured the hearts of generations, and led to their starring on both television and the silver screen, as well as gracing the pages of countless books, the collie was originally bred for their working ability.  As a working breed, they had to be able to work closely with their humans, and to work independently when necessary.  This made the development of a friendly, intelligent temperament such a crucial trait in the breed.  In the past we have shared numerous posts on our Collie blog, celebrating the versatility of the collie, and they can be found here.

What you may not know, is that there is an organization created to promote the working ability of the collie.  The American Working Collie Association, or the AWCA, is a wonderful group of individuals devoted to honoring all the achievements of the American collie.  The AWCA’s Versatility Program was created to recognize Collies that have “proven their competence as versatile working dogs.”  After sharing our posts over the years, created to promote our wonderful breed, I was very excited to discover the AWCA last year and quickly became a member.  Finding an organization that shares the same goals, full of like minded individuals, I had to write a post to share their program.  Not only does the AWCA encourage collie owners to try new sports and activities with their collies, they also offer working titles for the collies of their members!  

The American Working Collie Association awards two groups of titles:

Versatility titles 

Working titles

 The Versatility Program.  Dogs must be at least 6 months old to begin documenting work in this program, unless otherwise specified. 

AWCA awards four versatility titles:

• Versatility Companion (VC) - earned by gaining 5 points from a minimum of 3 categories.

• Versatility Companion Excellent (VCX) -earned by gaining 10 points from a minimum of 5 categories.  At least 2 points each from 2 different categories must be earned at intermediate level work. 

• Versatility Champion (VCH) - earned by gaining 15 points from 6 categories. At least 2 points each from 2 different categories must be earned at advanced level work. 

• Grand Versatility Champion (GVCH) - title granted to Collies earning a VCH plus any 3 of the following 4 titles: Stock Work, HX or higher; Obedience, UD or higher; Scent Work, TDX or higher, or 3 live, cadaver, narcotics, explosives, or agricultural finds, documented by authorities; Canine Sports - Agility, AX or AXJ or its equivalent or higher.


You can find all their Working titles by clicking here.

Ryder, Scarlet, Sophie and Addison have all earned their VC, Versatility Companion title, from the AWCA.  It is such a fun way to celebrate their accomplishments! (And just at the spiffy certificates the AWCA awards the collies!)

If you are looking for new ways to compete with your collies, or just want to join an organization that strives to recognize how wonderfully versatile the collie truly is, then I highly recommend joint the American Working Collie Association.  They do so much more than just title collies, please take a look at their website!

Therapy dogs, and Trick dogs, and CGCs, Oh my!

It feels like I haven’t posted in a while, but we have so many fun updates to share!  The collies have been very busy, they have been working their paws off earning new titles! Sophie and Addison received their certificates from the Collie Club of America, for their herding instinct titles, HIC!  And I just found a trainer who is going to teach us how to herd sheep so Addi can compete at herding trials! (And I got to meet her sheep!)  I’m so excited to give it a try, and watch as my collies learn how to do something they were originally bred to do!

Scarlett just completed enough Therapy visits to earn her THDA, Therapy Dog Advanced title from the American Kennel Club (AKC).  Addison just earned her THDN, Therapy Dog Novice title from the AKC, and she just received her Canine Good Citizen certificate in the mail for that new title.  Ryder, Scarlett and Sophie all earned their Versatility Companion, or VC title, from the American Working Collie Association.  The AWCA is a great organization, and I will be writing a post to tell you about them later in the week.

And for fun, Addison and Kori, earned their TKN, Trick Dog Novice Title, from AKC!  Kori is my 12 year old senior and also Addi’s Grandma!  My friends asked me to help them complete the test for the TKN title on their collie, Kelsea.  I decided as long as I was setting up the tricks for Kelsea, I may as well have Kori and Addi do the test too.  

Kelsea, my friend’s collie girl

Kori, my sweet, 12 year old collie girl

And last, but not least, Sophie earned the last two legs for her Barnhunt title, RATN this past Sunday!  Pending approval from the AKC and AWCA, she is now Marchello’s Heaven Sent, THD, CGC, RATN, TKN, FDC, HIC, VC! I am so proud of my collies, they have proven the versatility of the breed yet again!

I also wanted to share that my daughter’s collie, Sorsha, also did some impressive winning last weekend.  At her first Barnhunt trial, she earned her first leg for the RATN, and went High In Trial! (Did I mention it was her first time?!?)

There are new titles that we should complete before the end of the year, so I will post updates as we earn them!  I absolutely love working with my collies and helping them earn these titles so they get the recognition they deserve.  I can’t wait to see what they do next!

Sophie learns how to find a rat in a haystack!

 Today we are excited to share our eighth post in our series, The Versatile Collie.  Collies are such versatile dogs, they excel at many different activities, including searching for rats by scent!  Barnhunt is a relatively newer dog sport, and it does take some training to learn all the rules, as you will see below.  But the dogs absolutely love it, my Sophie’s tail never stops wagging while she completes the searches!  I was wondering how collies would do with this sport, as it isn’t a task I associated with collies.  But after some research, I discovered that many of the original collies, along with herding, would be tasked with keeping the farm and livestock safe from vermin.  The sport of Barnhunt was created to utilize a dogs instincts to search out rodents, Please read below to learn more! 

This weekend was quite chilly and rainy, thanks to Hurricane Ophelia.  But the brunt of it missed us, so we still managed to have a fun weekend.  This was the weekend that Sophie and I tried Barn Hunt for the first time.  There aren’t any trials being held near us, so I had to drive out of state for Sophie to give it a try.  It sounded like something she would enjoy, as she has always loved our Nosework classes.

The first thing I learned was that we really should have attended a clinic or taken some training classes before entering a trial.  Sophie did great, proving yet again the versatility of the collie breed.  She caught on right away, and found the rats each time.  I was the one who needed the training!  I had read the rule book, and thought I was prepared, but I wasn’t.  There are so many rules to this sport, and some of them are counterintuitive, at least in my opinion.  The first rule, which I repeatedly broke, was to remove the dog’s collar and leash and place them on the ground as soon as you enter the search area.  I got the removing part easily enough, but I couldn’t seem to remember to put them down.  The reason I struggled with this rule is actually an easy explanation.  Sophie is always on leash when we are out in public.  I never let her off leash if we aren’t in our house or yard, I just never want to risk something happening.  So removing both her leash and collar, and letting her run free in a place I am not familiar with, makes me very nervous.  And many of the other activities we do, like the therapy visits, require that I never let go of her leash for even a second.  Even the Nosework classes we have been attending are typically done on leash.  So it was instinct that kept me tightly gripping the leash and collar, even after reminding myself to put it down.  Once I can get over that compulsion, Sophie should do really well, as all the errors were human errors.

The first class we tried was the instinct test.  They set up three tubes.  One is empty, one has the rat’s litter, and one contains the rat.  The dog is given one minute to correctly identify the tube with the rat inside, and the handler has to pick up on the dog’s individual alert when she finds the rat.  Sophie definitely would have passed the instinct test, she found the rat immediately, but there I was still gripping her leash, causing her to be disqualified!  I was actually really upset with myself, and had to remember that Sophie didn’t know she was disqualified, she was having fun either way.  That’s one of the wonderful things about dogs, it’s not about winning or losing, they just want to spend time with you and have fun!  With that in mind, even when we lost, I praised her like she had just won high in trial.  She was doing her very best, and I wanted to make sure I didn’t spoil it for her.

We were also entered in the Novice A Barn Hunt class in both the first trial and the second trial.  In this class the dog has two minutes to search for the tubes, which are now hidden in the hay bales and loose hay.  And during their search the dogs also have to climb up on a hay bale, and go through a tunnel. The handler can talk to the dog as much as they want, encouraging them and directing them to search different areas or go through a tunnel.  Sophie climbed on the bales, and found the rat, but she wouldn’t go through the tunnel, and we ran out of time.  But it didn’t matter….because I was once again holding her leash!  Fortunately, by the second trial I remembered to put the leash and collar on the ground, Sophie climbed, did the tunnel, and successfully found the rat!  This earned her the first “leg” to her Novice Barn Hunt title, RATN.  She needs to qualify three times to earn the title.  

I’ve found a Barn Hunt clinic that is being held about an hour away from us, and I hope to enter it next month for some practice.  The tunnel is made from stacking hay bales, which is very different from our plastic tunnel at home, which Sophie loves.  I think she needs some more practice with the hay tunnels, and I need more practice with just about everything else. I was really impressed by how incredibly nice and welcoming everyone was, and all the dogs and people were having so much fun.  It’s definitely something I want to try again.  Sophie absolutely loved searching for the rats, and I know she’ll enjoy doing another trial, so if you get the opportunity we both recommend giving Barn Hunt a try.

Please see the links below, for other posts in our Versatile collie series.

Trick Dog

Agility

Pet Therapy

Service Dogs

K9 Nosework (Scentwork)

Sulky

Herding

Titles, history, and enriching your dog’s life…

Some people are history buffs.  They may be fascinated by the Civil War, or Ancient Rome, still others may be obsessed with prehistoric times or the Salem witch trials.  There are endless time periods and subjects to study, and with all the resources we have at our fingertips, almost anyone can do research on whatever passion drives them.  For me, it’s the history of the collie that keeps me captivated, and also keeps me trying new things with my collies.

I enjoy pouring over the many volumes of the Collie Club of America’s Library of Champions.  I am always excited to find new sources of information about the collies and breeders of the past.  And one great source for collie historians are the older CCA Yearbooks.  Not everyone may be aware that each year the CCA publishes the collie yearbook for its members.  And if you aren’t a member, or if you are a newer member, some of the older yearbooks can be found on EBay and other websites.  While the Library of Champions is a wonderful record of all the past collies who earned that title, the CCA Yearbook also includes and celebrates all the other titles the collies have earned each year.

There is a great saying, “A well balanced dog has titles at both ends.” (Of its name). I know the American Kennel Club, or AKC for short, believes this to be true, which is why they created the title “AKC Breeder of Merit.”  Earning the coveted “CH” before a dog’s registered name is a cause of celebration.  Becoming a conformation champion means that a dog conforms to the breed standard in both appearance and structure.  But equally important, in my opinion, is that the dogs we breed are also capable of earning titles that appear at the end of their names.  That’s why the CCA Yearbooks are equally valuable when learning about the more recent history of our beloved collies.

With the CCA Yearbooks, you can look back through the years and see which breeders have produced collies that have earned herding, agility, obedience, Farm Dog, Scentwork and other performance titles.  The ability to earn these other titles demonstrates the soundness of mind, body and temperament of the dogs we are producing.  Our collies should be more than than just a pretty face, they should be able to perform the work they were originally bred to do.  That doesn’t mean the champion title before their name isn’t valuable, it is a huge honor to earn that title, but I think the other titles are just as important.

I’ve mentioned before that when looking for a reputable breeder, it’s important to find one who has earned the title of AKC Breeder of Merit.  But many may not realize how a dog breeder earns that title.  To qualify for this title, the breeder must meet all of these requirements:

• Has a history of at least 5 years involvement with AKC events.
• Earned AKC Conformation, Performance or Companion* event titles on a minimum of 4 dogs from AKC litters they bred/co-bred in each breed applied for.
• Member of an AKC club.
• Certifies that applicable health screens are performed on your breeding stock as recommended by the Parent Club.
  Health test requirements can be found on the Breed Health Testing Requirements webpages.
• Demonstrates a commitment to ensuring 100% of the puppies produced are individually AKC registered.

Our Kori, herding ducks

There are so many fun and exciting things to do with your dogs, and your dogs will love all the individual time and attention.  When deciding which sport to try first, or which title to pursue, I think researching your collie’s own ancestry, and all that those dogs have accomplished, is a great place to start.  If you see many collies in their pedigree earned herding titles, you may want to consider giving herding a try.  Or maybe when researching your collie’s own history you discover that many of the collies have earned obedience or agility titles, try taking a class to see if you and your collie enjoy that type of competition.  The collie truly is a versatile breed, and the sky’s the limit for activities you can try together.  And when your collie earns a title, they will become a part of the breed’s history!  My Sophie and I have decided to try Barnhunt next month, not sure how it will go, but I bet we will have fun while doing it!

You can teach an old dog new tricks!

Today we are excited to share our seventh post in our series, The Versatile Collie.  Collies are such versatile dogs, they excel at many different activities, including learning tricks!  The AKC has created a fun way to earn titles with your dogs, by teaching them tricks, something both you and your dog can do together!  The Trick Dog titles can be earned in person, or virtually.  Please read below to learn more! 

During the height of the pandemic we spent a lot of time isolating at home.  Many of us began working from home, and travel restrictions were put in place.  Even going to the movies or grocery store was considered a risk.  It was a time of constant worry and stress, and for many, a very lonely experience.  But for those of us with companion animals it wasn’t quite as bad, and for our pets, it was a very happy time.  All the activities that typically separate us from our animals, such as work, school, sports and vacations, were no longer an issue.

I know my own collies were never happier, as I was home with them 24/7!  And the bonus of my being home all the time, was all the walks we took, just to get out of the house.  Unfortunately, one of the activities we all enjoyed was also canceled.  There were no dog shows!  One thing the AKC did to help mitigate the loss was to begin allowing the Trick Dog test to be performed by video.  With unlimited time together, my collies and I began to train and learn dog tricks, so they could earn a new title.  It was a unique way to bond and have fun with my collies, and it kept us all from becoming too bored.

With the slow, gradual return to “normal,” AKC is now allowing the test to be done in person or virtually, it is the individual’s choice.  If you want to do the test virtually, you can find a trick dog evaluator on the AKC website or by joining the Facebook group, Trick Dog Titles. To do the test in person, you can search for upcoming tests here.  To earn the Trick Dog title your dog must perform each trick twice.  There are five levels of Trick Dog titles, we have only passed the Novice level so far.

• AKC Novice Trick Dog (TKN)- Your dog performs 10 skills from the Novice list. (see link to “Application” below for lists of skills). If a dog has a Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificate or title on record at AKC, it can do 5 Novice tricks (CGC + 5) to earn the Novice title. See the list of tricks here.
• AKC Intermediate Trick Dog (TKI) – Your dog must have the Novice title, plus perform 10 Intermediate tricks. See the list of tricks here.
• AKC Advanced Trick Dog (TKA) – Your dog must have the Intermediate title, plus perform 10 tricks from the Advanced list. See the list of tricks here.
• AKC Trick Dog Performer (TKP) – In this title, handlers perform a short routine with at least 10 tricks with at least 3 tricks using props. See the requirements here.
• AKC Trick Dog Elite Performer (TKE) – In the highest level of Trick Dog, the Elite Performers perform a routine that has a story/script. At least 5 props are used. See the requirements here.

We had so much fun earning the TKN title, and I think we are going to try earning TKI next!  The collies all strongly recommend you give this a try with your dog, and if you do, please come back and let us know  in the comments.  As this is a fun activity the collies easily mastered, we decided to add it to our Versatility series, to show the amazing versatility of the collie breed. Want to see the other posts in our Versatile Collie series? Click on the links below:

Agility
Therapy dogs
Service dogs
K9 nose work
Pulling a Sulky (AKA Carting)

Herding

The Versatile Collie - Herding with your Collie

Today we are excited to share our sixth post in our new series, The Versatile Collie.  Collies are such versatile dogs, they excel at many different activities, including herding, which is what they were originally bred to do.  Our guest blogger is Michael Vorkapich, and he trains his dogs to compete in herding, agility and many other fun dog sports.  His blog, The Agile Dog Blog, has great information on competing in different sports with your collie or dog, as well as some beautiful pictures of collies in action!  We are very grateful to Michael for once again taking the time to write this for us, and for sharing his experiences and love for this amazing breed.

Collies Can Herd Too

By Michael Vorkapich

Collies are the ideal family dog. They are great with children, eager to please and easy to get along with. If you are reading thisyou probably have a Collie. Most of the Collies I know are doing amazing things in Conformation, Obedience, Rally and more. Recently, at least where I live, there has been a significant rise in the number of Collies training and competing in Agility and Herding.

Skye the Rough Collie

For many years, I have trained my Collies in several dog sports.It all started with a wonderful Smooth Collie named Holly. She was the dog that made me realize that these were more than just pets; they were intelligent, affectionate friends that I could play with. Pretty much anything I asked, she would do without question. We trained long and hard. Every weekend you would find us at an Agility Trial or some other dog event. Holly was very tolerant of my ignorance in most of the things we were doing and made up for many of my mistakes. We competed at several National events and came away with many titles and many ribbons.

Skye

It is not surprising then, that I was overjoyed when we got our Rough Collie, Skye. She was smart, eager and willing to do anything I asked, regardless of what it was. We trained in Obedience and Agility, just like Holly before her. Months and months went into our training. However, I knew a lot more this time around. I had been doing this for years and training Skye was so much easier than Holly because I had become a better trainer. Skye learned quickly and was soon ready for competition.

When it came time for our first competition, I confidently entered the Agility ring and stepped to the start line with Skye by my side. I put her in a sit at the start line and walked to the second obstacle. Looking back at Skye, I released her from her sit and we were off! Running through the obstacle course, feeling the rush of running with your dog. Pure joy!

My initial joy quickly turned to concern as I realized that Skye was acting very strangely. Where she would bound gleefully through the course in class, in this competition she was moving slowly and looking rapidly around her at all the people. While she normally completed courses in class and at home with very little communication required, here I had to coax her and encourage her to keep moving. For several obstacles, she just went around and refused to complete them.

Over the next several months, this ring fear became worse and worse. I worked with several trainers, trying to help her get over her fear of competition but it continued to degrade. Classes would go well but competitions would not. In addition, I was nottrying to force the competitions. We only went occasionally to test how our ring confidence training was going. The answer was not well. We stopped competing altogether when she decided that she could not stay in the ring with me and left one time on her own.  

So we looked around to see if there was something we (my wife and I) could do to keep this extremely smart and eager Collie still active. We talked about many different dog sports, or just dropping dog sports and doing things like hiking (which we also do). Then it occurred to us that Collies are part of the Herding group. That means they should be good at herding. 

Next came our search for a place to take our dog herding. I contacted many places and got surprisingly similar responses from most. When I would ask them about training my Collie to do herding, they would ask “Border Collie?” To which I would reply, “No, I have a Collie without borders”. Many people would not take on a Collie, feeling they were too soft. 

Eventually we found an instructor that was willing to work with us. It was a bit of a drive but we made it weekly. We really wanted Skye to have something that she could do regularly that would increase her confidence. 

Our first few lessons were amazing! Skye took to sheep as though she had been herding all of her life. She just knew what to do. We would send her out and she would just bring the sheep to us. For the next several years, Skye and I trained regularly and eventually went to some competitions just to see how she would do in an arena setting. The results were also spectacular. She performed in a trial just like in class. We quickly earned our HT, PT (beginning titles in AKC herding) and were on our way.

Eventually we moved back to Agility, where we did much betterthan previously, eventually getting through Excellent before retiring due to age.

You can take your Collie herding too

Benny

Shepherds who saw their utility and skill initially bred collies in Scotland. They would breed only those dogs with the best herding instinct and those that were the most biddable. Back in those days, Collies did not look like they do now. The Collie we know and love is the result of selective breeding by show breeders. Modern Collies came from this wonderful herding background and still maintain their herding instinct.

Where we currently take lessons, there are close to a dozen Collies that are also being trained. They range in personality from barely interested in sheep to over-the-top enthusiastic, which is exactly the same kind of mix you will find for other herding breeds. 

There are some major differences between Collies and other breeds. For example, the Collie tends to bark much more than a Border Collie. They also tend to be more of an upright herding breed, which means they stand tall instead of crouching in typical Border Collie style. Another difference is that Collies tend to be a little less intense than some other breeds, and less accepting of harsh corrections. These things are not always the case but in general, these are the characteristics of Collies in herding.

If you just want your dog to push some livestock around, you could simply buy a few sheep and let your Collie bring them from the field each day. They will learn this task quickly and easily without much formal training. However, if you actually wish to compete in Herding, you will need to find yourself a good instructor.

Like most dog training, there are no required certifications for instructors. Any person can decide they want to be an instructor and start offering lessons. To find a good instructor, your best bet is to find some herding trials and go watch. Talk to the exhibitors and see who their instructor is. Ask about training methods and see if these align with the way you like to train your dogs. Collies can be sensitive to harsh corrections and many instructors prefer to let your dog loose on sheep and correct them with flapping flags, stock sticks or other such devices. Some instructors prefer to teach to dog what to do and guide them towards the correct choices. This second method is my preferred choice for instructor but they can be hard to find.

Then go watch a lesson or two. See if you can sit in and see how the dogs are being trained. Talk to the instructor in person about your desires and how your dogs will be trained. Ask other students of that instructor about their experiences and, if they are competing, how long it took to get there and what they had to do.

Next come the lessons. Unless you own livestock of your own, you will need to take regular lessons in order to improve your herding skill. Your instructor should help you teach your dog to move the stock in a calm manner, and to move them where you want them. Some instructors work towards specific coursework, which is a limited subset of herding. For example, you could work towards the A course in the AKC which is arena work and a lot of walking sheep along a fence line. You certainly could train just for that but for a more well-rounded dog, you will want to study all aspects of herding.

Some, a very few, Collies are not really interested in herding. They get in the arena and just wander around ignoring the sheep. Most are extremely interested and have a ton of instinct. You will be amazed the first time you bring your dog to a lesson and they become very focused on the sheep. Their instinct kicks in right away and they determinedly bring you the sheep or move them in a circle. Quite often their instinct will override other training and they will ignore you when you ask them for a behavior they know quite well such as a sit or a down.

Your instructor will know when you and your dog are ready for competition. They will help you find a trial and figure out how to register and compete. Typically, they will recommend you enter a trial they are going to. Also, typically, your instructor is going to be competing in only one of the organizations that offer herding and they will be training you to compete in that organization as well. This is pretty typical of all dog sports and instructors.

Lyra

Final words

That’s pretty much what you need to know about herding. I could say many more things. I could tell you about how you need to send your dog on an “outrun” and how you can train for this. Or how to teach your dog to maintain a position behind the sheep. We could talk about the differences between sheep, cattle and duck herding or how to teach your dog directional signals. However, that is what the instructor will be teaching you.

After a few lessons, you will find that you and your dog are eagerly looking forward to the next lesson. Shortly you may find yourself addicted to herding like you never thought you would be. It is glorious to watch Collies doing what they initially were bred for and doing it so well. And all that hair! They just look amazing when they are out there with the sheep. Photo ready every single time.

My biggest piece of advice in all of this is that, unless you are actually running a farm, you should approach herding with the idea that you and your dog are out there to have fun. Competitions and ribbons are great but if you and your dog aren’t enjoying it, then why would you do it? So give it a try and let your dog do what it was bred for.

To find herding trials in your area, you would need to check with one of the sanctioning organizations. The ones I have listed here all accept any herding breed even though they may sound like they are breed specific. It may not be clear from their websites that any breed an join but I have verified that this is the case with ASCA and USBCHA.

American Herding Breed Association (AHBA) http://www.ahba-herding.org/

American Kennel Club (AKC) https://www.akc.org/

Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) https://www.asca.org/

Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) https://www.ckc.ca/en

United States Border Collie Handlers’ Association (USBCHA) https://usbcha.com/

And please stop by Michael's blog, he has posts on so many other dog sports and other topics related to dogs.  The Agile Dog Blog

Want to see the other posts in our Versatile Collie series?  Click on the links below:
Agility
Therapy dogs
Service dogs
K9 nose work
Pulling a Sulky