KBT Performance Newsletter
April 2006

By Jane Eno

First, I’d like to congratulate the Novice A First & Foremost Point winners for this year. It is so nice to see so many Kerry Blue Terriers winning points in the Novice A class in obedience. I hope all of them success as they continue on in obedience. They are as follows:

Harmony’s On The Go
K Loken/R Loken / 16 Points

Keriland’s Talk About Town
P. Hanson/J Beeby / C Maglaque / 3 Points

Lisiji Jack Be Nimble
K Battles / 1 Point

Harmony’s On The Go was also number 7 in the terrier group! Congratulations!

FAQ on Herding with the Kerry Blue Terrier

Ever thought of trying herding with your Kerry? It’s a very fun activity for both dog and handler. With the UKKBTC working hard on promoting this activity with our Kerry Blue Terriers, I thought this would be a good time to write about it. Dave Yeager was nice enough to answer a few questions on trying herding with kerries.

How much and what kind of obedience training is needed before trying to take a Kerry Blue Terrier for a herding lesson?
At the very least any dog entering the HCT or a herding lesson should be able to perform a stay and recall. My observations have been that the judge/trainer typically asks for a demonstration of these commands after the dog has entered the pen and had an opportunity to "calm" down. I would recommend having the dog perform a sit/stay as a matter of course when you enter the pen. This helps the dog understand that he/she only works the sheep on your command.

For herding training, a solid sit and recall will also help avoid disaster moments. As an example, on one of Kasey's first training sessions, an "unbroke" sheep was used. This poor ewe didn't know what to do with a silver blue bundle of energy (Kasey), and panicked. She fell into the fence, and it came loose. The flight syndrome took over and there goes the sheep – out of the fence and running off. Kasey's natural inclination was to pursue, but fortunately my voice at 120db screaming "HALT" reeled her in. Without a solid recall or stop, the dog would have walked away from the training with the excitement of the chase, rather than the excitement of the herding, a definite negative effect to the training.

I'm finding as the training progresses that the dog also needs to be able to perform a drop on recall, or in Rally terms, a moving down. As you progress in the training and the pen becomes larger, the dog must maintain a "balance point" from the herd. Kasey has a great balance point, and I rarely have to ask her to drop. Bonney’s balance point however seems to be when her nose is firmly against a sheeps leg, so the drop on recall was critical. Whenever she gets too close to the herd, I just raise my arm and she goes down like a hover craft.

Do I need to have a herd of sheep in order to train and practice?
We live in an urban society, where having livestock in the backyard is typically not permitted. Fortunately, there are an abundance of sheep farms and training facilities located throughout the country. These facilities are well equipped for any level of training.

Beginning training will typically be performed with no more than 3 to 5 sheep. These sheep are well trained to follow the handler, allowing you to concentrate on training the dog.

Will my Kerry be more likely to chase cars and bikes once I start herding?
The first thought that came to my mind was, “Why is your Kerry in a position where he or she could chase a car or bike?” but that’s another story. Herding training is not chasing. It is the development of the dogs skill to control the movement of livestock.

What style of herding do Kerries use?
So far, my experience with Kerries and their “style” shows me that we can’t lump a breed into a specific style. Kasey has a “loose eye,” and tends to be more on the “driving” side of style. She keeps an eye on the overall group. Bonney on the other hand has shown a “strong eye,” more focused on fetching. For both girls, the training is well rounded, covering both gathering and driving styles, since both of them will be needed as we progress in the sport.

Since Kerry Blue Terriers have a strong prey drive, won’t they hurt the ducks and sheep they are supposed to herd?
The herding instinct comes from the prey drive. Many herding related publications cite a high prey drive as a desirable trait when evaluating puppies for the sport. During training, you’re teaching your dog to control the movement of the herd. This includes finding a “balance point,” the distance between the dog and livestock. (Close enough to direct the livestock, but not close enough to distress them.)

Will my Kerry no longer be interested in obedience, conformation ring and agility once I start participating in herding?
I’ve heard these same concerns about training a dog in obedience hurting their performance in conformation and agility. My girls are actively training in obedience and rally, and we’re even managing to fit in some agility. Bonney is still in the conformation ring, and I haven’t seen any negative effects. Herding has given us yet another avenue to have fun and work as a team!

What is the difference between a herding instinct test and a herding trial?
Herding Tests are non-competitive and judged on a pass/fail basis. The goal of the HCT is to determine the dog’s natural instincts for the sport. The AHBA has two levels for the HCT - HCT I and HCT II.

The HCT I test can be performed with no prior training or exposure to livestock. This test is conducted in a small 50 ft. circular pen with 3 sheep. The tester/judge may handle the dog for HCT I. Initially the dog will be taken into the pen on lead and must perform a stay and recall. After this, the test is free form. The judge will generally ask you to have the dog “drive” the sheep, change directions, etc. These actions are done to evaluate the dogs interests and natural instincts towards controlling the livestock.

For HCT II, some prior training is recommended. Held in a somewhat larger area pen, you and your dog are expected to navigate the sheep around two pylons located at opposite ends of the pen. This test also requires the demonstration of basic obedience commands, including sit, stay, halt and drop on recall.

Another Herding test is the Junior Herding Dog, JHD. In this test, you and your dog will be expected to move the stock through a series of three “gates,” two at opposite ends of the arena, and one in the middle. After you’ve gone through the last gate, you and your dog must pen the stock; the dog is stopped, and the handler closes the gate to the pen.

Herding Trials consist of Herding Trail Dog (HTD) and Herding Ranch Dog (HRG). These are competitive title events, requiring a considerable amount of training and practice. There are three levels for both HTD and HRG. Just as in other performance events, the level of difficulty increases as you progress the levels.

Why do you enjoy herding with your Kerry?
Teamwork! It is a great sport where the handler and the dog must operate as a team to succeed. I’ve also seen a side to my girls that I don’t see in the other sports. Bonney has done amazingly well in the conformation ring, but I’ve never seen her move in the conformation ring like she does in a ring with stock. When we’re out on the farm working sheep, and my girls start that long, smooth Kerry ‘glide’ to drive those sheep, it’s just beautiful! Their eyes are sparkling, their tongues and tails are wagging, and we’re all enjoying life!


BRAGS

From Tracey Fulmer
I'm thrilled to report that Bailey (Lynmar My Bleu Heaven OA OAJ) is now competing in Excellent A in both AKC Jumpers and Standard. We earned our Open Standard title this weekend in Wrentham, MA -- the first trial since last fall -- and the following day we got our first leg of Excellent A Standard with a third place finish and a clean run to boot, (albeit a tad over course time.) Considering we started training in agility only a year ago and our first competition was last summer, I'm delighted beyond belief. My boy is getting faster and faster, and I hope next season my Kerry rescue girl will be following in his pawprints. She's a fast little thing, who already knows how to jump a hurdle!

From Susan Coliton
Eidenbock's Jamison Lee, CD, RE, CGC now has 9 legs towards his RAE. We qualified 7 out of 8 classes at the No. Calif. Terrier Assn, and Sacramento Kennel Club shows at Cal Expo on Easter weekend. Jamie received his first Blue Ribbon on Friday from judge Alvin Eng.

From Jane Eno
Jessie picked up his first Excellent A P leg in Agility by getting a leg in Jumpers With Weaves.

Last Updated: 05/09/2006, 10:14 pm