We had a real good turn out for the Cathy Hartley Herding Clinic at Maple Grove Farm on Saturday and Sunday!
Along with English Shepherds, we had a Border Collie and an Australian Cattle Dog! Even MY DOGS are still tired!!! Man did we work! And LEARNED so much!!!! It was amazing! Cathy has a way that works! And you understand! This clinic helped the Farmer, the Trial person, the person that wants to know more – might be interested in herding – and well, just everyone!
We worked in the 40 foot round pen on sheep. We had a mix of dog broke nice Katahins and not so dog broke Katahins. The participants learned to “trust” their dogs and allow them to work. We learned to correct the dog if needed but not “Preach” to the dog. The reward for the dog was to work free. We started with dogs having had little or no exposure to sheep. On Sunday the two days work showed in a very positive way on both the dogs and the handlers. Both being more able to work with understanding.
We worked in the round pen off leash I heard one comment to the effect “Boy this isn’t going to be pretty ” by one owner who at the end of the day walked away totally amazed by his dog and what it had learned that day!
Folk came from Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. For the videos posted so far go to http://www.youtube.com/user/ACSox3 or click HERE. Below is one of Cathy with Drover.
[youtube width=”275″ height=”194″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15vozp8uRAE[/youtube]
