We all know that the Collie was created to help farmers manage their stock -- sheep, cattle, goats, ducks and geese. Many of our modern Collies still demonstrate the deeply engrained instinct to work stock. However, that may not remain part of our breed unless we test our dogs and breed Collies that demonstrate herding instinct. Doing so is an important part of preserving our historic breed. If you attend a herding trial at the Collie Club of America National Specialty or a CCA Regional Herding trial, you will see Collies demonstrating both instinct and training that is completely natural to our breed. Watching them tap into that instinct and “turn on” to working stock always fascinates me. One of my dogs loves herding more than anything.
On September 28, 2024, the Southern California Collie Club held its first American Kennel Club herding event at Diamond Dogs K9 Sports Events Center in Chino, California.
To make sure we could fill our test the club decided we would open entries to all herding-eligible AKC breeds, giving entry preference to Collies. While many other dog breeds are bred for herding, and we took their entries to fill our test, it was the Collies that earned the most interest from the observers at our event.
Both smooth and rough Collies came to be evaluated, with 12 Collies entered in all. Jeannette Poling, Gayle Kaye, Mary Jones and Courtney Carrizalez, Loni Johnson, Emily Knight, Geri Cox, Naomi Fujita, Patricia Yuen and Lori Borenstein all brought at least one Collie. Watching these dogs respond to the sheep was so much fun.
Other breeds that filled out our available runs included the Border Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, Australian Shepherd, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Belgian Malinois, Puli, Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier and Samoyed. Each dog had its own unique reaction to the sheep. One of the sheep even decided to challenge one of the border collies. They locked their eyes and had a show down. The Border Collie won, of course!
The day broke cloudy and cool, but there was no rain. We set up a hospitality area with coffee and donuts, courtesy of the club. To earn an AKC Instinct Tested certificate a dog must pass under two different AKC Herding Judges. Diamond Dogs had two separate, round pens, so we ran two separate AKC events simultaneously. We split the entry into two lists and assigned one to the morning and one to the evening, so entrants could come for just half a day. With the help of Secretary Donna Downs, we decided we could run 30 dogs in each trial, 15 in the morning and 15 after lunch. That way exhibitors would only have to stay at the ranch for half a day to earn their AKC Instinct Tested (IT) certificate.
Half the morning group started with Judge Kirsten Cole in Arena One, and the other half in Arena Two with Judge Peggy Richter. At a maximum of 10 minutes per dog we had about an hour and a half for each group, then each group switched arenas/judges. While most dogs managed to pass under both judges and earn their Instinct Test certificate, not all dogs did.
Sometimes it takes multiple exposures for a dog to demonstrate herding instinct. Other dogs may not be cut out for herding. Only a few owners were disappointed, and we hope they will try again another time. For breeders and exhibitors, seeing that bitch or stud earn an IT is at least some indication that the puppies may make good herding dogs. I believe Collie breeders concerned with the future of our breed should consider this when selecting a mate for their dog.
Overall, the exhibitors and observers were thoroughly pleased with our test, and we all had a wonderful time visiting and watching all the dogs. It was also a learning experience for our club members. We want to encourage other Collie clubs to consider adding AKC herding instinct tests to their event portfolio.
Photos by: Susan Goldman, official photographer
Cover photo: Jeanette Poling and Judge Peggy Richter
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