Collies and Kelpies

We spent most of the weekend catering at the Utility dog Trials in Eugowra. Despite the fact that we had the National Champion participating there was only a small crowd so we had lots of time to watch the dogs.
This is a very demanding and exacting sport. The dogs have to bring three sheep across the paddock to their handler in a very narrow area. They then have to get the three sheep into the yards, where they are mixed up with another seven sheep. The sheep are then sent up a narrow race and drafted. Three sheep are let back out in the paddock and have to be put through a series of gates that are just setup in the paddock and then into a pen. all this in fifteen minutes and points can be lost for many things, not staying in the boundaries, going the wrong way, not completing on time etc. I really enjoyed watching these clever dogs. Most of them are Kelpies, the iconic Australian dog, there was just one border collie competing. The dog that won was twelve years old. In the finals he had trouble getting up on top of the sheep in the race but he still won anyway. The dogs trainer said that will be his last run he has earned his retirement.



 

These well behaved dogs made my dog training efforts look a bit ordinary! The working dog guru will be running a beginners training here later in the year so maybe I will go and take Elle. In the meantime Zoe is visiting so Elle spent time at the beauty parlour. Do you think a dog who enjoys a blow wave would make a good working dog?

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