HERDING with Icelandics: Observations and Training
By Sharon Schaefer
Observations
We’ve had sheep since 1991 and grazed or moved them using our home bred Belgian Shepherd Dogs (I had Belgians from 1976-2003). Our dogs made our sheep enterprise possible. We could graze ditches or other areas when the pastures were not yet ready in the spring or too dry in the summer. We could graze the sheep on alfalfa safely because with the dogs we could take them off it in 20-30 minutes when it was too lush and would cause them to bloat, which can be fatal. Over the years I had attended several herding clinics in different styles. When Ima, our first Iceland Sheepdog, arrived I’d already been researching the breed for over 3 years and was very interested in learning how their herding instincts worked. At that time we had about a hundred mature sheep (medium flocking instinct). Ima’s primary role was to be our herding dog and companion, secondly if she passed health checks to have some puppies.
The first winter we used Ima for yardwork, I spent a lot of time just trying to observe what she wanted to do with the sheep in order to understand ‘her Icelandic instinct’. Once we had introduced her on leash a couple of times to the routine, I was allowing her (within our need to have each pen of sheep move to the hydrant for water then back to their pen) to get the sheep any way she wanted. One thing became immediately clear, she was much more interested in going back into pens to look for more sheep than she was in being with the sheep she had moved out. They might be hiding behind the round bale, or the windbreak, or other places she imagined could hide a sheep. She was completely bored by standing waiting for them all to drink and we had to put her on leash for that part or she would start pressuring them (she was quite young still).
That spring when we started grazing sheep she was completely bored again – ‘tending’ a line by trotting along it was not in her repertoire (the Belgians did this). We could walk along the edge of the graze on leash and sit or lay down to wait for a sheep stupid enough to try to cross, when she would fly into action and put it back. Getting the sheep to MOVE and a good sense of where they were and were not allowed to be were both in her instinctive package. Ima and I still graze sheep in this manner – we walk along the edge once then sit back and relax until someone gets too hungry or curious and then she flies into action. Each of my Icelandics responds the same way to this grazing setup.
In the summer (from very late May until September) our sheep are in 10 acre paddocks between 1/4mile (1/2km) and ½ mile (1km) from home. We originally established these to be a longer rotational graze system for 150-200 ewes with their lambs. Unfortunately we expanded our flock right into 2 years of drought and had to get rid of 80 ewes with lambs at foot, find grazing elsewhere for another 20 ewes plus lambs, and have never got back to those numbers. Our smaller flock now grazes about 2-3 weeks in each 10 acres, we cut some for hay, and sometimes, as now, we move them in and out of other 10 acre spots on a daily basis. Each 10 acres is hilly, has willow and aspen poplar bush interspersed with the grass, and without our three livestock guardian dogs would be predator picnic sites (coyotes in this area). Because of the smaller sheep numbers, our grass is frequently taller than Ima and sometimes even taller than the sheep. Her herding bark is very useful in those situations as the sheep just need to hear her and start heading back whether or not we can see them.
Training
If you find a trainer willing to work with a ‘herding bark’ you will be very fortunate. Most Icelandics will bark as part of their herding behaviour. This is not a frantic out of control issue but their working style. If they are moving the sheep in a careful way and listening to you if you ask them to ‘Get back’ or ‘Down’ don’t try to stop any barking. Instead observe when your dog barks and learn what it means. Put it on cue so as you progress through herding you can use it to your team’s advantage (if the sheep recognize the meaning of a bark). If the sheep you are working with are not familiar with a barking dog they will probably just ignore it. Upright breed trainers (eg Australian Shepherds) will be more familiar with the needs of an Icelandic learning to herd but many border collie trainers also work successfully with other breeds.
The sheep are an important consideration. Well trained (so-called ‘dog-broke’) sheep make a beginning dog’s and handler’s experience much more positive. Groups of 3-5 sheep which will stick to the shepherd, without running wild give the dog an opportunity to make correct choices and be rewarded. They also give the novice handler time to learn to walk backwards while wielding a rake or crook without falling in the mud! Most Icelandics have enough gathering style to participate in and benefit from these typical training situations involving 3 sheep. The breed of sheep is not critical but it is very unlikely you will find any dog trainers using Icelandic sheep as this breed has a very low flocking instinct – they’d be in three different corners of the pen!
Icelandics have both driving and gathering instincts and each individual will have a slightly different balance between these. From my own experience and anecdotal information from other owners another strong component is a ‘need for speed’ – both their driving and their gathering was, and still is, done on quite wild sheep in mountains and they want their animals to MOVE (see photo of Dart). Building in early control in a wide variety of situations will help your dog respond better when they are expected to begin actually working stock.
Dogs should not be expected to really herd before about 18 months to 2 years of age. If they are city dogs, they will do best if they are introduced to some livestock by about 4 months of age in a controlled meeting – don’t let them either maul the ducks or be butted by a ewe but they could briefly ‘play’ with a lamb, touch noses with a horse, sniff some chicks. They can also practise their control skills of sits, stands, or downs near livestock.
If you have livestock do take your puppy for chores but be prepared to put them away during chore time at some point in their first year of development because they have ‘turned on’ to stock and are frantic idiots. Not all dogs go through this stage but most do.
Dogs growing up on farms need to practise their control skills too but during adolescence, which varies by individuals, they may need to practise them a long way away! Every couple of weeks, test how close you can work the young dog and bring them back into more normal routines when they have some self control. My dogs spend a fair bit of time waiting outside enclosures for me and I set up a waiting spot farther away (sometimes it’s in the house!) during this stage. In the photo, 11+ month old Boogie (Ima’s grandson) is participating in driving the sheep to a pasture. He’s been back in the field for only about 2 weeks after a few months away because he couldn’t control his barking or attempts to chase. This is a daily routine and these sheep know where they are going and will go steadily on their own (another version of trained sheep), allowing me to ask Boogie to down or to wait and letting him experience moving quietly with the flock. He is not ‘really herding’ yet (the 18 months threshold will give him much more power). Driving can be taught simply and directly through this process by cueing movements to the right and to the left if someone wants a driving dog. I recommend using a harness for all herding work to avoid injury to the dog.
Whether you own livestock or not, herding concepts are first introduced with no animals around. The first things puppies need to learn are taught using toys or other situations. In the last Newsletter, Part 2 of Sue Ailsby’s Clicker Seminar introduced shaping a dog to go around a cone or post. This behaviour put on cue for both directions – traditionally ‘Come by’ and ‘Away to me’ - is a basic herding requirement. By gradually adding distance, changing locations, and changing the item to go around, you will have a dog that has some skills already. Puppies or dogs need to have control in a variety of situations so any training helps. A ‘Get back’ game is popular as it mimics the focus and movements of herding. Using a favourite ball or toy and your crook (any cane or rake or stick will do), stand over the toy, crook in front of you and ask the dog to lie down in front of the crook. "Yes" or click and kick the toy to them as reward. Repeat but instead of asking them to lie down, push them a bit back with the crook (don’t touch them with it, bang it on the ground as firmly as needed and block them with it) and push them with your body, "Yes" and kick the toy to them. Repeat several times over a few days sometimes asking them to down before the push back. Slowly increase the distance and as the dog starts to come around you aiming for the toy "Yes" and kick them the toy. By the 100th time say ‘Get back’ as you are pushing them back with the crook. In this game both of you learn about the crook and about circling both directions and getting back.
If you are a novice team, signed up for your first herding clinic or class, be prepared for one of two extremes: your dog will ignore the sheep or your dog will turn into a barking idiot. If your dog is a little older, or been carefully trained not to chase cars, not to chase cats, or has a serious obedience type background with lots of eye contact to you they are more likely to ignore the stock at first. Sometimes letting someone else handle the dog gets them more involved in their environment and they will begin to notice the sheep. For the other behaviour, they might get over it by moving them far enough away that you can do some simple obedience or tricks cues. Then move briefly closer to the sheep, then move them far enough away again for some work and then asking for a down closer to the sheep. Move away again, then ask for the down right in the pen with the sheep before you start to work. This might take one hour or several. If they are particularly persistent, follow Sue Ailsby’s advice (article ‘Song and the Sheep’ on her website www.dragonflyllama.com) and spend your clinic time sitting reading a book until the dog is quiet when you can get up and enter the sheep pen (this will take several back and forths as they bark as soon as you take a step toward the pen so you return to your book). Requiring them to be in control of their behaviour before you enter the sheep pen will be time and money very well spent as they will be listening to you and learning when working the sheep.
Herding is one avenue of dog sport involving other creatures. Think carefully about asking your dog to chase other animals – this instinct might not go away once you awaken it. Choose your trainer carefully if you live where there are choices available. Then if you decide to proceed, observe and appreciate your dog as they enjoy their heredity.
Showing posts with label Canadian Icelandic Sheepdog Herding Tests and Results. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canadian Icelandic Sheepdog Herding Tests and Results. Show all posts
Monday, January 28, 2008
Casual Herding - Canadian Icelandic Sheepdog Club Summer 2007 Issue
Casual Herding
by Laurie Ball-Gisch
We initially got our first Icelandic sheepdog because I needed help herding our sheep. We've been raising purebred Icelandic sheep since 1999 in mid-Michigan (USA). Our flock size is around 50 ewes and a dozen rams; during the summer months that doubles with each spring lamb crop. We graze our sheep "rotationally" moving them through paddocks that average 1-2 acres in size, for a total of about 17 acres being grazed. Coming from winter and hay feeding, the sheep are very reluctant to leave the lush new pasture (which they can "bloat" on) and we needed a dog to convince them to come in from the fields. Our family has so fallen in love with the dogs that we now have our own little "herd" of Icelandic sheepdogs.
Our first Icelandic sheepdog, "Belle," proved to be the most amazing dog we had ever had. I started taking Belle out into the field with me when she was just eight weeks of age. The first few times in the field she wanted to stay right with me, at first more interested in nipping at my heels, as I ran around flapping my arms and yelling, but pretty soon she realized the sheep might be more interesting than I was. Soon she would run up behind the sheep, nipping at their heels and barking, driving them forward. Amazingly, she was not intimidated by the llama (who must have appeared huge to this 10 lb. puppy). Surprisingly, the llama deferred to her, and moved along with the flock, as she urged them all forward.
Belle soon proved she was also smart enough to help around the farm in other ways. At one point during that first summer, I was working in some smaller paddock areas. I was feeding and watering the chickens and angora rabbits and going in and out of some gates. I turned around and discovered a ewe lamb had followed me out the gate into our unfenced backyard. It’s always tricky trying to move escaped animals back into fenced areas, because you have to open gates to guide them in, but at the same time, you risk other sheep coming out. In the moment that I saw the ewe, she bolted; I ran around some shrubs and all of a sudden, Belle darted out (I had forgotten she was outside playing). She ran right at the ewe lamb and stopped at her front legs and stared her down. I ran around, opened the gate and yelled "bring her in Belle" and to my amazement, that young dog charged and barked and the lamb turned and ran through the gate for me, Belle right at her heels. That puppy earned her keep that day.
Since Belle, we have added more Icelandic sheepdogs to our lives. (Warning: these dogs are addictive and you usually can't have "just one"). Some of the dogs we love now live with friends and family so that we can have a more diverse breeding program. Currently we live with Belle (who is now 5 years old) and her 9 month old daughter, "Kyssa" out of Stjornulosa Rodi. Reykjadals Stikla Run (she answers to "Rosie") joined our family in 2004 directly from Iceland; we have kept Rosie's daughter "Lilja" (10 weeks old) out of Hofshesta Gloi. In April of 2007 we imported a male from Sweden. Arperla Bjarki is now 5 months old.
Like Belle, Rosie loves to herd the sheep. I have a friend who is a herding instructor. She took Rosie home with her for two weeks to test her and work with her in the manner that she formally trains her border collies. She started with a round pen and a long lead. When I went to watch them work, I was amazed to see that Rosie had very quickly adapted to the training and was working the sheep silently, like the border collies do. Here, when our dogs work "naturally," their instinct is to bark and drive the sheep forward from behind, sometimes nipping at the heels. They are also very good at going into the far corners and rounding up the stragglers, bringing them into the main group. They then will follow the sheep from behind, barking as they go. But in the two weeks of working with the border collies, Rosie had stopped barking at the sheep and imitated the border collies, crouching as she ran. I had intended to follow through with training Rosie here at our farm, but I did not have a round pen and I realized I also did not have any sheep that I could let my dogs chase. We produce primarily breeding stock, so our sheep are foundation animals that we cannot afford to stress by working a dog on them. I was told that if I really wanted to train our dogs in the manner of formal herding, I would need to build a round pen and I would need to set aside a group of sheep to let them chase. So instead, I let our dogs work in their natural instinctive style, and only when we need to move the sheep, which suits us fine here. I call it "casual" herding.
We have found over the years that our male dogs - for the most part - are more shy around the sheep than the females are. For instance, while Bjarki likes to accompany me around the farm, when I take him into the field off-leash, as soon as he sees the sheep, he usually heads for home. Vinur (who lives with my father-in-law now) used to sit outside the fence and bark encouragement to Belle, while she did all the work! He had no interest in actually running to herd them himself. Now Vinur spends much of his day outside with the sheep, but when it's time for them to be herded, he pretty much lets Lavandels Kolur (his buddy and roommate) do the "round-up" work, while he walks alongside next to the sheep. When Hofshesta Gloi was here (he now lives with friends), he worked in an interesting way. He didn't necessarily have a "need" to "herd" the sheep home. But instead, he liked to accompany me into the fields as I was moving amongst the sheep. In the months when we don't have pasture and are feeding out hay bales, he would keep the rams away from me while I loaded hay into the feeders. He would go up to the rams, stare them down and "hold" them in place. He would not release them until I called to him and was near to a gate. I never taught him to do that! He just started doing it while I was working amongst breeding groups of sheep. I was so amazed that he was being protective of me.
This summer I am taking Lavandels Kyssa and Lavandels Lilja out with me as I walk the pastures or work around the barnyards. They are trained well off-leash (and come when called) and they follow fairly close to me. I have found it best to have my pups get used to working with me and the sheep during the quiet times, when we are not rounding them up. First and foremost, each dog must learn its name and to "come" when called. I use my own "code" which is "with me" as a voice command and they stay at my side off leash while we are out amongst the sheep in the field or barns. I really feel with this breed, that basic obedience and learning voice and hand signals is about all you need to do. The dogs are so smart and instinctive that they usually figure out the rest on their own. When it is time to bring the sheep in, I will put a pup on a leash and take her into the field with me. Then I release her from the lead and start clapping my hands and calling "home sheep." The sheep start moving then and I will start moving behind them, with the pup next to me. I then encourage her to run next to me and usually they will get excited and we follow the sheep in. If there are stragglers I will run back to them and have the pup follow me. This has worked fairly well for us here. I know it's totally informal and I'm sure goes against all rules of herd dog training. But what I love the most about the Icelandic sheepdog is that they are so flexible and so willing to please, that you can train them to do anything you want. Since I am not trained in formal herding myself, I am not able to train my dogs formally. But with their native instinct, and their willingness to please me and watch me for direction, they end up developing a way of working the sheep that suits our sheep and our farm set up.
The Icelandic sheepdogs are also the perfect family pet. They are a most devoted companion and are so trustworthy around children. About the only discipline "problems" we have to deal with are them jumping on people and barking. The jumping up isn't helped by the fact that most people who come here encourage the dogs to jump on them! So as we work with our pups, we try to make sure they sit quietly for "petting," rather than to receive attention for jumping. And yes, barking is a trait of the Icelandic sheepdog, which can be annoying. Our dogs love to bark at birds and planes that fly overhead. And they do like to bark at the sheep that come close to fences they are next to, when it's not "work" time. In spite of these two sometimes annoying habits, we wouldn't trade our little "herd" of Icelandic sheepdogs for any other breed of dog.
by Laurie Ball-Gisch
We initially got our first Icelandic sheepdog because I needed help herding our sheep. We've been raising purebred Icelandic sheep since 1999 in mid-Michigan (USA). Our flock size is around 50 ewes and a dozen rams; during the summer months that doubles with each spring lamb crop. We graze our sheep "rotationally" moving them through paddocks that average 1-2 acres in size, for a total of about 17 acres being grazed. Coming from winter and hay feeding, the sheep are very reluctant to leave the lush new pasture (which they can "bloat" on) and we needed a dog to convince them to come in from the fields. Our family has so fallen in love with the dogs that we now have our own little "herd" of Icelandic sheepdogs.
Our first Icelandic sheepdog, "Belle," proved to be the most amazing dog we had ever had. I started taking Belle out into the field with me when she was just eight weeks of age. The first few times in the field she wanted to stay right with me, at first more interested in nipping at my heels, as I ran around flapping my arms and yelling, but pretty soon she realized the sheep might be more interesting than I was. Soon she would run up behind the sheep, nipping at their heels and barking, driving them forward. Amazingly, she was not intimidated by the llama (who must have appeared huge to this 10 lb. puppy). Surprisingly, the llama deferred to her, and moved along with the flock, as she urged them all forward.
Belle soon proved she was also smart enough to help around the farm in other ways. At one point during that first summer, I was working in some smaller paddock areas. I was feeding and watering the chickens and angora rabbits and going in and out of some gates. I turned around and discovered a ewe lamb had followed me out the gate into our unfenced backyard. It’s always tricky trying to move escaped animals back into fenced areas, because you have to open gates to guide them in, but at the same time, you risk other sheep coming out. In the moment that I saw the ewe, she bolted; I ran around some shrubs and all of a sudden, Belle darted out (I had forgotten she was outside playing). She ran right at the ewe lamb and stopped at her front legs and stared her down. I ran around, opened the gate and yelled "bring her in Belle" and to my amazement, that young dog charged and barked and the lamb turned and ran through the gate for me, Belle right at her heels. That puppy earned her keep that day.
Since Belle, we have added more Icelandic sheepdogs to our lives. (Warning: these dogs are addictive and you usually can't have "just one"). Some of the dogs we love now live with friends and family so that we can have a more diverse breeding program. Currently we live with Belle (who is now 5 years old) and her 9 month old daughter, "Kyssa" out of Stjornulosa Rodi. Reykjadals Stikla Run (she answers to "Rosie") joined our family in 2004 directly from Iceland; we have kept Rosie's daughter "Lilja" (10 weeks old) out of Hofshesta Gloi. In April of 2007 we imported a male from Sweden. Arperla Bjarki is now 5 months old.
Like Belle, Rosie loves to herd the sheep. I have a friend who is a herding instructor. She took Rosie home with her for two weeks to test her and work with her in the manner that she formally trains her border collies. She started with a round pen and a long lead. When I went to watch them work, I was amazed to see that Rosie had very quickly adapted to the training and was working the sheep silently, like the border collies do. Here, when our dogs work "naturally," their instinct is to bark and drive the sheep forward from behind, sometimes nipping at the heels. They are also very good at going into the far corners and rounding up the stragglers, bringing them into the main group. They then will follow the sheep from behind, barking as they go. But in the two weeks of working with the border collies, Rosie had stopped barking at the sheep and imitated the border collies, crouching as she ran. I had intended to follow through with training Rosie here at our farm, but I did not have a round pen and I realized I also did not have any sheep that I could let my dogs chase. We produce primarily breeding stock, so our sheep are foundation animals that we cannot afford to stress by working a dog on them. I was told that if I really wanted to train our dogs in the manner of formal herding, I would need to build a round pen and I would need to set aside a group of sheep to let them chase. So instead, I let our dogs work in their natural instinctive style, and only when we need to move the sheep, which suits us fine here. I call it "casual" herding.
We have found over the years that our male dogs - for the most part - are more shy around the sheep than the females are. For instance, while Bjarki likes to accompany me around the farm, when I take him into the field off-leash, as soon as he sees the sheep, he usually heads for home. Vinur (who lives with my father-in-law now) used to sit outside the fence and bark encouragement to Belle, while she did all the work! He had no interest in actually running to herd them himself. Now Vinur spends much of his day outside with the sheep, but when it's time for them to be herded, he pretty much lets Lavandels Kolur (his buddy and roommate) do the "round-up" work, while he walks alongside next to the sheep. When Hofshesta Gloi was here (he now lives with friends), he worked in an interesting way. He didn't necessarily have a "need" to "herd" the sheep home. But instead, he liked to accompany me into the fields as I was moving amongst the sheep. In the months when we don't have pasture and are feeding out hay bales, he would keep the rams away from me while I loaded hay into the feeders. He would go up to the rams, stare them down and "hold" them in place. He would not release them until I called to him and was near to a gate. I never taught him to do that! He just started doing it while I was working amongst breeding groups of sheep. I was so amazed that he was being protective of me.
This summer I am taking Lavandels Kyssa and Lavandels Lilja out with me as I walk the pastures or work around the barnyards. They are trained well off-leash (and come when called) and they follow fairly close to me. I have found it best to have my pups get used to working with me and the sheep during the quiet times, when we are not rounding them up. First and foremost, each dog must learn its name and to "come" when called. I use my own "code" which is "with me" as a voice command and they stay at my side off leash while we are out amongst the sheep in the field or barns. I really feel with this breed, that basic obedience and learning voice and hand signals is about all you need to do. The dogs are so smart and instinctive that they usually figure out the rest on their own. When it is time to bring the sheep in, I will put a pup on a leash and take her into the field with me. Then I release her from the lead and start clapping my hands and calling "home sheep." The sheep start moving then and I will start moving behind them, with the pup next to me. I then encourage her to run next to me and usually they will get excited and we follow the sheep in. If there are stragglers I will run back to them and have the pup follow me. This has worked fairly well for us here. I know it's totally informal and I'm sure goes against all rules of herd dog training. But what I love the most about the Icelandic sheepdog is that they are so flexible and so willing to please, that you can train them to do anything you want. Since I am not trained in formal herding myself, I am not able to train my dogs formally. But with their native instinct, and their willingness to please me and watch me for direction, they end up developing a way of working the sheep that suits our sheep and our farm set up.
The Icelandic sheepdogs are also the perfect family pet. They are a most devoted companion and are so trustworthy around children. About the only discipline "problems" we have to deal with are them jumping on people and barking. The jumping up isn't helped by the fact that most people who come here encourage the dogs to jump on them! So as we work with our pups, we try to make sure they sit quietly for "petting," rather than to receive attention for jumping. And yes, barking is a trait of the Icelandic sheepdog, which can be annoying. Our dogs love to bark at birds and planes that fly overhead. And they do like to bark at the sheep that come close to fences they are next to, when it's not "work" time. In spite of these two sometimes annoying habits, we wouldn't trade our little "herd" of Icelandic sheepdogs for any other breed of dog.
The Icelandic Sheepdog - Summer Issue of Canadian Icelandic Sheepdog Club Newsletter 2007
THE ICELANDIC SHEEPDOG
by Linda Rorem (this article originally appeared inThe Shepherd's Dogge magazine)
Reprinted with permission from Linda Rorem
The Icelandic Sheepdog, or Iceland Dog, came to Iceland with Vikings settlers in the ninth century. There are references to the dogs in many of the Icelandic Sagas, dating from 900 to 1300, and further references in 1400's and 1500's.
This lively, inquisitive dog is a quick learner, sociable and willing, with a cheerful spirit. It thrives on close human companionship and also enjoys being with other animals, especially horses. The Iceland Sheepdog has a quick and easy way of moving and great endurance. It is an excellent watchdog but not aggressive. Sheep-working tendencies are strong and there is little inclination to hunt game. The Icelandic Sheepdog is adaptable to family life in the city or the country.
The Icelandic Sheepdog is 14 to 18 inches in height and weighs around 25 to 30 pounds, with the body slightly longer than the height. The tail is lightly curled over back, falling to one side or the other. The thick, double, coat, in longer and shorter varieties, is weather-resistant and easy to care for, The coat is longer on the neck, shoulders, thighs and tail, short and smooth on the head and legs. The Icelandic Sheepdog may be self-colored, in which case *there should be* a little white on the chest, or may have white markings on the head, neck, feet and tail. The most common colors are golden sable, red, light sandy yellow (all of which may have black shadings in the coat and/or black markings on the muzzle), black and white, and black/white/tan. Double dew- claws on the hind legs are common. Eyes usually are brown. Ears are triangular and erect. Nose and lips are black.
Some authorities indicate that originally there were several types of Icelandic dogs, ranging from a dog similar to the Norwegian Buhund to one resembling the Greenland Husky, but the most prevalent type of the earlier days is dominant in the modern Iceland Sheepdog and there has only been one type for a long time. The breed has undergone little change through the centuries.
It is likely that the Scandinavian herding spitzes of Icelandic Sheepdog type figured strongly in the ancestry of the herding dogs of Britain, many parts of Britain having been heavily settled by the Vikings. There appear to have been later importations as well.
The Icelandic Sheepdog was well known in England in Shakespeare's time, and in 1650 Sir Thomas Brown wrote: "To England there are sometimes exported from Iceland . . . a type of dog resembling a fox . . . . Shepherds in England are eager to acquire them!" (All About the Spitz Breeds, by David Cavill.) The Icelandic Sheepdog is featured in the Natural History of Count de Buffon published in France in 1755, where a drawing shows a black and white dog very similar in type to a Border Collie, with semi-erect ears and a curved but not curled tail; the height at the shoulder given as 14 inches. A photo of a black and white Icelandic Sheepdog which appears in a book of dog breeds printed in 1915 shows a dog of strikingly similar appearance. Most Icelandic Sheepdogs have had erect ears, but there have been several such references to semi-erect ears in the past.
In late 19th century, working collies from Scotland were imported to Iceland and interbred with the native dogs in an attempt to "improve" the breed and produce a dog with the more refined herding abilities of the British sheepdogs. This effort was largely unsuccessful, because farmers in Iceland did not use and train their dogs in the same way that the British hill dogs are used and trained.
In Iceland, gathering sheep was (and still is) accomplished by men on foot or on horseback going out to round up the sheep, with the Icelandic Sheepdog providing useful assistance by helping to find the sheep, gather and move them, and going after and bringing back any sheep which try to leave the flock. This is similar to the original practice in Shetland, and in some parts of Shetland the sheep are still rounded up this way. For their herding work, the dogs weren't given particular training, the farmers simply relying on the dogs' natural abilities. The dogs were also used to guard the sheep, keep watch over the farmstead at night, and drive off stray animals from the fenced area around the farm. Some were also used for hunting birds and foxes.
Life could be harsh. In the earlier days, dogs might be left to their own devices to find food and shelter. There was no systematic breeding. The dogs would multiply, and outbreaks of disease on occasion would decimate their numbers. A dog tax in 1890 also had the effect of diminishing the dog population. Towards the end of the 19th century, after an epidemic of distemper, it was said that one true Iceland Dog was worth one horse and two sheep. In The Faroes and Iceland, published in 1905, Nelson Annandale writes of the Icelandic Sheepdog: "Dogs are an absolute necessity in Iceland; without them it would be impossible to gather the sheep or herd the ponies." When working sheep, "Their duty is not so much to marshal a flock of sheep as to single out individuals which stray from the others and to bring them in by seizing hold of them. They are trained not to bark when the sheep are being collected; but at other times they have a wonderful nose for strangers and act as very efficient protectors of a house, so far as making a noise can go. They are also able to trace the sheep which have got covered up with snow and to dig them out. In Iceland they are employed in herding horses on a journey. When a man is traveling with a train of pack ponies he drives them on in front of them; but they take every opportunity of running away, unless there is a dog to bark at their heels and keep them in single file." Another account mentions that when fording a stream, the dog might be allowed to sit on a horse's back behind its owner.
Annandale's account mentions that the dogs of the Faroes were somewhat different from those of Iceland, there formerly having been three types, one of which was similar to the Icelandic Sheepdog. He provides an interesting story of herding on Suderoe in the Faroes, commenting that while in most of the Faroes the terrain made it impossible to gather sheep on horseback, according to an earlier writer, Debes, writing in 1670 of Suderoe: "When therefore they go about their sheep, they ride, and their dogs follow them, they knowing how to ride with their horses up hills and down dales in a full gallop, through moors, and over rocks and stones, so that the horses care for nothing when they hunt after sheep, and where the place is too difficult to ride over to pursue them, the man leaps from his horse in the midst of his course, and takes his best advantage against the sheep, the horse running after him till he leaps upon it again; in the mean time the dogs follow also, till they have driven the sheep into the retten (sheepfold). A part of the horses are also so taught, that the man over-reaching the sheep on horse back, the horse graspeth the same between his forelegs, till the man takes it up."
By the early 20th century the true Icelandic Sheepdog had greatly diminished in numbers. Many of the dogs left were crossbreds. An Englishman, Mark Watson, who traveled in Iceland in the '30's, 40's and '50's, noticed the decline of the breed and began a search for the pure Icelandic Sheepdog. He carefully selected dogs from areas where the original breed had remained in its purest form, *finding most of his dogs in eastern Iceland and some in the north.* His efforts were instrumental in the preservation of the true Icelandic Sheepdog. Mark Watson eventually took the dogs he had collected to California and established Wensum Kennels in Nicasio where he published "A Research on the Iceland Dog" in 1956. Unfortunately, his dogs were lost in a kennel fire. Two of the dogs he had collected, however, had remained behind in Iceland and made an influential contribution to the reestablishment of the breed there.
As early as 1898, a standard for the breed had been recognized in Denmark, and in 1905 the breed had been recognized in England, although only a few were imported to England at that time and numbers there remained very small. In 1970 Icelanders formed an association to protect and sponsor the breed, and in 1972 international recognition was achieved.
Today in Iceland there are between 300 to 400 Icelandic Sheepdogs. They are outnumbered there by other breeds such as Labradors, Irish Setters and English Setters. Many farmers use Border Collies or Border Collie mixes for herding, but some farmers are starting to use the Icelandic Sheepdog again because of its endurance and suitability for local conditions.
Iceland is very rural and sheep farming differs to some extent from other countries. The sheep are driven up to the hills and mountains, and in the fall the farmers take their horses and herding dogs to bring the sheep back to the lowlands. Many farmers have one or two dogs, which are used to seek out and gather the sheep from the hills. The Icelandic Sheepdog doesn't tend to group up the sheep at a distance and keep them in a flock like the Border Collie, but the farmer can walk in the bottom of the valley and send the dog up the hills on both sides, the dogs finding and bringing down any sheep that might be there. The Icelandic Sheepdog will run longer distances than other breeds as it seeks sheep in the harsh, bare terrain. *After the sheep are gathered, the dogs push them along in front of the farmers, barking.* As in earlier times, most farmers don't train their dogs to any great extent. Icelandic Sheepdogs can also herd horses, although they are not used for that as much. The breed is very hardy and able to handle bad weather, sleeping contentedly in the snow with its nose under its tail while imported dogs are freezing.
A few Icelandic Sheepdogs have been brought to North America from Iceland, Denmark, England, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. *A Montana rancher who has started her Icelandic Sheepdogs on stock comments that the dogs have shown good instinct and, although at first inclined to chase, will bunch and hold cattle. They are upright workers, preferring to remain on their feet, and tend to move stock by body movement, barking and, if necessary, gripping. They may move fast and dive in on the outrun, but they balance naturally and will fetch and hold stock to the handler, and at times have given evidence of some eye.*
Agnes Yr, a breeder in Iceland, notes that Icelanders have for many centuries looked at the dog as one of the farm animals and not cared so much about breeding, but thankfully this has changed. The Icelandic Sheepdog is now becoming popular with urban horse-lovers in Iceland, who keep horses for their leisure time and have fallen in love, again, with this wonderful dog. Here is a top working breed that adjusts well to urban life -- a happy, proud, intelligent dog that takes joy in pleasing its people.
Thank you to Bill Cordingly, Bolstad Kennels; Agnes Yr, Kennel Yrar; Stefania Siguradardottir; and Anne Milkovich for their assistance with this article.
by Linda Rorem (this article originally appeared inThe Shepherd's Dogge magazine)
Reprinted with permission from Linda Rorem
The Icelandic Sheepdog, or Iceland Dog, came to Iceland with Vikings settlers in the ninth century. There are references to the dogs in many of the Icelandic Sagas, dating from 900 to 1300, and further references in 1400's and 1500's.
This lively, inquisitive dog is a quick learner, sociable and willing, with a cheerful spirit. It thrives on close human companionship and also enjoys being with other animals, especially horses. The Iceland Sheepdog has a quick and easy way of moving and great endurance. It is an excellent watchdog but not aggressive. Sheep-working tendencies are strong and there is little inclination to hunt game. The Icelandic Sheepdog is adaptable to family life in the city or the country.
The Icelandic Sheepdog is 14 to 18 inches in height and weighs around 25 to 30 pounds, with the body slightly longer than the height. The tail is lightly curled over back, falling to one side or the other. The thick, double, coat, in longer and shorter varieties, is weather-resistant and easy to care for, The coat is longer on the neck, shoulders, thighs and tail, short and smooth on the head and legs. The Icelandic Sheepdog may be self-colored, in which case *there should be* a little white on the chest, or may have white markings on the head, neck, feet and tail. The most common colors are golden sable, red, light sandy yellow (all of which may have black shadings in the coat and/or black markings on the muzzle), black and white, and black/white/tan. Double dew- claws on the hind legs are common. Eyes usually are brown. Ears are triangular and erect. Nose and lips are black.
Some authorities indicate that originally there were several types of Icelandic dogs, ranging from a dog similar to the Norwegian Buhund to one resembling the Greenland Husky, but the most prevalent type of the earlier days is dominant in the modern Iceland Sheepdog and there has only been one type for a long time. The breed has undergone little change through the centuries.
It is likely that the Scandinavian herding spitzes of Icelandic Sheepdog type figured strongly in the ancestry of the herding dogs of Britain, many parts of Britain having been heavily settled by the Vikings. There appear to have been later importations as well.
The Icelandic Sheepdog was well known in England in Shakespeare's time, and in 1650 Sir Thomas Brown wrote: "To England there are sometimes exported from Iceland . . . a type of dog resembling a fox . . . . Shepherds in England are eager to acquire them!" (All About the Spitz Breeds, by David Cavill.) The Icelandic Sheepdog is featured in the Natural History of Count de Buffon published in France in 1755, where a drawing shows a black and white dog very similar in type to a Border Collie, with semi-erect ears and a curved but not curled tail; the height at the shoulder given as 14 inches. A photo of a black and white Icelandic Sheepdog which appears in a book of dog breeds printed in 1915 shows a dog of strikingly similar appearance. Most Icelandic Sheepdogs have had erect ears, but there have been several such references to semi-erect ears in the past.
In late 19th century, working collies from Scotland were imported to Iceland and interbred with the native dogs in an attempt to "improve" the breed and produce a dog with the more refined herding abilities of the British sheepdogs. This effort was largely unsuccessful, because farmers in Iceland did not use and train their dogs in the same way that the British hill dogs are used and trained.
In Iceland, gathering sheep was (and still is) accomplished by men on foot or on horseback going out to round up the sheep, with the Icelandic Sheepdog providing useful assistance by helping to find the sheep, gather and move them, and going after and bringing back any sheep which try to leave the flock. This is similar to the original practice in Shetland, and in some parts of Shetland the sheep are still rounded up this way. For their herding work, the dogs weren't given particular training, the farmers simply relying on the dogs' natural abilities. The dogs were also used to guard the sheep, keep watch over the farmstead at night, and drive off stray animals from the fenced area around the farm. Some were also used for hunting birds and foxes.
Life could be harsh. In the earlier days, dogs might be left to their own devices to find food and shelter. There was no systematic breeding. The dogs would multiply, and outbreaks of disease on occasion would decimate their numbers. A dog tax in 1890 also had the effect of diminishing the dog population. Towards the end of the 19th century, after an epidemic of distemper, it was said that one true Iceland Dog was worth one horse and two sheep. In The Faroes and Iceland, published in 1905, Nelson Annandale writes of the Icelandic Sheepdog: "Dogs are an absolute necessity in Iceland; without them it would be impossible to gather the sheep or herd the ponies." When working sheep, "Their duty is not so much to marshal a flock of sheep as to single out individuals which stray from the others and to bring them in by seizing hold of them. They are trained not to bark when the sheep are being collected; but at other times they have a wonderful nose for strangers and act as very efficient protectors of a house, so far as making a noise can go. They are also able to trace the sheep which have got covered up with snow and to dig them out. In Iceland they are employed in herding horses on a journey. When a man is traveling with a train of pack ponies he drives them on in front of them; but they take every opportunity of running away, unless there is a dog to bark at their heels and keep them in single file." Another account mentions that when fording a stream, the dog might be allowed to sit on a horse's back behind its owner.
Annandale's account mentions that the dogs of the Faroes were somewhat different from those of Iceland, there formerly having been three types, one of which was similar to the Icelandic Sheepdog. He provides an interesting story of herding on Suderoe in the Faroes, commenting that while in most of the Faroes the terrain made it impossible to gather sheep on horseback, according to an earlier writer, Debes, writing in 1670 of Suderoe: "When therefore they go about their sheep, they ride, and their dogs follow them, they knowing how to ride with their horses up hills and down dales in a full gallop, through moors, and over rocks and stones, so that the horses care for nothing when they hunt after sheep, and where the place is too difficult to ride over to pursue them, the man leaps from his horse in the midst of his course, and takes his best advantage against the sheep, the horse running after him till he leaps upon it again; in the mean time the dogs follow also, till they have driven the sheep into the retten (sheepfold). A part of the horses are also so taught, that the man over-reaching the sheep on horse back, the horse graspeth the same between his forelegs, till the man takes it up."
By the early 20th century the true Icelandic Sheepdog had greatly diminished in numbers. Many of the dogs left were crossbreds. An Englishman, Mark Watson, who traveled in Iceland in the '30's, 40's and '50's, noticed the decline of the breed and began a search for the pure Icelandic Sheepdog. He carefully selected dogs from areas where the original breed had remained in its purest form, *finding most of his dogs in eastern Iceland and some in the north.* His efforts were instrumental in the preservation of the true Icelandic Sheepdog. Mark Watson eventually took the dogs he had collected to California and established Wensum Kennels in Nicasio where he published "A Research on the Iceland Dog" in 1956. Unfortunately, his dogs were lost in a kennel fire. Two of the dogs he had collected, however, had remained behind in Iceland and made an influential contribution to the reestablishment of the breed there.
As early as 1898, a standard for the breed had been recognized in Denmark, and in 1905 the breed had been recognized in England, although only a few were imported to England at that time and numbers there remained very small. In 1970 Icelanders formed an association to protect and sponsor the breed, and in 1972 international recognition was achieved.
Today in Iceland there are between 300 to 400 Icelandic Sheepdogs. They are outnumbered there by other breeds such as Labradors, Irish Setters and English Setters. Many farmers use Border Collies or Border Collie mixes for herding, but some farmers are starting to use the Icelandic Sheepdog again because of its endurance and suitability for local conditions.
Iceland is very rural and sheep farming differs to some extent from other countries. The sheep are driven up to the hills and mountains, and in the fall the farmers take their horses and herding dogs to bring the sheep back to the lowlands. Many farmers have one or two dogs, which are used to seek out and gather the sheep from the hills. The Icelandic Sheepdog doesn't tend to group up the sheep at a distance and keep them in a flock like the Border Collie, but the farmer can walk in the bottom of the valley and send the dog up the hills on both sides, the dogs finding and bringing down any sheep that might be there. The Icelandic Sheepdog will run longer distances than other breeds as it seeks sheep in the harsh, bare terrain. *After the sheep are gathered, the dogs push them along in front of the farmers, barking.* As in earlier times, most farmers don't train their dogs to any great extent. Icelandic Sheepdogs can also herd horses, although they are not used for that as much. The breed is very hardy and able to handle bad weather, sleeping contentedly in the snow with its nose under its tail while imported dogs are freezing.
A few Icelandic Sheepdogs have been brought to North America from Iceland, Denmark, England, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. *A Montana rancher who has started her Icelandic Sheepdogs on stock comments that the dogs have shown good instinct and, although at first inclined to chase, will bunch and hold cattle. They are upright workers, preferring to remain on their feet, and tend to move stock by body movement, barking and, if necessary, gripping. They may move fast and dive in on the outrun, but they balance naturally and will fetch and hold stock to the handler, and at times have given evidence of some eye.*
Agnes Yr, a breeder in Iceland, notes that Icelanders have for many centuries looked at the dog as one of the farm animals and not cared so much about breeding, but thankfully this has changed. The Icelandic Sheepdog is now becoming popular with urban horse-lovers in Iceland, who keep horses for their leisure time and have fallen in love, again, with this wonderful dog. Here is a top working breed that adjusts well to urban life -- a happy, proud, intelligent dog that takes joy in pleasing its people.
Thank you to Bill Cordingly, Bolstad Kennels; Agnes Yr, Kennel Yrar; Stefania Siguradardottir; and Anne Milkovich for their assistance with this article.
The Icelandic Sheepdog - Summer Issue of Canadian Icelandic Sheepdog Club Newsletter 2007
THE ICELANDIC SHEEPDOG
by Linda Rorem (this article originally appeared inThe Shepherd's Dogge magazine)
Reprinted with permission from Linda Rorem
The Icelandic Sheepdog, or Iceland Dog, came to Iceland with Vikings settlers in the ninth century. There are references to the dogs in many of the Icelandic Sagas, dating from 900 to 1300, and further references in 1400's and 1500's.
This lively, inquisitive dog is a quick learner, sociable and willing, with a cheerful spirit. It thrives on close human companionship and also enjoys being with other animals, especially horses. The Iceland Sheepdog has a quick and easy way of moving and great endurance. It is an excellent watchdog but not aggressive.
Sheep-working tendencies are strong and there is little inclination to hunt game. The Icelandic Sheepdog is adaptable to family life in the city or the country.
The Icelandic Sheepdog is 14 to 18 inches in height and weighs around 25 to 30 pounds, with the body slightly longer than the height. The tail is lightly curled over back, falling to one side or the other. The thick, double, coat, in longer and shorter varieties, is weather-resistant and easy to care for, The coat is longer on the neck, shoulders, thighs and tail, short and smooth on the head and legs.
The Icelandic Sheepdog may be self-colored, in which case *there should be* a little white on the chest, or may have white markings on the head, neck, feet and tail. The most common colors are golden sable, red, light sandy yellow (all of which may have black shadings in the coat and/or black markings on the muzzle), black and white, and black/white/tan. Double dew- claws on the hind legs are common. Eyes usually are brown. Ears are triangular and erect. Nose and lips are black.
Some authorities indicate that originally there were several types of Icelandic dogs, ranging from a dog similar to the Norwegian Buhund to one resembling the Greenland Husky, but the most prevalent type of the earlier days is dominant in the modern Iceland Sheepdog and there has only been one type for a long time. The breed has undergone little change through the centuries.
It is likely that the Scandinavian herding spitzes of Icelandic Sheepdog type figured strongly in the ancestry of the herding dogs of Britain, many parts of Britain having been heavily settled by the Vikings. There appear to have been later importations as well.
The Icelandic Sheepdog was well known in England in Shakespeare's time, and in 1650 Sir Thomas Brown wrote: "To England there are sometimes exported from Iceland . . . a type of dog resembling a fox . . . . Shepherds in England are eager to acquire them!" (All About the Spitz Breeds, by David Cavill.) The Icelandic Sheepdog is featured in the Natural History of Count de Buffon published in France in 1755, where a drawing shows a black and white dog very similar in type to a Border Collie, with semi-erect ears and a curved but not curled tail; the height at the shoulder given as 14 inches. A photo of a black and white Icelandic Sheepdog which appears in a book of dog breeds printed in 1915 shows a dog of strikingly similar appearance. Most Icelandic Sheepdogs have had erect ears, but there have been several such references to semi-erect ears in the past.
In late 19th century, working collies from Scotland were imported to Iceland and interbred with the native dogs in an attempt to "improve" the breed and produce a dog with the more refined herding abilities of the British sheepdogs. This effort was largely unsuccessful, because farmers in Iceland did not use and train their dogs in the same way that the British hill dogs are used and trained.
In Iceland, gathering sheep was (and still is) accomplished by men on foot or on horseback going out to round up the sheep, with the Icelandic Sheepdog providing useful assistance by helping to find the sheep, gather and move them, and going after and bringing back any sheep which try to leave the flock. This is similar to the original practice in Shetland, and in some parts of Shetland the sheep are still rounded up this way.
For their herding work, the dogs weren't given particular training, the farmers simply relying on the dogs' natural abilities. The dogs were also used to guard the sheep, keep watch over the farmstead at night, and drive off stray animals from the fenced area around the farm. Some were also used for hunting birds and foxes.
Life could be harsh. In the earlier days, dogs might be left to their own devices to find food and shelter. There was no systematic breeding. The dogs would multiply, and outbreaks of disease on occasion would decimate their numbers. A dog tax in 1890 also had the effect of diminishing the dog population. Towards the end of the 19th century, after an epidemic of distemper, it was said that one true Iceland Dog was worth one horse and two sheep.
In The Faroes and Iceland, published in 1905, Nelson Annandale writes of the Icelandic Sheepdog: "Dogs are an absolute necessity in Iceland; without them it would be impossible to gather the sheep or herd the ponies." When working sheep, "Their duty is not so much to marshal a flock of sheep as to single out individuals which stray from the others and to bring them in by seizing hold of them. They are trained not to bark when the sheep are being collected; but at other times they have a wonderful nose for strangers and act as very efficient protectors of a house, so far as making a noise can go. They are also able to trace the sheep which have got covered up with snow and to dig them out. In Iceland they are employed in herding horses on a journey. When a man is traveling with a train of pack ponies he drives them on in front of them; but they take every opportunity of running away, unless there is a dog to bark at their heels and keep them in single file." Another account mentions that when fording a stream, the dog might be allowed to sit on a horse's back behind its owner.
Annandale's account mentions that the dogs of the Faroes were somewhat different from those of Iceland, there formerly having been three types, one of which was similar to the Icelandic Sheepdog. He provides an interesting story of herding on Suderoe in the Faroes, commenting that while in most of the Faroes the terrain made it impossible to gather sheep on horseback, according to an earlier writer, Debes, writing in 1670 of Suderoe: "When therefore they go about their sheep, they ride, and their dogs follow them, they knowing how to ride with their horses up hills and down dales in a full gallop, through moors, and over rocks and stones, so that the horses care for nothing when they hunt after sheep, and where the place is too difficult to ride over to pursue them, the man leaps from his horse in the midst of his course, and takes his best advantage against the sheep, the horse running after him till he leaps upon it again; in the mean time the dogs follow also, till they have driven the sheep into the retten (sheepfold). A part of the horses are also so taught, that the man over-reaching the sheep on horse back, the horse graspeth the same between his forelegs, till the man takes it up."
By the early 20th century the true Icelandic Sheepdog had greatly diminished in numbers. Many of the dogs left were crossbreds. An Englishman, Mark Watson, who traveled in Iceland in the '30's, 40's and '50's, noticed the decline of the breed and began a search for the pure Icelandic Sheepdog. He carefully selected dogs from areas where the original breed had remained in its purest form, *finding most of his dogs in eastern Iceland and some in the north.* His efforts were instrumental in the preservation of the true Icelandic Sheepdog. Mark Watson eventually took the dogs he had collected to California and established Wensum Kennels in Nicasio where he published "A Research on the Iceland Dog" in 1956.
Unfortunately, his dogs were lost in a kennel fire. Two of the dogs he had collected, however, had remained behind in Iceland and made an influential contribution to the reestablishment of the breed there.
As early as 1898, a standard for the breed had been recognized in Denmark, and in 1905 the breed had been recognized in England, although only a few were imported to England at that time and numbers there remained very small. In 1970 Icelanders formed an association to protect and sponsor the breed, and in 1972 international recognition was achieved.
Today in Iceland there are between 300 to 400 Icelandic Sheepdogs. They are outnumbered there by other breeds such as Labradors, Irish Setters and English Setters. Many farmers use Border Collies or Border Collie mixes for herding, but some farmers are starting to use the Icelandic Sheepdog again because of its endurance and suitability for local conditions.
Iceland is very rural and sheep farming differs to some extent from other countries. The sheep are driven up to the hills and mountains, and in the fall the farmers take their horses and herding dogs to bring the sheep back to the lowlands. Many farmers have one or two dogs, which are used to seek out and gather the sheep from the hills. The Icelandic Sheepdog doesn't tend to group up the sheep at a distance and keep them in a flock like the Border Collie, but the farmer can walk in the bottom of the valley and send the dog up the hills on both sides, the dogs finding and bringing down any sheep that might be there.
The Icelandic Sheepdog will run longer distances than other breeds as it seeks sheep in the harsh, bare terrain. *After the sheep are gathered, the dogs push them along in front of the farmers, barking.* As in earlier times, most farmers don't train their dogs to any great extent. Icelandic Sheepdogs can also herd horses, although they are not used for that as much. The breed is very hardy and able to handle bad weather, sleeping contentedly in the snow with its nose under its tail while imported dogs are freezing.
A few Icelandic Sheepdogs have been brought to North America from Iceland, Denmark, England, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. *A Montana rancher who has started her Icelandic Sheepdogs on stock comments that the dogs have shown good instinct and, although at first inclined to chase, will bunch and hold cattle. They are upright workers, preferring to remain on their feet, and tend to move stock by body movement, barking and, if necessary, gripping. They may move fast and dive in on the outrun, but they balance naturally and will fetch and hold stock to the handler, and at times have given evidence of some eye.*
Agnes Yr, a breeder in Iceland, notes that Icelanders have for many centuries looked at the dog as one of the farm animals and not cared so much about breeding, but thankfully this has changed. The Icelandic Sheepdog is now becoming popular with urban horse-lovers in Iceland, who keep horses for their leisure time and have fallen in love, again, with this wonderful dog. Here is a top working breed that adjusts well to urban life -- a happy, proud, intelligent dog that takes joy in pleasing its people.
Thank you to Bill Cordingly, Bolstad Kennels; Agnes Yr, Kennel Yrar; Stefania Siguradardottir; and Anne Milkovich for their assistance with this article.
by Linda Rorem (this article originally appeared inThe Shepherd's Dogge magazine)
Reprinted with permission from Linda Rorem
The Icelandic Sheepdog, or Iceland Dog, came to Iceland with Vikings settlers in the ninth century. There are references to the dogs in many of the Icelandic Sagas, dating from 900 to 1300, and further references in 1400's and 1500's.
This lively, inquisitive dog is a quick learner, sociable and willing, with a cheerful spirit. It thrives on close human companionship and also enjoys being with other animals, especially horses. The Iceland Sheepdog has a quick and easy way of moving and great endurance. It is an excellent watchdog but not aggressive.
Sheep-working tendencies are strong and there is little inclination to hunt game. The Icelandic Sheepdog is adaptable to family life in the city or the country.
The Icelandic Sheepdog is 14 to 18 inches in height and weighs around 25 to 30 pounds, with the body slightly longer than the height. The tail is lightly curled over back, falling to one side or the other. The thick, double, coat, in longer and shorter varieties, is weather-resistant and easy to care for, The coat is longer on the neck, shoulders, thighs and tail, short and smooth on the head and legs.
The Icelandic Sheepdog may be self-colored, in which case *there should be* a little white on the chest, or may have white markings on the head, neck, feet and tail. The most common colors are golden sable, red, light sandy yellow (all of which may have black shadings in the coat and/or black markings on the muzzle), black and white, and black/white/tan. Double dew- claws on the hind legs are common. Eyes usually are brown. Ears are triangular and erect. Nose and lips are black.
Some authorities indicate that originally there were several types of Icelandic dogs, ranging from a dog similar to the Norwegian Buhund to one resembling the Greenland Husky, but the most prevalent type of the earlier days is dominant in the modern Iceland Sheepdog and there has only been one type for a long time. The breed has undergone little change through the centuries.
It is likely that the Scandinavian herding spitzes of Icelandic Sheepdog type figured strongly in the ancestry of the herding dogs of Britain, many parts of Britain having been heavily settled by the Vikings. There appear to have been later importations as well.
The Icelandic Sheepdog was well known in England in Shakespeare's time, and in 1650 Sir Thomas Brown wrote: "To England there are sometimes exported from Iceland . . . a type of dog resembling a fox . . . . Shepherds in England are eager to acquire them!" (All About the Spitz Breeds, by David Cavill.) The Icelandic Sheepdog is featured in the Natural History of Count de Buffon published in France in 1755, where a drawing shows a black and white dog very similar in type to a Border Collie, with semi-erect ears and a curved but not curled tail; the height at the shoulder given as 14 inches. A photo of a black and white Icelandic Sheepdog which appears in a book of dog breeds printed in 1915 shows a dog of strikingly similar appearance. Most Icelandic Sheepdogs have had erect ears, but there have been several such references to semi-erect ears in the past.
In late 19th century, working collies from Scotland were imported to Iceland and interbred with the native dogs in an attempt to "improve" the breed and produce a dog with the more refined herding abilities of the British sheepdogs. This effort was largely unsuccessful, because farmers in Iceland did not use and train their dogs in the same way that the British hill dogs are used and trained.
In Iceland, gathering sheep was (and still is) accomplished by men on foot or on horseback going out to round up the sheep, with the Icelandic Sheepdog providing useful assistance by helping to find the sheep, gather and move them, and going after and bringing back any sheep which try to leave the flock. This is similar to the original practice in Shetland, and in some parts of Shetland the sheep are still rounded up this way.
For their herding work, the dogs weren't given particular training, the farmers simply relying on the dogs' natural abilities. The dogs were also used to guard the sheep, keep watch over the farmstead at night, and drive off stray animals from the fenced area around the farm. Some were also used for hunting birds and foxes.
Life could be harsh. In the earlier days, dogs might be left to their own devices to find food and shelter. There was no systematic breeding. The dogs would multiply, and outbreaks of disease on occasion would decimate their numbers. A dog tax in 1890 also had the effect of diminishing the dog population. Towards the end of the 19th century, after an epidemic of distemper, it was said that one true Iceland Dog was worth one horse and two sheep.
In The Faroes and Iceland, published in 1905, Nelson Annandale writes of the Icelandic Sheepdog: "Dogs are an absolute necessity in Iceland; without them it would be impossible to gather the sheep or herd the ponies." When working sheep, "Their duty is not so much to marshal a flock of sheep as to single out individuals which stray from the others and to bring them in by seizing hold of them. They are trained not to bark when the sheep are being collected; but at other times they have a wonderful nose for strangers and act as very efficient protectors of a house, so far as making a noise can go. They are also able to trace the sheep which have got covered up with snow and to dig them out. In Iceland they are employed in herding horses on a journey. When a man is traveling with a train of pack ponies he drives them on in front of them; but they take every opportunity of running away, unless there is a dog to bark at their heels and keep them in single file." Another account mentions that when fording a stream, the dog might be allowed to sit on a horse's back behind its owner.
Annandale's account mentions that the dogs of the Faroes were somewhat different from those of Iceland, there formerly having been three types, one of which was similar to the Icelandic Sheepdog. He provides an interesting story of herding on Suderoe in the Faroes, commenting that while in most of the Faroes the terrain made it impossible to gather sheep on horseback, according to an earlier writer, Debes, writing in 1670 of Suderoe: "When therefore they go about their sheep, they ride, and their dogs follow them, they knowing how to ride with their horses up hills and down dales in a full gallop, through moors, and over rocks and stones, so that the horses care for nothing when they hunt after sheep, and where the place is too difficult to ride over to pursue them, the man leaps from his horse in the midst of his course, and takes his best advantage against the sheep, the horse running after him till he leaps upon it again; in the mean time the dogs follow also, till they have driven the sheep into the retten (sheepfold). A part of the horses are also so taught, that the man over-reaching the sheep on horse back, the horse graspeth the same between his forelegs, till the man takes it up."
By the early 20th century the true Icelandic Sheepdog had greatly diminished in numbers. Many of the dogs left were crossbreds. An Englishman, Mark Watson, who traveled in Iceland in the '30's, 40's and '50's, noticed the decline of the breed and began a search for the pure Icelandic Sheepdog. He carefully selected dogs from areas where the original breed had remained in its purest form, *finding most of his dogs in eastern Iceland and some in the north.* His efforts were instrumental in the preservation of the true Icelandic Sheepdog. Mark Watson eventually took the dogs he had collected to California and established Wensum Kennels in Nicasio where he published "A Research on the Iceland Dog" in 1956.
Unfortunately, his dogs were lost in a kennel fire. Two of the dogs he had collected, however, had remained behind in Iceland and made an influential contribution to the reestablishment of the breed there.
As early as 1898, a standard for the breed had been recognized in Denmark, and in 1905 the breed had been recognized in England, although only a few were imported to England at that time and numbers there remained very small. In 1970 Icelanders formed an association to protect and sponsor the breed, and in 1972 international recognition was achieved.
Today in Iceland there are between 300 to 400 Icelandic Sheepdogs. They are outnumbered there by other breeds such as Labradors, Irish Setters and English Setters. Many farmers use Border Collies or Border Collie mixes for herding, but some farmers are starting to use the Icelandic Sheepdog again because of its endurance and suitability for local conditions.
Iceland is very rural and sheep farming differs to some extent from other countries. The sheep are driven up to the hills and mountains, and in the fall the farmers take their horses and herding dogs to bring the sheep back to the lowlands. Many farmers have one or two dogs, which are used to seek out and gather the sheep from the hills. The Icelandic Sheepdog doesn't tend to group up the sheep at a distance and keep them in a flock like the Border Collie, but the farmer can walk in the bottom of the valley and send the dog up the hills on both sides, the dogs finding and bringing down any sheep that might be there.
The Icelandic Sheepdog will run longer distances than other breeds as it seeks sheep in the harsh, bare terrain. *After the sheep are gathered, the dogs push them along in front of the farmers, barking.* As in earlier times, most farmers don't train their dogs to any great extent. Icelandic Sheepdogs can also herd horses, although they are not used for that as much. The breed is very hardy and able to handle bad weather, sleeping contentedly in the snow with its nose under its tail while imported dogs are freezing.
A few Icelandic Sheepdogs have been brought to North America from Iceland, Denmark, England, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. *A Montana rancher who has started her Icelandic Sheepdogs on stock comments that the dogs have shown good instinct and, although at first inclined to chase, will bunch and hold cattle. They are upright workers, preferring to remain on their feet, and tend to move stock by body movement, barking and, if necessary, gripping. They may move fast and dive in on the outrun, but they balance naturally and will fetch and hold stock to the handler, and at times have given evidence of some eye.*
Agnes Yr, a breeder in Iceland, notes that Icelanders have for many centuries looked at the dog as one of the farm animals and not cared so much about breeding, but thankfully this has changed. The Icelandic Sheepdog is now becoming popular with urban horse-lovers in Iceland, who keep horses for their leisure time and have fallen in love, again, with this wonderful dog. Here is a top working breed that adjusts well to urban life -- a happy, proud, intelligent dog that takes joy in pleasing its people.
Thank you to Bill Cordingly, Bolstad Kennels; Agnes Yr, Kennel Yrar; Stefania Siguradardottir; and Anne Milkovich for their assistance with this article.
Herding Temperment Test for Icelandic Sheepdog Puppies -Summer 2007 Issue for Canadian Icelandic Sheepdog Club
Herding Temperament Test for Icelandic Sheepdog Puppies!
By Valerie Sharp
When I got my Icelandic Sheepdogs I was very excited that they were a herding breed, my grandfather on my mothers’ side had bred, raised, trained and used Collies on his farm for years, and his dogs were most sought after. I can still remember Grandpa explaining what made a good dog, and I have to admit that I, to this day, still look for those very same things in my own dogs.
On my father's side of the family, they owned a huge thousand-head of sheep farm in southern Alberta and Border Collies were the dogs of choice, so I was familar with both the more upright style of herding that a Collie will use and the more traditional Border style of working sheep but the first question I asked was "what does an Icelandic Sheepdog herd like?"
In keeping with this, I called Iceland and talked to different owners of dogs that lived and worked the dogs on both sheep/horses, I also called and visited with Icelandic Breeders and owners in both Canada, and the US, that had both Icelandic Sheep and Icelandic Sheepdogs on their farms, and was surprised to no end, when in a nut shell, I was informed by both in Iceland and across North America that the dogs didn't really herd. The first thing that surprised me was how little time is spent herding or even driving sheep in Iceland with the dogs, this is because the sheep are a) low flocking, and b) turned out into the mountains to graze etc, in fact it became clear that they were used more on the horse throughout the year then they were used on the sheep at this time in the breeds’ history.
But what did come out clearly was this a) they are natural herders, they are not normally trained per se in Iceland, b) they had for hundred of years been used as natural boundary tenders, as fences have only appeared in the last while in Iceland and so the dogs were used to keep the hay meadows clear of the sheep and horses etc and would drive them back up into the hills. c) that they are a natural driving breed, and are what is in North America called a loose eyed, upright barking breed.
I have attended a number of single-day and even one three-day herding clinics with my Icelandics over the past years. I belong to my local herding club, and find the help and encouragement from the group a great asset.
Every year on our little farm, I use the dogs for boundary tending, I walk with my Icelandic and show her the line, and then we sit and write or read a book or in Jason's case, he will often take his laptop out, and we just hang out while the sheep graze, until someone gets too close to the "line" and my ISD will look at me, and I say, Go push them back and they are up like a flash and drive the herd back into the center of the hay pasture and then back to me to lay down in the shade of the chair, until needed again.
I think the second thing I use them for most is very close work in the barn, moving the sheep from pen to pen, moving them past the gate that they know has the grain feed in it, and also to help split the flock up, in case I need to check or work with one of the sheep. It is such a pleasure to be able to open the front door and say to my dog or dogs, Sheep, Barn, and by the time I have walked to the barn from the house, the dogs will have gone to the field, got the sheep, and driven them into the barn and into their back pens and will be waiting for me to close the gates.
I can see why a good sheepdog was worth its weight in gold, I have heard from many folks in Iceland that the dogs can be used to find lost sheep under snow, I believe this totally, as they often help me find, but not hurt, my new chicks in the barn, they will also let me know if anything is new in the barn by finding and trailing the scent, I know that some folks say that an Icelandic would not hurt anything small. I can't agree, my dogs learn what is part of the farm, and leave it alone, but mice, moles, rats, and wild birds are fair game, and the dogs will hunt the hay fields like a fox would, I have spoken to other breeders in Iceland and they confirm that their Icelandics also hunt the barns for mice, so I believe that this is something that is likely to be seen in our dogs here in Canada.
In keeping with this, if you go to a training center, if and when asked what they herd like, I have learned to say, they are most Australian Shepherds in terms of what breed they herd like.
While I had brought in Icelandics directly imported from Iceland who had working parents, I really wanted to work my own dogs and I also wanted to make sure that I kept the breed’s natural herding drive and ability alive in my kennel, so from my very first litter, I have done herding tests on the puppies with the ducks, I still remember introducing Greenstone Ada to the ducks at ten weeks old and being amazed to watch her show off her natural abilities, since then I have created a much more formal test for my kennel’s records.
I would never recommend that you test six to ten week old puppies on anything other then ducks, I have heard that one lady did bring a well dog-broke mini goat to the breeders home in the US to see which of the puppies had the most natural drive. You need to be careful and make sure that those first intro's are done in a safe and controlled manner.
So I have a round pen that is 20 feet across, and here is the test that I do:
Puppy Herding Test. Tester ______________________________ Date__________
Name of Puppy ____________________________ Age of Puppy _____________________
Parents of the Puppy ________________________________________________________
Round pen is ________ feet, Ground is flat and ducks are well dog Broke
Number of Ducks used __________
Test One
Put the puppy in the pen with duck, Puppy comes into the ring on leash
a) Does the Puppy Notice Ducks Yes______ or No _________
b) Does Puppy Move forward towards the ducks Yes ________ or No __________
Test Two, Puppy is let off-leash
Ducks move away from Puppy (either the puppy moves them ______ or human does______)
a)Does Puppy Give Chase Yes______ or No ________
b) Does Puppy Give up? Yes ______ or No _________ How long? _________________
c) Does Puppy Split ducks? Yes _____ or No ________
d) Does Puppy Bunch ducks? Yes _________ or No ________
e) Does Puppy Bark at ducks? Yes ________ or No _______
f) Does Puppy find balance to ducks? Yes ______ or No _______
g) Does Puppy circle ducks? Yes ______ or No ______
h) Does Puppy bit a duck? Yes _____ or No _______ Why? __________________________
i) Does Puppy respond to human in ring? Yes________ or No ___________
Test Three- Puppy is called back to person
Come when called. Yes _________ or No _________
Repeat test twice, with at least one day inbetween.
I have had my import/foundation Icelandic Herding Instinct tested with the CKC Herding Program and I have two generations of Puppy Herding Temperament tests done to date, so this means that so far, I have three generations of tested ISD's and I am looking forward to the fourth generation being born in the near future.
What has been very interesting to me personally is that the puppies that have tested out as a natural herding puppy at eight weeks, has proven to get the same results when tested out as adults, so it does appear that to date that it is very accurate, and I look forward to when Greenstone Kennel has another five generations of results in the future, and we will continue to look for any patterns or results.
Greenstone Icelandic Puppies that have tested out well in the puppy herding test have gone on to do well in both Arena style herding trials as well as working actively on sheep farms, and I also have one dog in Alberta that works with horses. Greenstone Icelandics on my own farm work with ducks, sheep and I even have one Icelandic, Ch Belglen Runa of Greenstone that can move my turkey flock for me.
I train all my dogs in regards to boundary tending, and I have found that it is one of the most natural and easy things to teach my dogs, so if you have any reason to get to teach this skill to your dogs, I think you will find it a worthwhile and fun thing to do.
By Valerie Sharp
When I got my Icelandic Sheepdogs I was very excited that they were a herding breed, my grandfather on my mothers’ side had bred, raised, trained and used Collies on his farm for years, and his dogs were most sought after. I can still remember Grandpa explaining what made a good dog, and I have to admit that I, to this day, still look for those very same things in my own dogs.
On my father's side of the family, they owned a huge thousand-head of sheep farm in southern Alberta and Border Collies were the dogs of choice, so I was familar with both the more upright style of herding that a Collie will use and the more traditional Border style of working sheep but the first question I asked was "what does an Icelandic Sheepdog herd like?"
In keeping with this, I called Iceland and talked to different owners of dogs that lived and worked the dogs on both sheep/horses, I also called and visited with Icelandic Breeders and owners in both Canada, and the US, that had both Icelandic Sheep and Icelandic Sheepdogs on their farms, and was surprised to no end, when in a nut shell, I was informed by both in Iceland and across North America that the dogs didn't really herd. The first thing that surprised me was how little time is spent herding or even driving sheep in Iceland with the dogs, this is because the sheep are a) low flocking, and b) turned out into the mountains to graze etc, in fact it became clear that they were used more on the horse throughout the year then they were used on the sheep at this time in the breeds’ history.
But what did come out clearly was this a) they are natural herders, they are not normally trained per se in Iceland, b) they had for hundred of years been used as natural boundary tenders, as fences have only appeared in the last while in Iceland and so the dogs were used to keep the hay meadows clear of the sheep and horses etc and would drive them back up into the hills. c) that they are a natural driving breed, and are what is in North America called a loose eyed, upright barking breed.
I have attended a number of single-day and even one three-day herding clinics with my Icelandics over the past years. I belong to my local herding club, and find the help and encouragement from the group a great asset.
Every year on our little farm, I use the dogs for boundary tending, I walk with my Icelandic and show her the line, and then we sit and write or read a book or in Jason's case, he will often take his laptop out, and we just hang out while the sheep graze, until someone gets too close to the "line" and my ISD will look at me, and I say, Go push them back and they are up like a flash and drive the herd back into the center of the hay pasture and then back to me to lay down in the shade of the chair, until needed again.
I think the second thing I use them for most is very close work in the barn, moving the sheep from pen to pen, moving them past the gate that they know has the grain feed in it, and also to help split the flock up, in case I need to check or work with one of the sheep. It is such a pleasure to be able to open the front door and say to my dog or dogs, Sheep, Barn, and by the time I have walked to the barn from the house, the dogs will have gone to the field, got the sheep, and driven them into the barn and into their back pens and will be waiting for me to close the gates.
I can see why a good sheepdog was worth its weight in gold, I have heard from many folks in Iceland that the dogs can be used to find lost sheep under snow, I believe this totally, as they often help me find, but not hurt, my new chicks in the barn, they will also let me know if anything is new in the barn by finding and trailing the scent, I know that some folks say that an Icelandic would not hurt anything small. I can't agree, my dogs learn what is part of the farm, and leave it alone, but mice, moles, rats, and wild birds are fair game, and the dogs will hunt the hay fields like a fox would, I have spoken to other breeders in Iceland and they confirm that their Icelandics also hunt the barns for mice, so I believe that this is something that is likely to be seen in our dogs here in Canada.
In keeping with this, if you go to a training center, if and when asked what they herd like, I have learned to say, they are most Australian Shepherds in terms of what breed they herd like.
While I had brought in Icelandics directly imported from Iceland who had working parents, I really wanted to work my own dogs and I also wanted to make sure that I kept the breed’s natural herding drive and ability alive in my kennel, so from my very first litter, I have done herding tests on the puppies with the ducks, I still remember introducing Greenstone Ada to the ducks at ten weeks old and being amazed to watch her show off her natural abilities, since then I have created a much more formal test for my kennel’s records.
I would never recommend that you test six to ten week old puppies on anything other then ducks, I have heard that one lady did bring a well dog-broke mini goat to the breeders home in the US to see which of the puppies had the most natural drive. You need to be careful and make sure that those first intro's are done in a safe and controlled manner.
So I have a round pen that is 20 feet across, and here is the test that I do:
Puppy Herding Test. Tester ______________________________ Date__________
Name of Puppy ____________________________ Age of Puppy _____________________
Parents of the Puppy ________________________________________________________
Round pen is ________ feet, Ground is flat and ducks are well dog Broke
Number of Ducks used __________
Test One
Put the puppy in the pen with duck, Puppy comes into the ring on leash
a) Does the Puppy Notice Ducks Yes______ or No _________
b) Does Puppy Move forward towards the ducks Yes ________ or No __________
Test Two, Puppy is let off-leash
Ducks move away from Puppy (either the puppy moves them ______ or human does______)
a)Does Puppy Give Chase Yes______ or No ________
b) Does Puppy Give up? Yes ______ or No _________ How long? _________________
c) Does Puppy Split ducks? Yes _____ or No ________
d) Does Puppy Bunch ducks? Yes _________ or No ________
e) Does Puppy Bark at ducks? Yes ________ or No _______
f) Does Puppy find balance to ducks? Yes ______ or No _______
g) Does Puppy circle ducks? Yes ______ or No ______
h) Does Puppy bit a duck? Yes _____ or No _______ Why? __________________________
i) Does Puppy respond to human in ring? Yes________ or No ___________
Test Three- Puppy is called back to person
Come when called. Yes _________ or No _________
Repeat test twice, with at least one day inbetween.
I have had my import/foundation Icelandic Herding Instinct tested with the CKC Herding Program and I have two generations of Puppy Herding Temperament tests done to date, so this means that so far, I have three generations of tested ISD's and I am looking forward to the fourth generation being born in the near future.
What has been very interesting to me personally is that the puppies that have tested out as a natural herding puppy at eight weeks, has proven to get the same results when tested out as adults, so it does appear that to date that it is very accurate, and I look forward to when Greenstone Kennel has another five generations of results in the future, and we will continue to look for any patterns or results.
Greenstone Icelandic Puppies that have tested out well in the puppy herding test have gone on to do well in both Arena style herding trials as well as working actively on sheep farms, and I also have one dog in Alberta that works with horses. Greenstone Icelandics on my own farm work with ducks, sheep and I even have one Icelandic, Ch Belglen Runa of Greenstone that can move my turkey flock for me.
I train all my dogs in regards to boundary tending, and I have found that it is one of the most natural and easy things to teach my dogs, so if you have any reason to get to teach this skill to your dogs, I think you will find it a worthwhile and fun thing to do.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Greenstone Thunder -New Herding Title -JHD
Dog: Greenstone Thunder
Title: JHD -AHBA
Congrats to Deb, Doug and Gwen, Co-owners with Valerie Sharp(Breeder) of Greenstone Thunder for his new herding title JHD.
Great to see a Icelandic Sheepdog doing what it was breed to do in terms of function.
Title: JHD -AHBA
Congrats to Deb, Doug and Gwen, Co-owners with Valerie Sharp(Breeder) of Greenstone Thunder for his new herding title JHD.
Great to see a Icelandic Sheepdog doing what it was breed to do in terms of function.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Belglen Kennel/Herding Icelandic Sheepdogs
Hello Folks
While Ima from Belglen does not have a offical herding instinct test, she works with a full herd of Sheep on the Belglen farm, having at times moved and worked with upwards of 250 plus sheep, so title or no title, this is a working Sheepdog dog and so giving respect where it is due!
Here to you Ima...a true lady..
UCI InternCH Belgen Risna, Ima's daughter is in active Herding Training down in the United States and is doing very well at it.
Ch Belglen Runa has not had formal herding training or testing done but works sheep, and loves to herd the turkey flock at Misty Morning Farm. So its fair to say that Ima passed on at least some of herding ability to her daughters.
Greenstone Herding Tested Icelandics
Hello Folks
So far, Folda, Tofra Dalla and Greenstone Ada. Greenstone Thunder, have had official Herding tests at this time, look for more dogs to be added to this list soon.
All Greenstone Puppies are given a duck puppy herding test at this time, and we are starting to see results in who in the litter is much more interested and carries the natural herding genes.
Greenstone Thunder-Herding Titled and Available Stud
Hello Folks
Greenstone Thunder is a lovely Red and White Long Hair Icelandic.
Thunder has earned two AHBA legs to earn his first Herding Title from AHBA, the first Icelandic Sheepdog to have earned this title in North America. Congrats goes out to his family, for the amazing job they have done with him.
Updates to follow on Thunder in the near future and we look forward to him continuing to process though in his herding training. Thunder lives on the West coast of the United States.
Icelandic Sheepdogs Herding Tests
CISC Herding Instict Tests for Canada
Herding Instinct Test
The first step taken for most dogs and their handlers is to participate in a Herding Instinct Test. This test, as the name suggests, tests the dog's instinct to herd. It allows you to see how your dog works, his drives, style, strengths, and weaknesses. During the test, a qualified tester will assess the dog and give you helpful information, tips, and strategies on how to work with your dog.
The Instinct Test is usually done in a round pen. This is to ensure that the sheep don't hold up in a corner, making it more difficult for an inexperienced dog to move them. — Occasionally, however, a larger space is more suitable for some dogs who appear pressured in the small round pen. The dog is brought in on leash with the evaluator or tester taking the dog and introducing him to the sheep. The evaluator observes how the dog and sheep react to one another and will determine if and when the leash should be removed. The dog is encouraged to move to and among the sheep as the evaluator judges the dog's actions.
During the Instinct Test, the evaluator is watching to see if the dog is non-aggressive, watching the stock, and controlling or trying to control the sheep's movements. The tester evaluates whether the dog is "gathering" the sheep or trying to "drive" them. The tester will also watch the way the dog approaches the sheep; whether the dog likes to work wide or close; whether he barks or works quietly; if the dog is easily distracted or adjusts well to direction; how responsive the dog is to the evaluator; whether the dog groups the sheep or tries to split them up; and whether the dog has a natural "balance" on sheep.
Another variation of the Herding Instinct Test involves the use of five or six ducks as opposed to sheep. In this situation, the tester takes the dog on leash behind the flock and tries to encourage the dog to keep the flock together and move them at a slow, steady pace around the enclosure. Depending on the dog's response, the exercise may be attempted off-leash as well.
Once a dog has had his instinct tested and has shown evidence of herding instinct, the next step is to find a facility and trainer. The trainer will provide individual instruction and attention to both the handler and the dog, and the training facility should have stock suitable for beginners as well as those who are more advanced.
Herding Trials — CKC Herding Level Requirements
The Canadian Kennel Club Herding Trials are open only to registered CKC dogs.
Judges determine the order of obstacles for each course. All trial levels require three qualifying legs under two judges and a core of 75 points, as well as the successful completion of each exercise. Handlers may not walk around any fenceline obstacles in these tests.
Herding Tested — HT (non-competitive class)
Two qualifying legs are required under two judges. Sheep are in the arena where the dog must pick them up in a calm, controlled manner. Once the dog has brought the sheep to the handler, the handler can walk around each obstacle, with the dog working steadily to keep the sheep gathered as they move around the course. The dog must demonstrate a brief pause, stop or down somewhere along the way. At the end of the course, the sheep are re-penned. The judge is in the arena and may walk with the handler or stand to one side. Judges may make suggestions, but may not handle the dog. No points are awarded.
Herding Started — HS
Handlers demonstrate their dogs' skills in controlling the sheep on a fenceline and stopping when asked, even if "off-balance," and their ability to take livestock out of a pen. There are three obstacles that the handler cannot walk through, and one chute that the handler can. The dog has to demonstrate a hold at the exhaust pen and then help re-pen the sheep.
Herding Intermediate — HI
The dog must take the flock from the pen, then dog and handler must wait until the judge feels the sheep have settled sufficiently, the dog is called off the stock, calmly and under complete control of the handler. Next, the dog is placed approximately 50 feet from the sheep to perform an "outrun," where the dog leaves the handler and runs in a wide arc toward and behind the flock, to get the sheep moving toward the handler. The "lift" occurs when the sheep begin to move calmly toward the handler, with the dog moving in a straight line and at a steady pace. Obstacle work follows, after which there is a small drive using the fenceline to help control the stock as the dog moves them ahead of the handler in a straight line. Finally, the sheep are herded through a freestanding chute, held in place next to the exhaust pen, then driven into the pen to complete the test.
Herding Advanced — HA
There is a "take" pen, a drive and settle, a 150-foot outrun, lift, fetch, three fenceline obstacles, a free-standing obstacle and an exhaust pen. There is a handler's line, which must run through the centre point of the arena in any direction. At certain parts of the test, the handler cannot cross this line but must direct the dog from the centre of the arena as the dog herds the stock around obstacles at the far end of the arena. When working close to the dog, the handler cannot walk through any obstacle. Dogs must work calmly and leave calmly when called off the stock.
Herding Instinct Test
The first step taken for most dogs and their handlers is to participate in a Herding Instinct Test. This test, as the name suggests, tests the dog's instinct to herd. It allows you to see how your dog works, his drives, style, strengths, and weaknesses. During the test, a qualified tester will assess the dog and give you helpful information, tips, and strategies on how to work with your dog.
The Instinct Test is usually done in a round pen. This is to ensure that the sheep don't hold up in a corner, making it more difficult for an inexperienced dog to move them. — Occasionally, however, a larger space is more suitable for some dogs who appear pressured in the small round pen. The dog is brought in on leash with the evaluator or tester taking the dog and introducing him to the sheep. The evaluator observes how the dog and sheep react to one another and will determine if and when the leash should be removed. The dog is encouraged to move to and among the sheep as the evaluator judges the dog's actions.
During the Instinct Test, the evaluator is watching to see if the dog is non-aggressive, watching the stock, and controlling or trying to control the sheep's movements. The tester evaluates whether the dog is "gathering" the sheep or trying to "drive" them. The tester will also watch the way the dog approaches the sheep; whether the dog likes to work wide or close; whether he barks or works quietly; if the dog is easily distracted or adjusts well to direction; how responsive the dog is to the evaluator; whether the dog groups the sheep or tries to split them up; and whether the dog has a natural "balance" on sheep.
Another variation of the Herding Instinct Test involves the use of five or six ducks as opposed to sheep. In this situation, the tester takes the dog on leash behind the flock and tries to encourage the dog to keep the flock together and move them at a slow, steady pace around the enclosure. Depending on the dog's response, the exercise may be attempted off-leash as well.
Once a dog has had his instinct tested and has shown evidence of herding instinct, the next step is to find a facility and trainer. The trainer will provide individual instruction and attention to both the handler and the dog, and the training facility should have stock suitable for beginners as well as those who are more advanced.
Herding Trials — CKC Herding Level Requirements
The Canadian Kennel Club Herding Trials are open only to registered CKC dogs.
Judges determine the order of obstacles for each course. All trial levels require three qualifying legs under two judges and a core of 75 points, as well as the successful completion of each exercise. Handlers may not walk around any fenceline obstacles in these tests.
Herding Tested — HT (non-competitive class)
Two qualifying legs are required under two judges. Sheep are in the arena where the dog must pick them up in a calm, controlled manner. Once the dog has brought the sheep to the handler, the handler can walk around each obstacle, with the dog working steadily to keep the sheep gathered as they move around the course. The dog must demonstrate a brief pause, stop or down somewhere along the way. At the end of the course, the sheep are re-penned. The judge is in the arena and may walk with the handler or stand to one side. Judges may make suggestions, but may not handle the dog. No points are awarded.
Herding Started — HS
Handlers demonstrate their dogs' skills in controlling the sheep on a fenceline and stopping when asked, even if "off-balance," and their ability to take livestock out of a pen. There are three obstacles that the handler cannot walk through, and one chute that the handler can. The dog has to demonstrate a hold at the exhaust pen and then help re-pen the sheep.
Herding Intermediate — HI
The dog must take the flock from the pen, then dog and handler must wait until the judge feels the sheep have settled sufficiently, the dog is called off the stock, calmly and under complete control of the handler. Next, the dog is placed approximately 50 feet from the sheep to perform an "outrun," where the dog leaves the handler and runs in a wide arc toward and behind the flock, to get the sheep moving toward the handler. The "lift" occurs when the sheep begin to move calmly toward the handler, with the dog moving in a straight line and at a steady pace. Obstacle work follows, after which there is a small drive using the fenceline to help control the stock as the dog moves them ahead of the handler in a straight line. Finally, the sheep are herded through a freestanding chute, held in place next to the exhaust pen, then driven into the pen to complete the test.
Herding Advanced — HA
There is a "take" pen, a drive and settle, a 150-foot outrun, lift, fetch, three fenceline obstacles, a free-standing obstacle and an exhaust pen. There is a handler's line, which must run through the centre point of the arena in any direction. At certain parts of the test, the handler cannot cross this line but must direct the dog from the centre of the arena as the dog herds the stock around obstacles at the far end of the arena. When working close to the dog, the handler cannot walk through any obstacle. Dogs must work calmly and leave calmly when called off the stock.
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