Herding Tests

Tests: The purpose of noncompetitive herding tests is to offer herding breed owners a standardized gauge by which a dog's basic instinct and trainability are measured. Dogs must have training and prior exposure to livestock before being entered in tests or trials. Livestock can be Ducks/Geese, Sheep/Goats or Cattle at any given test or trial and some dogs are better with certain types of stock than others.

Instinct Test

It is a test for herding breeds, and judge is looking for the dogs ability to move and control livestock by fetching or driving. The dog needs no training before entering this class and may be handled by the judge, owner or a designated handler.

Herding Test (HT)

This test requires the dogs to work the livestock with the owner in a defined space and along a defined route, ensuring that the dog is controlled at the beginning with a pause before engaging the sheep and at the end by requiring the dog to make a conscious choice to come to the handler and come off the stock. If the dog completes the course under two judges successfully, they earn the title of HT.

Pre-Trial Test (PT)

This test is an expanded HT course that usually requires a lesson or two before competing. The course uses panels and requires the dogs to stay until instructed to engage the sheep, a pause someplace along the course to ensure the dog and livestock are under control and a re-penning of the sheep at the end. Like the HT, the dog must demonstrate these skills under two separate Judges to earn the PT Title.

Trials

The purpose of the competitive herding trial program is to preserve and develop the herding skills inherent in the herding breeds and to demonstrate that they can perform the useful functions for which they were originally bred. Although herding trials are artificial simulations of pastoral or farm situations, they are standardized tests to measure and develop the characteristics of the herding breeds.

As soon as you get a puppy, you can get them to chase things and then get them to stop on command. Have them stay while you throw that favorite toy. Basically you are putting rules on the game of chasing. Take your young dog to a facility and just get them use to listening to you while around livestock and pens. It is important that you own the game.

Each dog is different. Some need encouragement while others need to learn to listen while livestock is being worked around them.