Farm working dogs in New Zealand. 12. Dog Trials

  By Dr Clive Dalton

History 

Photo of 'Old Hemp' bred in Northumberland (UK) and now has his DNA in dog trial and working dogs around the world.

Dog trials have been part of New Zealand life since the establishment of sheep farming.  The late Neil Rennie’s research found that the first NZ trial was probably held at Wanaka in 1867 although it was not reported in the press. 

However, Neil found a trial reported in the Oamaru Times (now the Oamaru Mail) of July 9, 1869 as the third trial held on June 22-23 at Wanaka.  So these trials certainly outdated what was considered to be the world's first dog trial at Bala in North Wales in 1873!  Neil was always very thrilled with this historical fact!

The first trials were a bit sporadic, and it wasn't until dog trial clubs were formed that regular events took place.  The first trial, which included huntaway events Neil found was at Black Forest station in 1870.

Dog trialing in NZ is controlled by the NZ Sheep Dog Trial Association which is made up of affiliated member clubs with meetings starting with the summer A&P shows and culminating in regional and national finals in about June.  There are shepherds trial and maiden dog trials for the less experienced held throughout the year.

Dog trialing, while still an important way to select top dogs, has through Television become a competitive sport with great public interest.

Entry qualifications for trials

The only qualification for a dog to enter a trial is its ability to work sheep.  Pedigree, colour, age or sex are not important.  Handlers can be of any age and there is no sex discrimination!  Competitors must be the bona fide owner of the dog being run, and should have owned the dog for at least 6 weeks before the competition.

Each trial has its rules of entry. At some you may have to pre-enter some days before with runs pre-scheduled to keep to a strict timetable.  In others you enter on the day but may have to wait till dusk to compete!

Most trial organisations now insist that dogs have a current hydatids treatment certificate

Check the rules

It's very important for competitors to check the rules of the particular SDTA before they start.  You can get them from any Dog Trail Club secretary and are fairly common to all trials.  However, there may be some non-standard events which are displayed at the trial. 

In almost all NZ trials one dog works three sheep.  The running of "doubles" where a shepherd works two dogs or more is a British practice and is only used here for television presentations to provide more entertainment for the viewer. 

Standard classes

There are four main standard classes for trials run under the NZSDTA.

Class 1: - Heading dogs - long head or long pull.

The competitor and dog stands in a ring from 200-500m in diameter, and in a direct line away from where three sheep are set free by a "liberator" or "slipper".  When the judge calls "time" the dog is sent on its "outrun" or "cast".  It should be free-running and the dog should not waver, tack or stop.  Most long-head runs start on a hill and finish on the flat, depending on the trial location.

A pear-shaped outrun is ideal and it can be to the left or right of the handler.  Generally most courses favour a right-hand cast.  A very wide outrun as used in a big paddock is not wanted but it's also important that the dog does not run so direct at the sheep that it panics them and they take flight.

When the dog completes the outrun, it should stop in such a position that when the sheep move, they come in a straight line to the handler.  This is known as "stopping on balance," before the dog "lifts" the sheep or starts them moving.

The dog now executes the "pull" or drive the sheep straight towards the handler.  The sheep should not stop on their journey and the pull is completed when the sheep enter the ring where the handler stands.  This is the "hold" and is "claimed" by the handler standing still with outstretched arms.  After the "claim" the judge will call "right".

To go for the perfect hold the handler moves around the sheep as they enter the ring so the final scene is the sheep facing the dog with the handler behind them. 

The time allocated for this event is usually about 9 - 14 minutes.

Class 2: - Heading dogs - short head and yard

The competitor and dog stand in a pegged quadrangle or "quad".  As in Class 1, the dog makes an outrun and pulls the sheep to the handler, entering the quad between the front markers.  Even if the sheep escape, they must be taken back to enter the quad through "the front door", and the handler cannot leave the quad until this is completed.

Competitor and dog then move the sheep along a pegged 20m-wide lane towards two parallel hurdles.  They cannot stray outside the lane on this "first drive".  The handler can move across "the drive" but shouldn't get ahead of the shoulder of the leading sheep or move backwards.

Points are lost for excessive movement or running, or for the competitor and dog changing sides during the drive.  This first drive ends at a peg in the middle of the lane, 10m away from the hurdles through which the sheep have got to be driven.

After all the sheep have passed the peg, the handler may move about freely to help the dog drive the sheep through the hurdles.  The sheep are now in the "free working area" ready to pass through the hurdles that are 3m apart.  All sheep and the handler must pass through the hurdles.  So if any slip past, they must be brought back.

The "second drive" is similar to the first and ends at a line 10m from the yard.  Once over this line, the competitor can go to the 2m square yard and open the gate until it hits a stop that prevents it opening more than 90 degrees.  Once the hand is on the gate, it cannot be released until the sheep are completely inside the pen.

The gate cannot be used to frighten the sheep and drive them in.  That's the dog's job!  No part of the competitor, including the stick which must be no more than 1m long, is permitted to come forward of the line extending along the gate and out from its head.  Only behind this line can the competitor move about to assist the dog.

The run is completed when the sheep are penned and the gate shut.  The time for this event is usually about 10 - 14 minutes.

Class 3:  Huntaways - Zigzag hunts

For the "zigzag" or "huntaway with slew" the competitor stands at the bottom of the course, usually in a pegged area and facing a steep hill.  Three sheep are liberated at the top of the course and at the call of "time" the trial starts.

The competitor directs the dog to hunt the sheep in a straight line through the first two pegs marked on the course.  The sheep must then change direction or "slew" towards a second set of makers and then proceed to the top markers in line with the first.

The dog must "face-up" to the sheep.  In other words it must bark at the sheep, and not at the handler.

The time for this event is usually around 8 - 10 minutes.

Class 4:  Huntaways - straight hunt

This begins in the same way as the zigzag but the only markers are those at the top of the course.  The sheep have to be hunted directly to the centre of these top markers - in as straight a line as possible.

At some trials, class 3 and 4 are run on the same course, with the two sets of markers being ignored for the straight hunt.

Time allowed for this event is usually about 8 - 10 minutes.

General points

·      The aim of trials is to demonstrate a high level of stock handling and dog control.

·      The challenge is to be able to assess quickly the sheep's strengths and weaknesses.

·      The aim is to direct force at stock from a distance.  The dog must be careful but firm.

·      The first contact of the dog with the sheep is a critical time and must be accomplished with great care.

·      There is no disgrace in not finishing a run.  It's better to withdraw with grace than hound some other person's sheep to injury or exhaustion.

·      Withdrawal is indicated by a wave to the judge or walking off the course.  If you cannot control the sheep, then leave them for the officials to handle.

Judging

Judges are all experienced dog trialists who aim to judge each run with impartiality and to a uniform standard.  Judging in nearly all NZ trials is by one judge who takes points off the perfect score of 100.  There are a large number of reasons to deduct points.  Here are some major ones:

·      Not completing the run.

·      A dog that loses concentration and stops to sniff an area or urinate.

·      A huntaway that shows inattention to the sheep, eg looks back and barks at the handler called "barking off the stock".

·      A heading dog that makes a slow outrun without much purpose

·      A heading dog that bites sheep.

Cattle dog trials

Although sheep dogs work cattle, trials to demonstrate this skill have not been popular in New Zealand.

The Stud Book

The NZ Sheepdog Stud Book, in which all dogs that win trials can be entered started in 1940.  It is run by a stud book committee and a registrar. 

Further information

New Zealand Sheep Dog Trail Association, PO Box 307, Hastings, New Zealand.

Further reading

Burns, M and Fraser, M.N. (1966).  Genetics of the Dog.  London: Oliver and Boyd

Dalton, D.C.(1983).  Farm Working Dogs.  Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries AgLink advisory leaflets.  FPP 613, 695, 696, 697, 698,699, 700, 701, 702, 703,704, 775.

Fox, M.W. (1965).   Canine Behaviour. Springfield: C.C. Thomas.

Fox, M.W. (1972).   Understanding Your Dog. New York: Coward. McCann and Geoghegan.

Kelly, R.B. (1958).   Sheep Dogs. Sydney: Angus and Robertson.

Longton, T and Hart, E (1969).   Your Sheep Dog and its Training.  Battle (Sussex):  Alan Exley.

Lorenz, K (1953)   Man Meets Dog.  London:  Penguin Books.

Rennie, N (1984).   Working dogs.  Shortland Publications, Auckland NZ.  96p

Scott. J.P. and Fuller, J.L. (1965).  Genetics and Social Behaviour of the Dog.  Chicago: University of Chicargo Press.

NZ farm working dogs. A Heading pup's first year

By Dr Clive Dalton

Meg tied up at her kennel but 'on alert' - a good sign.
What would she turn out to be?
Her genetics were right - would her training complete the job?

MEG
Around the mid 1980s, Kevin Meredith, a farm manager and keen dog trialist got a new heading bitch pup, and I was keen to document her first year - the formative time in the making of a top working dog.

Kevin called her "Meg" and she had all the right genes from top ancestors, that had not only won trials, but had also come from hard working dogs on commercial farms.

These pictures I took of Meg's first year show the important stages of how Kevin provided the correct environment and training, so the dog's genes get every chance of full expression. It was all about getting the right balance between 'nature' and 'nurture' as the old saying goes.

Hello - what's that? A good sign of pup with a sharp eye.

Housing - cage or kennel?
This is an interesting question - is it better to keep a pup in a cage up off the ground, or tie it up at a kennel on the soil?

Most veterinary advice, for hygienic reasons, would go for the cage with slatted floor and no contact with soil, as in areas where there have been dog kennels for may years, there could be all sorts of infections around.

And of course dogs love to dig holes with a favourite spot being under the kennel. Some of these holes get so big that the kennel eventually falls into the hole, or in heavy rain it floats on the little lake like a boat!

Kevin's argument was simple - he always liked to tie a pup up at free-standing kennels as it gave him the opportunity to handle it more, and especially at the important time when you put dogs away after running loose. It was an opportunity to keep reinforcing the human-animal bond which is vital in successful dog training.

Dogs spend a lot of their time being tied up in their daily lives when out working so the sooner they learn to be comfortable with it the better. All working dogs have a short chain and snap hook on their collars to fasten them to a fence when they are temporarily not needed. Many dog handlers reckon it teaches them patience when they have to sit and watch other dogs working and not being allowed to join in until commanded.

The main thing it that it teaches the dog that going to be tied up is a pleasant positive experience, and not one to be avoided in case they get a reprimand. It's too easy to open a cage door and the dog runs in with no contact with the owner. Kevin's practice always seemed to make a lot of sense from the animal psychology point of view.

Make sure the pup's collar fits well so she doesn't learn to slip it.

Dominance of the 'pack leader'
An important part of this human-animal bond is to sort out right from the start who is the boss - who is going to be the 'top dog' in the hierarchy. Dogs and humans love boundaries, because they know that if they stay within them they'll be safe.

So having the pup on a chain, you can start regular lessons in dominance from an early age.

In the picture below you see Keven holding the pup's head up and holding his gaze into its eyes. It's a simple exercise once the pup has been tied up, petted and reassured with low voice tones. A few minutes each day is all that's needed. You can see from the pup's pose that it's a new experience for her and she's not liking it all that much.

Laying prone
This Kevin showed to be a very simple but very effective way to dominate a pup. He even used to to sort out a mature dog that was playing up.

All you do in this exercise is to lie the pup on it's side and calm it. If it struggles to get free - press down firmly with both your hands and calm it with low voice tones and a gentle massage. It's very effective and there's no physical violence involved anywhere. In the initial stages if the pup struggles, giving a low growl to imitate its mother's reactions can be effective.




Remove its food
Another trick used by Kevin and other dog handlers is to wait till the pup gets really stuck into a bit of meat, which it clearly considered its private property, and take if from it. If it gets nasty - give it the 'prone' treatment again and hold its meat in front of it before handing it over on your terms.





Teach 'Sit'
On the chain at the kennel, Kevin started to teach the first early lesson of 'Sit'. It was also part of the bonding/dominating experience for the pup and was a simple exercise of holding up the pup's head while pressing down it's back end on the command 'sit'.

This was done when the opportunity arose, e.g. when passing the kennels or after the dogs were let off for a run. Older dogs don't enjoy the overenthusiastic youngsters being let off at the same time but it is good for the pups to keep in social contact with the oldies who they could be working with in future.





The result seen in the picture, is a happy little fast-growing confident pup doing what dogs do - digging holes around their dens as they would in the wild. It means moving kennels now and again.

Hydatids
In the 1980s, to combat Hydatids which was also a threat to human health, dogs were dosed regularly by an officer from the local District Council. It was not a nice experience for the dog and they all knew when his van arrived - and what they were going to get.

The oral dose made the dog purge and the faeces were collected and sent to a veterinary laboratory to check what parasites were present.

Thankfully Hydatids has been eliminated and dogs are given pills every six weeks containing an anthelmintic to control the other main internal parasites of dogs.

Meg getting her first 'purge' dose - nobody liked this system

Vaccinations
Meg then had to have her injections for distemper and parvo virus - both killers of dogs. This was not as traumatic for her as it was a subcutaneous injection in the loose skin of her scruff. The veterinarian was my former colleague at the Ruakura Agricultural Research Centre - the late Tony Day.

Serious interest in work
There's often debate about the order in which you do things with a young dog. Do you put some commands on her before you let her loose with sheep, or do you just let her run free to develop her natural instincts and then teach the commands?

Kevin Meredith believed that the better option was to let the pup run free and then teach the commands. A good pup will quickly learn what the commands are, and almost understand why they're needed.

So here's Meg now about 9 months old with some of her first meetings with sheep in a confined space. The confined space is critical, as you don't want sheep to get the better of the pup. When you move to a larger area such as a small paddock, dog trainers always have an old experience dog handy to prevent any disasters such as sheep escaping and the pup not being able to get head them off. You don't want a pup to become a simple chaser of sheep.

You can clearly see Meg's genetics showing through. These rams are not going anywhere, as she keeps increasing pressure on them by moving in closer, and anticipating their every move.

Meg's further training
Kevin further developed Meg's skills by using her for light work on the farm as part of his team of dogs made up of older heading dogs and huntaways. So things were always under control and the sheep never won the day to shake a young dog's confidence. Top dog men like Kevin make sure a young dog is never over-worked and situations never get out of control.

Picture shows Meg off to work with a Huntaway team member on the right and the picture below shows the end of a working day where Meg has been part of the team.

Once a young dog starts to work it's important to keep them at it without overdoing it. A good stockman like Kevin Meredith knows exactly how to keep this fine balance, of avoiding both overwork and boredom. A heading dog is born to work - not watch others doing it.

Off to work

Time to knock off

Meg's first dog trial
Kevin was pleased with the young Meg and entered her for the 'Short Head and Yard' competition at the Waingaro dog trials near Raglan in New Zealand's North Island. She did well on the cast, the gather and the drive and as you can see on the picture below penned the sheep with no bother with plenty of force.


Kevin told me she was probably in too much of a hurry to get the job done to win, but he was delighted with her first outing. After the sheep were penned - Meg got a wee pat, and she was quite happy with that.

Top dog 'Meg' and top dog trainer and stockman - Kevin Meredith.
It's all about the animal-human bond and a dog trial is where you see this best.

A hard working life
In 2009 it was wonderful to catch up with Kevin again. He told me he had Meg for about 8 years before passing her on for an easier life. He reckoned she lived to about age 12.

What a great contribution she made to farming - one of the many unsung heroes of her kind. Loving her boss, always wanting to get off the chain to work, hating day's off, and happy with a pat or scratch behind the ear after a hard day's work.

Imagine how many man-hours she saved in her 12 years of work, and what financial value you could put on it. Imagine how many kilometers she had run too in that time?

NZ farm working dogs. Dog trials. The Long Head

By Dr Clive Dalton


The Long Head
This is a trial for Heading Dogs, where the dog has to 'sight' the sheep at a long distance, move them and then bring them to the handler in a straight line. Three sheep are always used in trials in New Zealand as this is the most difficult combination - it's not a flock, and the sheep will always split into two and one - and in unpredictable ways. The handler's skill is to predict this - to be able to 'read' the sheep.

Picture 1. The release and cast. In the picture the three sheep are on the top of the hill on the left and have just been released from a holding pen by the 'releaser'. After the judge has given the start signal, the competitor or handler at the bottom of the hill has sent his dog away to find the sheep. Timing starts from then. The dog is at 11 o'clock from handler at the bottom of the hill on a right hand cast, and then go around them for 'the hold'.



Here's a picture of the releaser at the top of the hill, with his dog holding the sheep in the corner of a bit of fence until they are sighted by the competitor's dog. The releaser's dog is part hidden by a tuft of long of grass.



Picture 2. The dog (the tiny black dot) is now up the hill on the right nearly on a level with the sheep, 'keeping out' on command, so it goes above the sheep and comes around on to them for the 'hold'.


Picture 3. The hold. It's hard to see at this distance, but the dog has arrived at the sheep and is lying down above them in the 'hold' position. The sheep are looking at the dog anticipating its next move. You can now appreciate the importance of the dog's colour, to be able to see it and direct it at these distances.



Picture 4. The Lift then the Drive. Here the dog has completed 'the lift' and the sheep are starting to move from their release point. The dog is working on the sheep's left and directed by the handler has to move the sheep in a straight line down the middle of steep slope of the course.

Points are lost if the sheep veer off this line. The course is completed when the sheep pass through two peg markers at the base of the hill.



Here's a picture of a competitor whose dog has done a great job in driving the sheep down the slope. At this stage the competitor is allowed to move to the marked circle that the sheep have to end up in to complete the course.




Picture 5. The finish. The sheep have been driven passed the final markers to complete the course.



If the allocated time is used up before the course is completed, then the judge shouts 'Time' and the handler calls off his dog. Other helpers and their dogs retrieve and remove the sheep from the course for the next competitor, or the competitor will do this.