Kane, an urban cattledog finding his roots
by Gitte Johannessen
Photo: John Scharis, Sweden
When I wanted an Australian cattledog, it was tough convincing the breeder of the pup I found that it would get a good cattledog life - since I live in the middle of Oslo, capitol of Norway, with more asphalt and lawns than fields, and more cars than cows.
But I succeeded, and from a very rural life the first four months of his life on a farm in the countryside Kane became a city dog in every sense of the word. He’s been to cafés and big shopping malls, he’s met the strangest people and the weirdest creatures - but the only farm animals he got to see was those in the petting zoo in the big park.
Kane is going to be my obedience and working dog, and was well underway in his training (I spend all weekends out in the forest, tracking and training search and rescue!), when I read on the Swedish Kohunden-site that they were planning a herding clinic for ACDs. I mailed John about it, but basically forgot it - until the week before or so. Well, off to Sweden we went - to a clinic with Larry Painter.
I hadn’t even thought about arousing Kane’s instincts, I just came with this green dog - and he did great. From the moment he saw the sheep that first day, he never looked away. But it was great luck that Kane's first meet and greet - and bite - with sheep was under the supervision of such a knowledgeable, experienced and calm trainer that Larry Painter is. Getting praise from Larry, a muttered "nice pup" after a session in the round pen, was a great confidence booster!
So coming back to Norway, I dived into a "wild search" for anything about herding I found on the net - and found an ad for another herding weekend, right here near Oslo, "only" an hour's drive. I mailed Alexander Strøm, who just became the champion herder in his county and imports and trains and breeds border collies for working and competion. His response to hearing about a cattledog looking for some sheep was "cool". And the young man did well again. Alexander used an open field, but Kane had calmed down a bit since the Skärblacka clinic, and relaxed most of the time on the sideline while the other dogs worked.
When it was his turn, he was as ready as could be, and with Larry's advice in the back of my head we walked calmly towards the sheep. Kane did a good job, trying to figure out exactly how this work is done. It seems he has good work ethics; Alexander's dog Bill was out on the field with us sometimes, and Kane just went straight past him without looking - he got his priorites! And on the side of the field were no less than two females in heat, but the sheep ruled. It was nice to hear Alexander say "he can be a good working dog".
I was not difficult to ask, when another herding clinic was coming up - where else but in Skärblacka in Sweden, for another American instructor, excellent Cappy Pruett. He teaches herding full time, and it was both a revealing as well as highly valuable and inspirational clinic. Kane and I spent three days of herding sheep, mostly out in the arena, and it is hard to write about it - I still haven't digested even a tenth of what we learned.
Saturday went well, on Sunday I got a bit frustrated, and when I went herding with Inger and John and their Torlundablue dogs on Monday, things started dawning on me. It is tough when both handler AND dog is learning the ropes at the same time, that's for sure. But now I know a lot more what I will be working on.
As Cappy said, a flock of sheep is probably the strongest magnet I've ever put Kane in front of - so my usually pretty obedient little guy is now disobedient, he can't help himself but being drawn towards the sheep. On Monday, we gave him a bigger flock to work on - and that went well, he balances and controls them, but of course he is still too close and too intense. But I feel now that I know better what I should work on - and what I can do without sheep too, to strengthen the commands he must know and listen too! I have also become hugely aware of my own body language, even though I wasn't blindfolded - like Cappy did to John!
I am now crossing my fingers for a Cow Clinic early next year! Inger and John Scharis is doing a wonderful job in getting these clinics going in Sweden. In Norway, there aren’t anyone else herding with ACDs, other than 3-4 that uses their dogs for practical work on small farms. The border collies rule, and we who have other herding breeds don’t have many choices - mostly we’re happy to be able to get some herding practise, even though it is with people who do not know our breed specifically. So the concept that Inger and John is doing, getting instructors who actually know the cattledog breed by heart, is fantastic. But I am not the only one who has started dreaming about “going to America”... to herd.