The problem is that there is a lot of luck involved. Your dog might not get called on the day or the retrieve might be easy or it might be hard. Only a few dogs are trialed at any one time, but these are real conditions.

The dogs have be steady when they aren’t being used. They can’t bark or whine.

And they have to track game that runs when wounded.

But it’s not an objective standard that can be run every single time.

Which is why Americans have rejected it.

There are issues with this in regards to what ‘instinct’ you are testing, and how you go about it. I have large sighthounds, dogs that should have a chase instinct. It seems like it would be easy to test for chase instinct, because it’s a very basic dog instinct, yes? Just run a lure in front of the dog and see if it will chase it? No. Salukis are notorious for not chasing the lure, but put something fuzzy with a heartbeat in front of them, and away they go. Some dogs that are hunted on live game regularly show no interest in the lure at all. Then you have dogs that will not ‘follow’, they do not chase the lure around the course, but use their brains and cut across to catch the lure as it turns. I’ve even heard of dogs simply going over to where the lure ends up at the end of the pattern and waiting for it to show up. The requirements of a dog that hunts are different than for a dog that lure courses. It is a fun game for the dogs and a great way to keep them in shape, but it fails as an instinct test.

The new comment form is way nifty, Christopher.
Jess recently posted..Afghan, 1946

Luckily there is no shortage of herding venues that require no papers at all.

Conversely, the AKC has told me that they will never allow mix breed dogs to compete in herding events because (as they put it), “there is no way to tell if a dog has instinct unless we have a pedigree to examine.” So, my wonderfully drivey, talented, absolutely amazing-on-stock ACD/BC mix can’t compete in an AKC herding event, yet they’ll welcome a dog that comes from purely conformation lines?

Nowhere do I make this claim or anything similar.

I contend, simply, that as trial sport becomes more popular, and more mainstream, we are likely to see more diverse dogs being brought to the field and that some of them are even going to do well and win.

Plus, it’s fun to poke holes in Donald McCaig’s absolutisms that simply aren’t true. A barbie collie — and this dog is a barbie collie by their own definition, its offspring would be excluded from the ABCA gene pool, no matter that it has ISDS dogs on the pedigree — did win a USBCHA trial, did well at nationals, etc. etc. Wiston Cap wasn’t clear of all disease, etc. etc.

Breeding ethics and ethos need to be based on reality, not fantasy.

I am sure by now the sheeple will have denied his existence. He will be erased from their memories.

LOL.

I need to rewrite my post called “Brave New Dog World.”

BTW, I consider cursing to be a fine art. Sometimes, I let ‘em fly on my blog.
retrieverman recently posted..Robert Wayne Lecture

The same people defend the same cliques and fiefdoms.

Border collie people are almost as fun as the AKC extremists who tell you that bulldogs have the wrinkles so that the blood from the bull will drain away from their noses.
retrieverman recently posted..Robert Wayne Lecture

Here are some names to start your search:

Little Hats is a website with advice for beginners and has a "Find an Instructor" link:

http://www.littlehats.net/instructor.html

NEW YORK

Name: Barbara Armata
Location: Esperance, NY
Phone: 518-875-6471
Email: Taffaway@aol.com
Comments: Lessons for beginners on up. Starting pen/small fields/ large
field[400yd outrun]/also setup for blind outruns and double lifts

Name: Joyce Geier
Location: Mendon, NY (near Rochester)
Phone: 585-624-8220
Email: Joyce@sandcreekfarm.com
Web site: http://www.sandcreekfarm.com

You can contact the directors at the USBCHA and e-mail anyone in District 7 for suggestions:

http://www.usbcha.com/Officers_&_Directors.htm

Mick Warren
Director USBCHA
518-861-5854
mickwa@logical.net
750 Meadowdale Rd
Altamont, NY 12009

This website lists 5 trainers in NY:
http://www.willowacres.com/HerdingTrainers.htm

Good luck, it's a lot of fun. Don't expect too much from an older dog, it's quite possible that all that herding drive has been channeled into the tennis ball or the frisbee or the back yard squirrels.

I've taken a 13 year old Border Collie to see sheep for the first time and it was fun for both of us but the intensity and the drive just weren't there.

Have fun.