Donald McCaig Posted May 21, 2010 Report Share Posted May 21, 2010 Dear Sheepdoggers, Many years ago Jock Gilchrist judged the Blue Ridge Trial. While he was there, Lewis Pulfer asked him for advice and Jock replied," You only three things to win sheepdog trials: "Control, control and control." I was a novice then and thought the splendid handler was kidding. Nobody I'd seen had the kind of perfect control of their dog obedience handlers routinely demonstrated in the ring. Many years later, I was at an IACP conference (pet dog trainers mostly) and when I sat beside trainer Vivian Bregman (many OTCH's) I asked Luke and June to tuck themselves under the table and stay there which they did. Vivian said, "I don't know why you say your dogs aren't obedient." I answered, "Because they're not. They don't sit or heel or retrieve or front and finish. They couldn't pass the CGC" ( the simplest dog obedience test.) Something someone wrote in another thread has helped me see, after twenty years, what Jock Gilchrist meant. He was talking about control - not obedience. Anyone who, with his dog, best controls sheep around an open course will win that trial. It doesn't matter if the dog doesn't take every command or what words or whistles the handler uses. The handler may fall silent and often does. The dog may be pushy, he may be weak, he may be indifferent to his handler's affection or may crave it. The sheep may be wild or docile, familiar with the course or new to it. They may be Clint Eastwood sheep or Mary Contrary's. The sky may pour hellfire on only that run. But if the man/woman and dog/bitch mitigate every variable and control the sheep-meaningful environment so the sheep proceed exactly where they should go, that team will get the blue ribbon at the end of the day. Donald McCaig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise Wall Posted May 22, 2010 Report Share Posted May 22, 2010 But if the man/woman and dog/bitch mitigate every variable and control the sheep-meaningful environment so the sheep proceed exactly where they should go, that team will get the blue ribbon at the end of the day. Donald McCaig I think you might should change that last part to "should" get the blue ribbon at the end of the day. IRL anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald McCaig Posted May 23, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2010 Yup. Donald Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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