Trials...: Donald McCaig quote

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Donald McCaig quote

Read this recently on the BC Boards:

"There is no more off-leash reliable, calm, sophisticated, go-with-you-anywhere dog than a trained sheepdog." -- Donald McCaig

This more or less perfectly describes Rodeo.

I've always referred to Rodeo as half border collie, half lab, because when there's no work to be done or no place to go, he lies down quietly and is as calm as you could ask for. And as Donald McCaig put it, he's a go-with-you-anywhere dog if ever there was one.

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Definitions

Gather: The dog goes out to the field and brings the sheep to the handler.

Outrun: The first part of the gather. The dog runs in a wide arc to the far side of the sheep.

Fetch: After the outrun, the dog brings the sheep to the handler, ideally in a straight line.

Drive: The dog pushes the sheep forward in a straight line, but not towards the handler.

Flank: Circling clockwise (come by) or counter-clockwise (away to me) around the sheep.

Balance Point: The point of maximum control over the sheep. Usually, the dog is on the opposite side of the sheep from the handler.

In-Balance Flank: A flank command that sends the dog towards the balance point, putting it in a better position to control the sheep.

Off-Balance Flank: A flank command that sends the dog away from the balance point. This is harder for the dog to accept because it must give up control.