WORKING SHEEP DOGS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24911, 26 June 1946, Page 9

WORKING SHEEP DOGS

Mr Peter Newton, who has spent 20 years shepherding in the Canterbury back-country, writes: — ♦‘lt is very gratifying to note the experiment in sheep dog trials carried oqt recently in the Ashburton Gorge. Dog trials are a fascinating and popular sport, but'it is a regrettable fact that they are failing to achieve at least one of their objects—the improvement of the working sheep dog. Indeed, as far as hjgh-country dogs are concerned, the reverse has been the case.

“During latter years there has been considerable publicity on the shortage of dogs, but a review of the position reveals that it i§ a case, not of shortage of dogs, but of an alarming shortage of good dogs. Shepherds and mysterers still have their five, six, and seven dogs, but how few of these compare with the good dogs of earlier days. This applies in particular to heading dogs,' and it is dog trials, run and judged on the present accepted standards, that have been largely responsible for this state of affairs. Attracted by the polished and faultless work of highly-trained trial dogs, hill men have been led to forsake the old proven high-country breeds in favour pf their more glamorous counterpart. “The result is that those old breeds with the Stamina, courage, and natural ability to cope with high-country conditions are gradually disappearing. Too many shepherds and musterers, influenced by the glamour of the successful trial dog, have overlooked the fact that natural ability is the quality most desired in a sire of working dogs. Too often the star performer owes its success to expert training rather than inherited qualities. One Canterbury Club made a step in the right direction by including in its scale of points an allocation for natural ability. This, however, inlposes an additional and unenviable task on judges.. On our usual courses it would be extremely difficult to decide what was natural ability or the result of skilful ing“Our huntaw’ays have also been adversely affected, but here it is more the system of judging that is at fault. Too many of our judges regard the huntaway event as an exhibition of guiding iree sheep out oyer a given course rather than as a demonstration of huntaway work. Punch and real hunting ability is not given the recognition it merits. The lighter, kinder, style of dog is favoured, and the trend is a gradual loss of noise and vigour in these breeds. “It must be appreciated that our greatest concern is the maintenance of high country breeds and the ’sting’ and ‘guts’ so necessary on that class of country receives little recognition on the trial ground. The adoption of an event run on similar lines to that held

in the Ashburton Gorge is worthy of consideration. The enthusiasts responsible for that meeting are to be congratulated on their enterprise.”