While a dog may be a man乌鸦传媒檚 best friend, it乌鸦传媒檚 also 乌鸦传媒渁 valued partner,乌鸦传媒� treated better than even a pet, said Judy Snell.

Snell has been farming for around 25 years. A retired CPA, she spends her time on her 48-acre farm with her husband, Stuart Brunderidge, raising market sheep.

While one set of helping hands can go a long way, paws can double that.

Among the hired paws are Mo, Becca, Bess and Skye. The latter two, now retired, are not as fast as they used to be but 乌鸦传媒渟till get the job done,乌鸦传媒� said Snell. A puppy will also be joining the farm soon.

The farmers, the four border collies and the approximately 170 sheep live in Cowichan Valley on Thistle Dew Farm, which the couple purchased around ten years ago. Before this, they had a smaller farm near Shawnigan Lake with around 20 sheep. Snell乌鸦传媒檚 interest in sheep farming began as a child after seeing her uncle乌鸦传媒檚 sheepdog farm in Saskatchewan.

While training a sheepdog is a process, it乌鸦传媒檚 乌鸦传媒渂asically guiding that natural instinct,乌鸦传媒� said Snell.

乌鸦传媒淵ou create a partnership and communicate to the dog what you want her to do,乌鸦传媒� which involves pressure and release training乌鸦传媒損reventing the behaviour you don乌鸦传媒檛 want and encouraging the behaviour you do.

For Snell, this involves using her body to block the dogs or move them in a certain direction. When training, she discouraged using hand signals.

乌鸦传媒淵ou don乌鸦传媒檛 want the dog looking at you too much. You want him concentrating on the sheep so that he乌鸦传媒檚 watching for their tiniest, little move.乌鸦传媒�

Naturally, sheepdogs should go around the sheep as opposed to directly at them, which would terrify the sheep, causing them to scatter and run, explained Snell. Depending on the dog, starting them in a small pen may be easier so the handler can better guide them.

乌鸦传媒淢ost dogs, all they wanna do is control the movement of the sheep, and they乌鸦传媒檙e just trying to figure out how to do that. So you乌鸦传媒檙e helping them figure that out, but they have to ultimately figure it out on their own.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 like a person learning to ride a bicycle. You can tell them and show them everything, but they have to feel it and that乌鸦传媒檚 the same with the dogs.乌鸦传媒�

Along with farming, Snell hosted the Thistle Dew Sheepdog Trial in June, her second time hosting the competition. In the past, Snell has driven up to two days to attend events, from Dawson Creek in northern B.C. down to Oregon.

The two-day trial involved around 100 of Snell乌鸦传媒檚 sheep, 30 or so handlers and about 50 dogs. Each team started with 100 points and was docked points when a dog made a mistake. The dogs had to guide the sheep toward and away from the handlers through different panels. Contestants placing first through third took home prize money.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 awe-inspiring. The things [the dogs] are able to do and how incredibly smart a lot of them are, it just takes your breath away.乌鸦传媒�

The competition classes can vary, depending on the number of teams and their backgrounds. There may be a nursery class for dogs under three, a novice-novice class for green dogs and handlers, a pro-novice class and finally, an open class with experienced handlers and dogs, said Snell.

While organizing a competition is a lot of work乌鸦传媒揻rom finding the judge to setting up the infrastructure乌鸦传媒搕he dogs are ready and waiting.

Unlike at a dog park, where dogs frolic in the wind and mud, tongues hanging out in the pursuit of balls, other dogs or their own tails, border collies 乌鸦传媒漵it at the fence and watch the sheep.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淭hey don乌鸦传媒檛 run around barking and being goofy like other dogs do. They乌鸦传媒檙e interested in what乌鸦传媒檚 going on in the field 乌鸦传媒� They乌鸦传媒檙e quite smart and they need to problem solve and think.乌鸦传媒�

Border collies live to be around 15. While they乌鸦传媒檙e prone to health conditions like eye and joint problems, Snell said that their own worst enemy is probably themselves.

乌鸦传媒淭hey乌鸦传媒檙e really hard on themselves and they don乌鸦传媒檛 know when to quit. So you have to really be mindful of that, especially in the heat.乌鸦传媒�

For Snell, she doesn乌鸦传媒檛 trial her dogs past the age of 10.

Sheepdog competitions can be complex and hard to get good at, Snell explained. The equipment may not move around, but you乌鸦传媒檙e still dealing with three unknowns.

乌鸦传媒淵ou don乌鸦传媒檛 know what kind of a mood your dog乌鸦传媒檚 going to be in that day or you乌鸦传媒檙e going to be in or the sheep are going to be in, right 乌鸦传媒� It乌鸦传媒檚 very interesting that way. It乌鸦传媒檚 very humbling as well.

乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 so much to learn that you just never get bored with it.乌鸦传媒�

Come find the sheepdogs by visiting facebook.com/moandbecca.

kim.kimberlin@blackpress.ca
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