Helpful Herders: Border Collies compete at Muddy Paws Ranch

By KARI KRAMER | East Texas Edition

Mary Bowsher of Ferris and her dog Traes wait as the sheep are set up for the competition. The sheep were positioned about 100 yards from the command center before each trial. -- Staff photo by Kramer

May 12, 2005 - In an era of all-terrain vehicles and electric fences, it may seem technology has brought the herdsman all the help needed.

Long before fast wheels and fences, the herdsman already had help from his trusty Border Collie. Gail Macdonald of Hunt County operates Muddy Paws Ranch, a sheep farm that specializes in training Border Collies for herd work.

"The dogs have a sense that makes normal daily (herding) chores a lot easier," she said.

Macdonald recently hosted the first "sheep dog" competition on her ranch. Her crossbred hair sheep were used in the competition that took place on 70 of her 195 acres.

During the two-day competition, handlers from Texas were joined by others from Missouri, Kansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Seventy-five dogs participated in the competition.

E.B. Raley of Crawford holds the gate while 5-year-old Border Collie Jim completes his task at the competition. -- Staff photo by Kramer

On Saturday, the dogs individually worked a 70-acre field, herding five sheep through a course.

"The sheep were uniformly challenging to the dogs and handlers," said Macdonald. "The field was easy for the handlers to observe their dogs working."

During the trial, the handler gave commands from a designated area. Commands were generally given by whistles. The dogs maneuvered the sheep through the course, which was complete with mock gates. The course concluded when the handler opened the gate on a small pen and the dogs corralled the sheep inside.

"The dog is able to work great distances from its handler and take direction from his handler by hearing whistles," said MacDonald, "as well as making decisions for himself."

The competition was judged by Bobby Dalziel, from Scotland. Dalziel is a previous winner of the European Supreme Trial and the Scottish National Sheepdog Trial.

Border Collies originated in Scotland along the English border. Sheppards used the dogs to help manage flocks that spread through the regions hills. Throughout the 1800s, owners worked to improve the breed and its herding characteristics. Today, these characteristics are evident while watching the dogs race around a field, lay low during observation, and gather and direct a herd of sheep.

During the competition at Muddy Paws Ranch, centuries of breeding diligence were apparent.

"The Border Collies you see at livestock trials are demonstrating 150 years of breeding instinct and livestock handling," said Macdonald.

Mary Bowsher of Ferris, attending the competition with her dog Traes, a tri-colored female. Traes won the open ranch competition at the state finals in 2004. Bowsher, who has been competing in trials since the mid-1980s, understands the phenomenon behind the dogs' abilities.

"They've been selected for years to do this type of work, and they're really good at it," she said.

Even for the best dog, a stubborn or old sheep can make the competition difficult.

Joy Hall attended the competition with her 5-year-old male, Fuse. Hall drove almost five hours from Hempstead to compete with Fuse.

"The sheep are challenging," said Hall. "But that's what it's all about."

Sheep used during the competition appeared to be from all age groups. Fuse's herd was made of various sized sheep, in addition to a large ewe that required Fuse to use his best skills in order to complete the course.

Once the course was completed, several dogs relaxed in the shade. Other activities were available for those who were finished competing.

A DNA-testing center was on-site to test for Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA). The disease can cause blurred vision and in some cases, blindness. Breeders should test animals for CEA to ensure that dogs carrying the gene do not reproduce. Like all pure-bred breeds, Border Collies have certain diseases they are susceptible to: CEA and the most common, hip dysplasia.

The trials were followed by two additional days of sheepdog activities. Dalziel taught a training clinic.

Training of Border Collies begins when they are only a few months old. As a puppy, they learn basic commands, how to walk on a leash, and what Macdonald called "puppy manners."

Macdonald advised that herd training begins when the dog is a year-old.

"They must be able to keep up with the livestock, have confidence in the presence of livestock, and be able to take instruction from their handler," said the trainer.

Training a Border Collie is an ongoing effort that never ends. The dogs must be given time each day to learn. As a result, the herdsman will have a field companion to be a second set of eyes and gather what strays.

The energetic dogs crave activity, and competitions provide a chance for working dogs to experience new terrain.

The competition arena is continuing to grow and Macdonald accredited the increase to the additional number of women handlers becoming involved. Most of the competitors at the Muddy Paws event were women, but included several men and adolescent handlers.

Macdonald hopes to hold future competitions at the Muddy Paws Ranch, located near Cash, and with the recent surge in trial participation, she expects the trials to expand each year.

For those considering owning or training a Border Collie, the active nature of the dogs should be considered. The dogs do best in surroundings where they have room to play outdoors. Training requires a large amount of time a patience. Macdonald advised having a flexible method of training, as each dog is different. When training Border Collies to work livestock, she noted the instinct the dogs will have for the task.

"I think the most important thing to remember is that the dogs are driven by instinct to work the stock, and our job is to mold that behavior," she explained.

Owners who intend to use the dog for livestock work should select dogs based on that expectation. While the breed is registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC), the U.S. Border Collie Club Inc. (USBCC) advises that working dogs should not be selected according to the criteria of the AKC, or registered with that club. The AKC accepts Border Collies based on physical attributes, rather than working skills. The USBCC encourages those breeding and owning working Border Collies to instead register with their organization.

The USBCC states on its website, "A primary purpose of the USBCC has been to protect working Border Collies from misguided efforts to create a breed based on physical characteristics instead of on skill in herding livestock."

The USBCC has information available to anyone interested in purchasing or training a border collie. The information is available at www.bordercollie.org.

Macdonald, the owner of seven Border Collies and 200 sheep for them to work, said she enjoys the many aspects of working with the breed.

"I think these dogs are just wonderful. They are loyal, intelligent, and loving," she said. "They are a continual source of amazement with their many talents."