I'm going to have the biggest brag. Today we took Izzi & Pebbles for a Herding dog assessment, thought I might get told to go home & read a good book LOL, neither one has ever seen a sheep before but what the hell, give it a shot. We started on a long line but soon let them go because both went so well, let me tell you how well , she said we should enter them in the instinct trial on the 25th & 26th of October &, in her opinion, would pass & probably be in the top of the field, she's a judge. Her partener said Izzi has a lot of natural instinct & would have her now, can you all see the smile on my face .Ok done bragging now, well on here anyway I'm going to bore some one else probably my mum .

OK now you can come and practice at our workshop lol we still have one spot left

Well done!!! So are you going to go??

That is great news, you must be proud as punch that you have two little naturals on your hands. So are you going to enter the instinct trial?

I'd love to enter it but it's $135, I think, to become a member of SACA just for that one event, the Herding club closes down from November to March so will have to wait till next year.
We are going to go and watch to get an idea of what goes on. I have been walking around with my chest all puffed up telling anyone who would listen..

so who does the Herding dog assessments ??? maybe i could take some of my guys in for i laugh do you think summa would pass lol no i would like to know and if your dogs pass what happens then ????

Congratulations. I guess it shouldn't come as any surprise though that they are brilliant, though, should it.

Surprised my dogs were wonderful, hell no I've always known they were perfect . Well actually I thought Izzi would just run around barking madly & wasn't sure what Pebbles would do, it was pigs ears all round after we got home though . The assessment wasn't done through the herding club it was a judge/trainer, Cass Robinson, watching the dogs with her sheep & telling me if it was worth going on with them. I liked the way Cass worked with the dogs & will, hopefully, get her to teach me what to do, just as well I wasn't being assessed, I would have been LOL. Now get this, we went to have a look at an obedience trial today & got told Izzi can do obedience & agility but not herding because she's a Koolie. Can someone explain that to me, Koolie's are working dogs but aren't allowed to work in trials, but can do agility & obediene through the same organization. I'm going to check that one out with SACA, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was right. Won't be doing any thing till next year because all of them stop for the summer & can't see any point paying full membership for nothing, sorry folks rambling again I'm off . I'll keep you updated.

I don't think there's a sporting register in SA (??) so would they compete in Obed/Agil as associates? If that was the case then I guess they couldn't compete in SACA herding. Is there a more working dog oriented organisation whose trials they could still compete in?

Big Awsome comgradulations on the thrill of discovery, an't it a hoot!!

S.A used to be so clever and didn't have a requirement to compete but now they have.
Silly's

Unfortunatly there is no Sporting registra yet but it's being worked on.

To trial in herding you can join the sheep dogs association, they do mainly three sheep, not really the Koolies bag.
or the Kelpie council who do mostly yard or Utility which is my favourite.

They do not do an instinct test because if the dog doesn't have the ability it never gets near the trials.

These groups are run for mostly the farming sector, but many townies do compete quite successfully.

To join the Sheep dogs association you will need to be assessed by those in authority to have ability then your allowed to join, you don't recieve any certificate just approval to membership.
I don't think this is a requirement for the Kelpie council and Ican't even tell youif it is only reserved for Kelpies, I know they allow any working breed to compete at their trials, but unlike the Koolie club they may not have an associate membership.

I was just having a whinge, after finally finding something Izzi enjoys, besides running & playing , & there's a dumb rule like that, ah well get over it & get on with it. Cass said something I thought was funny, I told her Izzi gets bored doing obedience & she said Izzi was to smart for it. That's not a put down to all the great obedience dogs but I know Izzi needs to be thinking to keep her interested. Talking about great obedience dogs & trainers I met Danni, Linda & their dogs yesterday & am looking forward to seeing Danni work her dogs again next Sunday.

if i was you i would join the sheep dog club, it really does give the dogs an outlet to do what is natural to them and gives you a big buzz when they do it well, and you do own two smart dogs there so reward them with some herding they will love you more for it lol as if koolies don't love their owners enough already

Hi Sue
It was nice meeting you sorry I couldnt talk for very long. This is just normal for me to be running from one ring to another.LOL. After all that we got 3 first places out of 5.Gabby won her novice on 190 (lost 6 points for moving 3 feet in the stand for exam. She didnt stand too straight was a bit hunched up when she did her giraffe stretch to say hello lost her balance) Inka finally managed to stay sitting (Yipeeeeee) got 189 and first place (would help if I could throw a dumbell first one went into the air and landed near my feet and the second throw just kept on going and was hidden amongst the leaves so poor Inka had to do a seekback. Xena got 193 and first place in UD work absolutely brilliantly. Inka in ud got stressed out as the layout had changed so she piddled. (Inka doesnt like changes at all) Where I was standing after I sent her that was where I had to send her to the box. Normally we run down to the start peg and focus her for the box. Well she didnt like it and stressed and Xena in udx well that is a depressing subject. We are only doing one more in that class and she is practically retired from that class only will be doing ud and open if she can remember what it is LOL.
Maybe do it again middle of next year dont know all I know is that I need a break from it
See ya Sunday
cheers
Danni

Congratulations Danni you did so well, I only got to watch Inka & that throw but it was great meeting you & your dogs Sunday. I knew you were going to be very busy & wouldn't have time to baby sit us , might get a bit more time this Sunday. Use to show horses & I think I nearly crashed into myself rushing form one arena to another so I totaly understand. We'll probably join SACA next year & try a CCD with Pebbles.

I'm having a huge bludge this weekend because next weekend is the 100km walk & we have decided to try & finish in 23hrs, what are we thinking LOL.