Fizz and I travelled to central Connecticut today to test her on sheep at an AKC Herding Instinct Test, held by NESA (Northeast Stockdog Assoc). What a day it was!! Gorgeous 75 degree, sunny day, with a light breeze to keep bugs away, and no humidity.
There were 2 tests, with 2 different judges. In order to earn the HIT, one needs 2 legs under different judges. Test #1 was in the a.m., and Test #2 was in the afternoon. Fizz had a blast with the sheep!!! Herding is definitely in our future.....she loves it, and I'm fascinated watching a dog do something that is in every fiber of their being.
Fizz showed me a strong desire to be with the sheep, but also a nice responsiveness to my handling and guidance (what little there was in this test). She sat when asked, willingly changed directions, and was not hellbent on eating sheep. Instead, she was happily driving them, and willing to calmly (and with nice focus) walk up on them when they were stuck in a corner and staring her down.
Video from Test #1:
Herding Instinct Test #1
Between the two tests, we enjoyed playing with many breeds of dogs, and seeing several herding breeds whose faces hide behind fur/hair. Awesome socializing experience! We worked on obedience, learning to get in the kiddie pool, and recalls from play. We also worked on some loose-leash walking, and 'not greeting' strangers, in practice for our upcoming CGC re-attempt. :)
Shortly before Test #2, we were playing with a 6mos Briard puppy, and Fizz was a bit more winded than I should have allowed as we came to the test. They kept the afternoon assessment very short, due to the heat (in consideration of both stock and dogs). The judge was releasing teams as soon as she saw what she needed to see.
We ended up with the same set of sheep for both tests, though they were rotating through 3 regular groups, and a 4th came in at the end of Test #2. She was quite happy to be back in there, and the down is something she offered, not something I asked for. :)
