To HERD or NOT to HERD...

W R I T T E N B Y : J U L I E M U R R A Y, STAFF WRITER

Once again, it’s time for the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition! SEWE is a three day celebration of wildlife and nature held in various locations throughout Charleston which features all kinds of events, exhibitions and art. While it is not “all things dog”, some of the most popular exhibitions are dogrelated. Lowcountry Dog was able to speak with master trainer Bill Coburn, who will conduct several herding demonstrations where his border collies will masterfully guide sheep and ducks through a series of obstacles. This is Bill’s third year at SEWE and something you don’t want to miss!

Bill began his journey with border collies in the 1980’s when he took his granddaughter to Spartanburg to pick out a puppy from a litter of border collies. He was looking for a dog to herd sheep on his farm and they ended up with a sweet little girl named Joy. The next step was learning how to train Joy to herd. An experienced dog trainer that Bill knew in Laurens, S.C. agreed to help, but only if Bill agreed to participate in herding competitions which was something he had never considered. Joy ended up dominating the field and Bill and his dogs became a regular feature in the competition circuit for the next 20 years. While he no longer competes, he still trains dogs. Bill spends his time traveling throughout the South doing herding demonstrations with ducks and sheep at events like SEWE and then returns to his home base at Windy Knolls Farm with his border collies and his herd of Katahdin-Dorper sheep. Bill was kind enough to speak with LCDM and tell us a little bit about his life training herding dogs. The process starts when a border collie pup is approximately eight to ten weeks old. Bill says he looks for certain traits that develop in a dog such as good manners - “things like not getting into the food bin”, he said, and generally not being too mischievous. We had a laugh when I told him that my dog Zelda would already be eliminated based on that criteria since mischievous is her middle name! The process continues with socialization. Bill takes the pup with him everywhere and makes sure they are exposed to all kinds of people, noises and scenarios. At about eight months to 1 year old, the dogs usually start out on the farm and Bill observes how they interact with the livestock. His training method is a lot like how I found him to be on the phone - pleasant and kind. “I don’t put a lot of pressure on the dogs to perform.” He uses a calm, guiding hand to bring out the natural instincts of one of the canine kingdom’s most agile, athletic and intelligent breeds.

According to the American Kennel Club, a good trainer should strive to grow the dog’s confidence in them; for example, it is important that a trainer accurately determine what kind of livestock a dog can handle. Mastering all of these new skills can be stressful for a young pup, which may be why Bill Coburn’s dogs all seem to perform at such a high level - they respond well to his tranquil and steady coaching. Before the technical training begins, the dog should be able to respond to basic commands

easily and consistently. You should ensure that your pup gets used to being around livestock and feels comfortable in that setting. Now it’s time to learn some herding commands!

I went to the United States Border Collie Handlers’ Association website before speaking to Bill to try and lay down a foundation of what being a handler entails. Before too long, I was overwhelmed with the terms and standards of technique... It is no joke! Thankfully, Bill was able to put in layman’s terms some of the standard commands he uses on the field.

“Come By” - the dog will move around the herd to its left;

“Away To Me” - the dog will move around the herd to its right;

“There” - used when the dog is in a place that Bill wants them to stop and turn in on the herd;

“Walk Up” - the dog will calmly move forward towards the herd;

“In Here” - the dog will move through a gap in the herd to separate them; and

“That’ll Do” - when it’s time for the dog to come home to Bill.

There are many more commands, and I was amazed at the level of trust and communication it must require between the pair for this level of performance. But as usual, dogs prove themselves to be capable of amazing tasks. To continue the training, a handler will put the dog on a long leash and take them through the commands, while gradually reversing directions on the leash, moving further back until it’s time to let the dog off leash to try out his new skills! Practice produces consistent performance, faster reaction time and more ease and agility.

You can see Bill and his amazing border collies at Brittlebank Park on February 14th, 15th & 16th. Visit www.sewe.com for more information and herd the family out to see us! ■

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