On your barks… get set, go

While many New Zealanders are still relaxing in summer holiday mode, farmers in the top of the south are preparing for the sheep dog trial season from late January until the end of April.

Dog trialling is rooted in the practical skills required by working dogs on farms to move sheep efficiently, saving unnecessary leg work for farmers. Given the hilly terrain in most of New Zealand, farming sheep just would not have been possible without the skills of these amazing animals.

Highly bred for their skills either with their eyes (Heading or Eye dogs), or with their bark (Huntaways), good dogs have an innate understanding of where they need to be and what they need to do to make the sheep move.

To see a good team of a dog and handler bring three sheep calmly across a course, through various obstacles, and then quietly put them into a pen is impressive. It doesn’t always go to plan and spectators love to see the rogue sheep ‘stand a dog up”, stomping and refusing to be moved, or watch a rogue dog chase the sheep off the side of the course.

Never work with children or animals is the saying and many a frustrated dog triallist would likely agree with the latter after a poor performance.

Trial spectators are always welcome and there are a range of trials in different locations for February in the Top of the South.

For all trial dates and locations, go to www.nzsheepdogs.co.nz