I wish I lived in California as I would love to go to this. I bet it would be a blast. See the below which I have pasted from an email in case any of you who live in the area would like to attend.
Well, it's time! The 1st US herding instinct tests specifically for Boxers, professionally judged, and for which passing dogs will receive a Herding Instinct Certificate (HIC), issued by a US Boxer Club, is happening in Escondido, California 12/27!
http://www.bcsfv.com/Events.htmand
http://www.bcsfv.com/BCSF%20Herding.pdfAs some of you may know, there have been instinct test for Boxers in Canada and the percentage of Boxers that passed that first organized instinct test was a good 10% HIGHER than the other breeds testing that day. Most Boxers passed with flying colors!
So, please come and give your Boxer the chance to participate in, well, history, and receive a certificate for their efforts. The testing will take place on 12/27 at Action K9 Sports in Escondido, Ca. The link above has directions and a downloadable PDF to pre-register. There will be limited spots available, so please send in your registration as soon as you can.
The Boxer Club of San Fernando Valley is sponsoring this first US instinct test and will issue a lovely certificate signed by the herding judge and the president of BCSFV. Terry Parrish (AKC and AHBA herding judge) will be conducting the instinct tests and said to remind all of us that there is no experience required for a herding test.
The tests are short and will be following the AKC requirements for an instinct test:
The dog is brought into a small arena on a (minimum) 6’ lead. The judge is looking for dogs
that show a sustained interest in the stock, by either going around them, gathering them, moving them toward the handler, or moving them ahead of the handler, or a combination. The judge will assess instinct and trainability. The judge will fill out a standard assessment form detailing the way the dog works with livestock, and will award a certificate of instinct, should the dog pass.
At Pip's instinct test, we walked into the pen with the judge and 3 sheep. The judge told me to drop the lead and run toward the sheep encouraging Pip to chase them. The judge had a long reed that she used to redirect Pip so she did not get too close to the sheep by placing it in front of her nose. There were no harsh corrections in other words! I was told to simply encourage Pip to keep chasing and to let her know she was a "good girl" over and over throughout the test. High prey driven or toy motivated Boxes will do very well! Their "interest" in the sheep and their trainability are the main characteristics judged. They are not expected to know how to move sheep...they should just want to try to!
On 12/27 there will also be a Rottweiler Herding Match just prior to the instincts tests. Rottweilers were the first working breed to gain acceptance by the AKC to participate in herding trials with the herding group. Arriving at 11am will allow you to see one of these dogs work sheep in a mock trial situation. Then Pip and I will=2
0demonstrate the way a Boxer works on the same course. If we are lucky, a young Boxer (9 months old!), may be making her debut on the same course.
So, please come. Our judge is the AKC judge that championed the Rottweilers in their early days and is looking forward to seeing how Boxers do. Let's show her!
Training:
All dogs, even border collies, start their training by having any interest in interacting with livestock encouraged. Gradually they are trained to work with you to move sheep where you want them to go and that makes up the first level of titling in the sport.
Trials:
At a trial, your dog helps you move the sheep through obstacles in an arena on a set course. Much like you would encounter at other dog sports, you are given a map of the course ahead of time and decide your strategy for moving the sheep. The judge awards points toward a passing score according to how well your dog helps you move the sheep. There are placements, high in trial and other goodies to experience at a herding trial as well...and if you think a Boxer knows he/she has done well in other venues and shows you by prancing about about after finishing by generally b
eing a goof ball, wait till you see a Boxer that has moved livestock and been praised for it...they go crazy with happiness...because they were really, really working with you and these smarty pants know it...
Titles:
Though the HIC is not a title that one can use when entering their dogs in AKC events or added to your dog's AKC titles, but just like all the other agility organization titles you may receive, that are not added to the end of your dogs name when entering AKC events, they are titles or designations, (like the HIC designation) your dog displays at all other times.
Boxers are not (yet!!!), allowed to participate in AKC Herding trials, but you can add titles and designations from other awarding organizations and clubs to indicate your dog's working ability to your web sites or in other descriptions of your dog's achievements.
This type of event is the first step in several that are required by the AKC to show interest by the breed, to participate in herding events. As time goes on, we will need to stage Boxer herding "days" and other such fun/match type events, herding instinct certificates and interest by the parent club to petition to participate in AKC trials for titles.
BUT, Boxers may trial and receive titles from the American Herding Breed Association in herding, which is the venue that Pip and I have trialed and achieved titles through.
Hope to see lots of Boxers at the first US Boxer Herding Instinct Tests! Pip and I will be gettin
g our first official herding instinct certificate then too!
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