Over the past 30 years, I have probably heard just about every discussion surrounding the “work dog” vs “trialling dog”.

Here in Canada, the sheep dog handlers follow the United States Border Collie Handler’s Association (USBCHA) guidelines for field and arena sheep & cattle trials. For the most part, these guidelines are similar to the International Sheep dog society (ISDS) rules. There are also several cattle dog associations for various types of competitive venues.

I wanted to share a few of my experiences with regards to whether a “work” dog can make a “trial” dog. First and foremost, these competitions were developed to demonstrate practical, working experiences for the handler and dog. To publicly showcase the abilities of the working dogs. Short, tall, black & white, tri-coloured, smooth coat, rough coat, none of these characteristics matter, only that the dog can effectively get the job done - moving stock.

With this in mind, my dogs are all trained for practical work - first and foremost. They need to be able to get the various jobs done and have the heart and ability to work with me. I have had many of these dogs over the years that fit this bill. Dogs I can consistently rely on to move the stock effectively.

But…. I truly love competing in field trials. I love the challenges and meeting up with friends. These competitions have introduced me to people from all walks of life and various countries. I LOVE the rush of walking to the post to see if my dog & I are up for the task.

This means that the dogs I keep must be good at both their job (practical) and thrive under the pressure of competition. Not all dogs do well at both.

I have written about a beautiful tri-coloured dog named Bess, that moved sheep & cattle equally well and was a super work dog. Unfortunately, she never adapted to the trial field. She did quite well in the lower level classes (Pro Novice here in Canada), but never became comfortable with quick, fast commands and working under pressure. Despite various training and experiences to support competitions, she wasn’t consistent on the trial field. Her area of brilliance could be found on a cattle drive or moving the rams.

I have been super fortunate to run several dogs that LOVE competing and understand their jobs very well. A job is a job - and it doesn’t matter if it’s at home moving the flock or on the trial field competing in a double lift finals. These are the dogs that I feel honoured to train and own, as they also allow me to witness the extreme talent that the working dog is all about.

This talent is truly incredible and something that keeps me motivated to always keep improving my skills.

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