Wednesday, September 27, 2006

A blue ribbon sheepdog

Tech research manager started competing 5 years ago

Argen Duncan El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

"Waaaay." "Come by." "Right there!"

Click to enlarge

The words may sound like nonsense to some people, but New Mexico Tech research manager Sandy Kieft used them to guide her Border collie, Fly, to a blue ribbon and $100 at New Mexico Expo.

Kieft competed in the fair's sheepdog trials, in which handlers give their dogs commands to instruct them in herding a group of sheep through obstacles and into a pen.

Three-year-old Fly topped six other dogs in the Ranch Class, a step above novice in the four tiers of experience categories. This was her second year competing.

Kieft also participated in the same class with her 11-year-old Border collie, Bess, but the dog was disqualified for biting a sheep. Kieft said this was probably Bess' last year in the trials.

"She was just out there working on her own, and that wasn't very satisfactory," Kieft said.

In the Ranch Class at the state fair, the dog and handler enter at one end of the indoor horse arena and the sheep come in the other.

The dog, responding to the handler's verbal commands or whistles, must herd the sheep between two barrels, through a chute and into a pen. Rules limit where the handler can stand or walk.

"An these were particularly difficult sheep, I think," Kieft said.

Because the animals were so flighty, no one finished the course in the allotted 10 minutes.

The people in the class are friends and compete and train together.

Kieft got started in sheepdog trials 12 years ago after watching one. She had no previous experience with sheepdogs or livestock.

A year later, she got Bess from a Lemitar breeder.

"And she's turned out to be quite the dog of a lifetime," Kieft said.

She began training when Bess was 4 years old.

Kieft said the effort went slowly at first because she had few opportunities. Eventually, the trainer she worked with moved to New Mexico, and the training increased.

She began entering competitions five years ago.

Bess earned titles in herding ducks as well as sheep. Competitions often allow dogs to try their paws with cattle, sheep or ducks.

"I'm not really interested in working with cattle because they're too big and dangerous," Kieft said.

Some time after getting Bess, Kieft acquired another Border collie from the animal shelter. He had stayed past the allotted time, but she saw potential in him and took him until she could find him a permanent home.

Kieft said she thinks Lester has found one after living with her for seven years.

She tried for about a year to train him to work sheep, but found he didn't make his own decisions with the animals and only herded them because she asked.

"He just doesn't have the heart for it, so I let him retire early," she said.

Kieft got Fly from the trainer she used to work with in Mountainair. Bess had limitations and was aging, but Kieft wanted to continue the sport.

She started all of her dogs with obedience school to socialize them in a human setting.

To train for sheep herding, handlers start dogs in a round pen 60 feet across with sheep that have a lot of experience with sheepdogs, Kieft said.

Handlers use the dogs' and sheep's natural tendencies to keep them moving, and they block the directions they don't want the dogs to take with gesture or vocal deterrents.

They put the gestures with commands, and dogs learn what the words mean.

Eventually, the handlers can replace words with whistles of different pitches.

"As you get more and more control, you can move into bigger spaces," Kieft said.

Kieft used to drive to Mountainair once a weekend and divide three tiring hours of training time between Fly and Bess. Now, she spends a few minutes taking the dogs through drills when she pens her own sheep outside Socorro for the night.

"It's so much more pleasant for all of us," she said.

Kieft always has more to polish with her dogs' training. As for herself, it takes time for her to learn to decide what she wants the dog to do, foresee what the dog intends to do and give the appropriate command.

Kieft said Border collies aren't ideal pets for people without time and energy to provide physical and mental activity.

"But they're really smart," she said. "That's part of the problem.

That doesn't keep her dogs out of the house when they're not working, however.

aduncan@dchieftain.com

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