How to find Sheltie talent - for Sherri

Sherri commented on my post on genetic diversity and I thought I'd put more down about things we can do to find hidden talent. Not everything works for me, but partly that's from lack of enough energy to really push on it.

1. Look anywhere. Classified ads. Shelters that don't spay/neuter. Agricultural magazines. BYB's. Show breeders with no history of herding titles. Heck, one of the better dogs I have instinct tested was from Sears. SEARS! Yes, that Sears. Figure you will have to do health checks, and that you will run the risk of something in there you won't like healthwise, but do the best you can to question the people on the background of the dog. If you want, wait until the dog is older to breed, which may show some health problems. Try not to get far from the standard in looks, try to get decent working conformation, try to stay in the height range (13" - 16").

2. Forget color. Forget sex. Forget ear leather. Don't forget coat quality - that's a working trait as far as I'm concerned. Good conformation is necessary. Health is necessary. No ALLERGIES.

3. Offer to test, for free, any sheltie litter by any breeder, even the BYB's. Heck, I offer to test whatever you've got in your kennel. You get the information you want, and you might be converting someone who doesn't think about herding in their pups to someone interested in the sport and the breed in a deeper way. If the person, like one I cold called once from a puppy ad, tells you they don't want their dogs tested because, get this, the ducks might traumatize the dogs? Run the other way - something is really really wrong with their temperament! Realize that herding isn't many people's priority, so make it as easy as you can for them to give you the information you are looking for. Bring the ducks to them, offer free fun days if you have stock, etc so that it is fun and easy for them. They are well aware you are judging their stock for something they have no idea about, and that's hard.

4. Offer to test, for free, any dog in foster care or in a rescue or shelter situation. You get to see where the rehomed population is, where your local rescue is as far as their view of their dogs and volunteers, and occasionally you'll be able to track a good one down. Also, they get to adopt out a dog that they know has potential to do something fun with their new person, or information to keep a very driven dog safe in its new home that has horses. I've had BC rescue, CARE which is a local all breed rescue, I think cattle dog rescue, and collie rescue take me up on this. I test a couple of dogs a month for people. The local sheltie rescue? Nope. They'll tell you that none of the dogs that have come through, all this time, have shown any herding potential enough for them to bother to test.

Huh. Really? That's funny, cause I know that I put 1.5 titles on two dogs that went into their program. And I'd be shocked that ALL their foster homes wouldn't want to have a fun hour trying out their foster pups on sheep or ducks? So you can't believe a rescue group if they say their dogs don't have instinct. Chances are they aren't even looking. Sigh. And chances are they never told the new owners that their dogs had titles already and knew how to herd.

5. Get titles on your conformation dogs before they go into the ring. You have time, unless you are finishing a pup in the 6-9 class. Get the PT at 9 mo, show the dog with some titles on it, encourage people to think a bit about doing some work before or during a show career. Show them that crosstraining won't hurt their dog's show potential - they don't know, and there's always been all that stuff about dogs will sit in the ring, and other such nonsense, if they are trained for other stuff before showing. Give them a good example of nice looking dog that is well show trained, with performance titles. Heck, can put a rally title on there too while you are at it.

6. When testing a dog you are going to potentially take, it is safest if you only take them if they work both sheep and ducks the very first time on them (12 wks to adults). If you have access to cattle, test them on them too. Don't take the dog if the stock think they don't have power, or if the stock don't think the dog is working. While I think Shelties are partially dependent on bonding to their person to show true working talent, and if I have the chance to borrow a dog and the time, I'll borrow the dog for a few days before testing them, a first shot test will work in a pinch. I won't take a dog, or breed to a dog, that won't work the first time on stock. Even when I had driven to TN to see a dog and trial, that 6mo old girl had to work stock before she was given a ride home to NC. While I'd like to see the dog willing to walk up to the heads and push hard, I'm aware that gripping often shows up aright around the 3yr mark, so I want to see potential for gripping if is isn't already there. If the dog is over 3, I'd prefer to see it after a couple months of working.

If you find a good one, track back if you can. Test sire, dam, siblings, aunts uncles. Look up pedigrees, test test test. But don't go with a dog that won't work but has a good pedigree. Only breed to workers.

7. There are other things to test for, like pain tolerance and recovery rate when stressed, that will matter a lot over the long run and for breeding a working dog. If I'm looking for a breeding dog, I like a high pain tolerance/stoic, not afraid of getting wet or muddy, quick recovering dog. No barking while working. While I might allow a few till they settle if they aren't on stock often, I don't want more than that. Barking is a huge fault.

8. Think about what you want. Chore dogs and trialing dogs can be two different things. My requirements for a chore dog are much higher and more complicated than for a trialing dog. The more clear you are about what you want, the easier it is to filter what you are seeing. Ideally, I'd like to get to where my whole kennel is chore dogs rather than a mix of trial dogs and chore dogs. I want to be able to grab any passing dog in the house and go out and get ANY chore done. Give me a few more years, I'll get there.

9. Watch at shows, and take a pencil to the catalog. If the dog is in PT or higher, or the dog has had more than 5 herding lessons, and is barking their fool head off as they go along, cross them out. Off contact for most of the time? Cross them out. Known herding lines? Cross them out. Too slow to cover? Cross those out too. Grips? Pulls off the fence at a distance? Has speed to cover? Circle. Follow those leads. Don't worry, there won't be many to follow at a given event....

10. Ponder maintaining two lines, one for incoming blood of unknown origins, and one for concentrating your consistency though linebreeding the dogs that prove to breed true for working ability and health.