Working with Border Collies By Sally Thomson

HILLSBORO, Texas: 

I am watching from the porch as my husband, Chris, and Cooper head out towards the gate. When they get near it, Cooper takes off. I didn’t hear a command but I know Chris gave him a shhh because Cooper takes off through the gate, down the lane, and out into the big pasture. He slows, locates the sheep herd, and goes around them. He would have brought them to the gate at a run but a shrill whistle puts him on his belly. Chris turns around and starts toward the round pen, where he and Cooper pen the sheep.

This is one example of what I watch, and often participate in, during our daily chores around the ranch. Chris and I have been raising sheep for over 40 years, and for every one of those years we have had the best and cheapest help around: our Border Collies.

The Border Collie is bred to work stock, whether it’s sheep, goats, cattle, or even ducks and chickens. These dogs live for working stock. They are happiest when they are moving, sorting, driving, and loading stock.

The Border Collie was originally recognized as being from the bor- der between Scotland and England, hence the name “border.” For hundreds of years these dogs have helped shepherds gather and move flocks on the hills of their homeland. Ranchers in the United States began importing them to help on ranches here, and to compete in sheep dog trials throughout the country. They are smart, agile, independent, sometimes obstinate, and totally dedicated to their job. They are a rancher’s indispensable partner.

A Border Collie comes in no particular size, color, or coat length, although they are most commonly recognized as black with a white collar, feet, and tail tip. They are not chosen for their appearance but for their working ability. Instinct, eye, herd: all describe the distinctive way these dogs work, usually in a crouch, head lowered, and tail tucked. It takes several years to fully train a Border Collie, and a good one is priceless to the rancher.

Chris and I started working Border Collies primarily to compete in sheep dog trials held by the Texas Sheep Dog Association. In between trials, these competitors helped on the ranch gathering and moving our flock of sheep, which numbered over 200 head at that time. We quickly realized how indispensable they were. We still trialed them, but it was at the ranch where they really excelled.

“A good dog will make a fat rancher,” Chris is fond of saying. And it’s true. We joke that if only we could teach them how to open gates, we would hardly be needed at all. A good dog can take the place of two men and reduce the time spent on many tasks by half. Just as with Cooper, when Chris sends a dog from the sheep lot he can depend on the dog to bring all the animals in from the field. Our pastures are cut up into smaller traps to take advantage of rotational grazing, so most gathers are short, with all the animals in sight. This is a task easily accomplished by the Border Collie.

Before we sized our acreage down, however, there were more impressive gathers. We had 100 acres that sloped down from the front hill back to a large tank with a high dam. There was a small piece of the pasture behind the dam where the sheep liked to graze. Chris was working Amos back then, one of the first dogs he raised and trained. He took Amos to the top of the hill and sent him out to gather the herd of 200 wool sheep. Amos took off down the hill and went around to the back of a large flock of sheep. He started them back up the hill toward Chris but then turned back. Chris whistled a “that’ll do” command, which Amos ignored. Did I mention that they can be obstinate?

Amos disappeared up and over the dam. Chris was grumbling that he would now have to walk all the way to the back of the property to get his dog, when back up and over the dam came five head of sheep with Amos pushing them from behind. He brought them to the larger herd and then continued up the hill to Chris. We were both amazed. It’s a mystery how Amos knew that there were still sheep to be gathered; perhaps he heard them or smelled them. Nonetheless, he brought the entire herd safely to the barn instead of leaving stragglers to become a meal for predators.

This is a good example of the strong instinct the Border Collie has. They are a breed that is out- standing at fetching, or bringing the livestock to the handler. Often this instinct is so pronounced that, like Amos, they seem to sense that some animals are missing and go back to look for them. This instinct makes these dogs very trainable, as if the handler is merely encouraging the dog to use the talents he already has. We have seen this instinct in puppies as young as eight weeks old, as the pup crouches and crawls up to a chicken, moving sideways in an attempt to keep it contained. With this intensity to work it’s almost like, once the dog is introduced to stock, the handler can step back and let the dog realize his potential.

Some of the duties on the ranch include fetching (to the handler), driving away (into a pen; out to another trap or pasture; down the road to take advantage of the ditches), sorting (a certain number of ewes; a sick or injured ewe from the herd), pushing (lambs into a trailer for a trip to the livestock auction). The dog can make the task of sorting ewes into breeding groups so much quicker than the two of us in the pen attempting the same job.

Through it all the dog needs to stay focused, obey the handler, and keep his cool. We all know how frustrating it can be to work livestock, and the Border Collie feels the same way. There are times when the handler needs the dog to grip, or bite, a reluctant ewe to get her moving. These dogs develop a sensible approach to this task; delivering a nip on the nose and then releasing the pressure to give the animal a chance to move away. A dog who holds on or dives in when a grip is not needed is a dog who will create more problems than he will help solve.

Border Collies make excellent cow dogs. A good dog can move a cow with hardly anything more than his presence and intense stare. A cow can easily hurt a dog so the handler needs to have a dog with sense enough to know when to bite and when to leave it alone. Stock work is all about pressure, the fight or flight reaction of the stock, be it cattle or sheep or anything else. A good dog will learn how close he can get before the individual feels too much threat and decides to stand and fight. He stays just outside that boundary and so can move the stock by positioning himself to turn them in the way he needs them to go.

Working cattle highlights an important aspect of working with the Border Collie: dog and handler have to be partners, working together to get the job done. The dog can be injured by a cow that feels like she is cornered or has no safe place to go. A thousand pound animal can easily run over a 40 pound dog trying to stand in her way. Working with a handler, however, makes the job a lot safer. It’s more about convincing the cow that she wants to go the way you want her to by positioning handler and dog where it will do the most good.

Border Collies are an indispensable part of our world. We ask a lot but I get the feeling that it’s not such a hardship for them. Watching the dog turn the sheep and bring them home with the sweeping motion and quick starts and stops this breed is known for makes it obvious how much enjoyment the dog gets from his work. That’s really all the praise he needs; a Border Collie’s reward is working stock.

Sally and Chris Thomson have been raising and training Border Collies for over 40 years on our small ranch in Central Texas where they have 200+ wool sheep and currently with Dorper cross hair sheep.