Training Lessons and Trials at Kuymal

Kuymal hosts trials annually, both AKC and AHBA events. We have our AKC herding trials in January during Martin Luther King weekend. While we usually offer Sheep and Course A, we have also offered course B, course C and we have offered duck events. In the future, we expect to be offering cattle events as well.

We hold our AHBA trials in the January time frame, usually just before or after the AKC events. We usually hold HRD (ranch course) trials, which can vary from short courses using just the ranch grounds to very long courses involving 60 or more head going down open roads and lasting an hour per run. We try to design our HRD courses a little different each year and provide a good opportunity for dogs to showcase their ability to actually do real tasks. We also occasionally host HTD courses which are similar to the AKC "B" and a smaller-scale "ISDS" pattern. Test classes such as Junior Herding dog and Herding certified tests are also offered. While we always offer sheep events, we have also offered duck and cattle events at Kuymal.

Training: Kuymal has several training areas, from the small (26 x 26) up to our A course arena which is 100 x 200. We have access to open range land for those who wish to work in larger areas and have dogs capable of this work. Because Kuymal raises sheep for the commercial market, we have wool and wool cross sheep, which are more suitable for training the intent looseyed dog. We always however have a few of the hair sheep, as these are the sheep one frequently encounters in other trials.

Kuymal does provide in house training for dogs on a limited basis. Our policy is to take in only one trainee at a time, so that we can provide this dog with exactly the same environment and training as our own dogs. Fees for boarding, training and exhibiting a dog are available upon request.

GENERAL HERDING ARTICLES
Herding Programs and Rules
The problem with herding regulations is that by the time you print them, someone has changed them, so I'm going to give a brief overview of the programs. Belgians in Europe have an opportunity to herd, but it is still fairly limited... read full article

Livestock in Belgium and France: a historical and current status
Currently, there are 11 different breeds of cattle kept in Belgium, 4 breeds of goats and 11 breeds of sheep. These reflect ONLY the registered purebred animals, not the unregistered or mixed breed animals. While Belgium does not have LARGE numbers of stock, it is a myth that there are none. France is more heavily agricultural... read full article

HERDING TRAINING ARTICLES

The following articles are provided for whatever help or amusement they may provide. However I am the author and hold copyright. If you use or reprint any of these, please include my name as author as well.

Picking a Belgian Sheepdog Puppy for Herding
The more the bloodline has produced dogs that work for people, the better the chances are for a dog with talent that will work with me. Once I have a litter to choose a puppy from, I do a puppy aptitude test. The one I use is slightly modified ... read full article

First Introduction To Stock
Young novice dogs are a little different than older novice dogs on stock. I am going to start with what one does with a true puppy and then go into what one might do differently with an older dog. The major difference is that pups do not have the physical or mental development they will have later, and so certain precautions are needed ... read full article

Introducing The Young Dogs To Stock
Of course, when one reads this, the thought is that the article will begin with talking about the dog and stock. Not exactly. For most dogs, the first step in introducing a dog to stock is obedience work. Yep. Obedience work. ... read full article

Guardian Vs Herder
The first herding dogs were indeed hunting dogs - before humans domesticated livestock they first hunted them. However, if prey "drive" were the only requirement, hounds would be the best stockdogs. Obviously this is not the case. What changed?.... read full article

The Dead Sheep
Okay, if you haven't a slight sense of macabre humor, stop reading. I wrote this a few years ago, but it's still valid. Back a couple of weeks ago I got some Dorset sheep. One of them was a "freebee" thrown in as an "extra". I think all the gypsy horse traders went into business as sheep traders.... read full articleBreeds of Stock by Country - list showing number of breeds of stock in various countries, including Belgium.

RELATED LINKS

Sheep in Belgium - list showing numbers of sheep in Belgium.

Herding in Europe - information on European transhumance

Great Montana Sheep Drive - for those who are interested, there are some "sheep drives" in the US where you can go and watch the stock being brought in. This one is in Reed Point, Montana.

Trailing of the Sheep Festival - another sheep drive, this one in Idaho. Sheep are moved from mountain pastures north of Ketchum and Sun Valley through the Wood River Valley to their southerly winter grazing areas

Herding Courses - Australia

American Herding Breed Association (AHBA)

Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA)

United States Border Collie Handler's Association

Cow Dog News - primarily cattle herding, primarily BCs