Herding Termnology

OUTRUN -  Dog and handler stand at a gate or starting place, the dog runs out and around the sheep and lies down at 12:00 or balance, the dog does this without disturbing the sheep.

LIFT - After the outrun is completed and the dog is lying down on the far side of the sheep, ask the dog to move towards the sheep.  The sheep's first reaction or movement to the dog is the lift.  The fetch is completed when the sheep are brought to the handler.

SQUARE CORNERS - Dog turns slightly away from the stock when they take a direction.  When giving a direction, we do not want the dog to come straight toward the stock.

FLANKING OUTSIDE - Direction the dog  takes when you are in fetch position.  They are easier to teach to a gathering dog.  "way to, go bye".

FLANKING INSIDE - Direction the dog takes when you are driving.  These take time to teach the dog.  Inside flanks represent a less instinctive motion for the dog; we  may ask the dog to be "off balance", move a shorter distance - a quarter of the clock (even less), and to go between us and the stock.  Use small commands like "go, and "way"

BALANCE - Place that the livestock turn their heads into the handler or, in driving, turn the way you want them to go.  This is natural in many breeds and the dogs turn in dramatically on the balance point.

WEAR - Dog moving right to left behind the stock,;  also referred to as "tucking in the corners".

EYE -  How the dog looks at the stock;  how the dog instinctively controls the stock by power.  You will hear the terms 'loose eye' and 'strong eye.'  Most Border Collies and Kelpies have more eye than other breeds.  Eye can be developed in all breeds with patience and showing them they have the power to move livestock with their eye.

BITE - Appropriate bite is very valuable.  We don't encourage this at the early stages but it will be encouraged later.  Body biting is not allowed.  Appropriate bite is on the nose or heel of the livestock that isn't moving.

FLIGHT ZONE -  Distance from the stock that any one of them respond to you and/or your dog.  This could be an ear flinch or a head turn only.  Different livestock have different zones.  We always hope that the group willl work as one but that doesn't always happen; the lead sheep can cause the group to move sooner and faster than you want.  We are teaching our dogs how to control the livestock and to learn the flight zone.  Sheep we use in class have a very close flight zone, but if we went to a strange flock the flight zone may be 100 feet.  This is the distance that you and your dog should work from the livestock.  You, and the dog, must learn to recognize this in different situations.

LEAD SHEEP -  Always at least one sheep or cow or duck in the group, no matter what size the group.  If you learn to read that lead sheep, you will be able to take them anywhere, the magic of the lead sheep is that when the dog puts pressure on that sheep, she will look three times in the direction she is going to go.  If you have the dog walk up at that time, the sheep will drift nicely.  For the handler, reading the sheep is one of the hardest things in stock work.

SINGLING - When the dog comes in too close and causes the sheep to separate on his own. This should be discouraged and help the dog understand how to keep the livestock together.    

SHEDDING - Shedding is an advanced exercise to separate groups of sheep..   In Advance trialing you need to select the sheep you would like to separate - one, two or even exact sheep that have a problem.  We introduce separation of sheep in early training to make sure the dog will learn this skill in training.  The key is you asking the dog to separate the selected sheep.