Sheepdogs Unappreciated!
When we got to sheepdogs, I asked where do you see them the most and my trainer looked at me a bit perplexed thinking and said you know, we don't see them too often other than conformation and that is a shame. Her words were, Sheepdogs don't get the credit they deserve and they are really not appreciated for the smart dogs they are! 
Usually I get rolled eyes from people when I talk about obedience and dog sports and they make comments like, well, sheepies are not the brightest....So it was nice to hear a compliment for once! Yeah for sheepies  |
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| Good for you!
I am lucky in that there are 3 of us showing/competing in rally and obedience in the St Paul/Mpls area, and we usually do pretty well. So for us, people are getting pretty used to seeing an OES in the ring for something besides conformation. Agility is less known - so when Chewie and I and Gale and her Mojo get out there over the next year, we expect to help broaden people's horizons as well. Agility allows a bit more of a dog's "individualness" to show, so it should be interesting!!   |
| Chewie and the other agility/obedience/therapy dogs here need to go on a nation wide good will/educational tour.
We need our own version of Dulux over here where the breed can be highlighted for their smarts as well as their clownish nature, and of course, good looks. Glad you asked the question, made the instructor think......good! |
| yes get our sheepies (not mine yet) out there and show everyone what they can do! on this site i have seen so many talented sheepies! |
| Even some judges do not do justice to our breed...
Some Rally judges give us pretty bad looks and comments about our sweet pups..It just make me want to prove them wrong!!!! If I have Pearl, with her being a senior and the perfect dog, there are amazed looks.  
...with Heart???? not so much....((YET!!!!)..  |
| "individualness"
That word fits Simon to a T |
Honestly most older rally judges have said nice things when we go into the ring, the younger ones have come up seeing borders and goldens and aussies etc predominate here so they just sort of ignore us as we come in. But we place under all of them 
With agility it is different, more assembly line performance but mostly we do okay and whenever I do speak to a judge they have nice things to say. The most pessimistic things I hear said about the breed? That's from breeders I speak with at shows when they hear we are there for rally or whatever. Unfortunately they never venture over to watch. |
| When she said that I thought of this forum and all of you who DO participate and do so well in dog sports, obedience, therapy and everything else all the "other " breedes excel in!
But here in downstate NY, not only are there few sheepies but the ones that are here don't seem interested in much of anything. Me and my first sheepdog. my beloved Rags, achieved our CD and was on the thrid leg of our CDX. It was twenty years ago  And every time we went into the ring, the Judges and everyone else roled their eyes and said youa re in Novice with shepdog
I say KUDOS to everyone doing sports and yell, Let's get these sheepies known! For the great compansion they are, for the super smart breed they are and for the wonderful theraputic dogs they can be! I might add....my first sheepdog and I did give the Judges a run for the money when we were competing! He once ran out of the ring and chased a horse for a whiule...ran past me so fast on a recall and bounced off the ropes behind...and "danced" his way during the stand with behind wagging as the Judge touched him! A character that everyone loved! |
| Yes, Aussies & Goldens predominated at my level this weekend. We were the only OES entered in the entire rally or obedience trial (4 of them). |
Yes, Marilyn but I think I just read you did well in Rally!!!! You make our breed proud! 
I might add...when I was competing, I can't tell you how many things I won for "highest scoring sheepdog"...Ha ha, we were the ONLY sheepdog! |
| "Usually I get rolled eyes from people when I talk about obedience and dog sports and they make comments like, well, sheepies are not the brightest"
Anyone making a statement like that has not had the pleasure of living with a sheepie ! 
and...........they never ever forget especially where the treat are kept. |
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