What Color is Your Dog's Parachute?

These days sheep herding isn't just a pastoral pastime for shepherds and their canine partners. Thanks in large part to organizations like the American Kennel Club (AKC), people all over the country are pursuing sports that help them expose their purebred dogs to work they are hardwired to do. Experts say providing an outlet for these natural instincts and enabling dogs to return to their "career roots" means fulfillment, stress relief and better behavior. And according to the AKC, competitive herding is a sport that people are, well, flocking to. The sport grew by 30 percent each year between 1997 and 2002 alone.

While AKC herding is only open to breeds specifically bred for the work (like Collies, Rottweilers, German Shepherds and the Old English Sheep Dog), a number of Doberman Pinscher owners are breaking away from the herd to showcase the breed's versatility.

We spoke to one such owner, Carla Mai Nissen, who is now exposing her 7-month old Doberman Pinscher, Irongate's Midnight Seduction, HIC (aka, Flirt) to the sport:

Most people don't think of Dobermans as natural herders. What made you consider the sport? I previously trained my old girl Jayman in herding, went out for a HIC (herding instinct) test with her and had a great time. I was hooked immediately. Jayman loved to work sheep, but was extremely hard on her feet -- literally blowing the pads off of them. So although she entered two trial weekends, we were unable to title and I retired her from the sport as she continued to lame herself in training. Her enthusiasm was her achilles heel! The experience did convince me that Dobermans do have herding capability, and it also showed me what great fun the sport is. Dobermans are recognised by the AHBA herding program and permitted to participate and title. Canadian Kennel Club herding is open to all breeds.

What challenges have you faced in introducing a doberman to herding?
Jayman's biggest problem was slowing her down. Flirt is much calmer in her approach and takes direction better. She seems to be a natural!

Do you have to adopt a very different approach in training a doberman for the sport? Dobermans and other "upright" style herding breeds such as Boxers move more quickly and are in motion most of the time, generally speaking, and do not tend to crouch and bide their time the way Border Collies do. The trick is finding instructors who understand the different style and know how to work with the team to achieve the desired end result.

What kind of reaction do you get from others (including people who work other breeds in herding)? The reaction is nearly always positive. While some of the herding "purists" would like to see a more traditional border collie style of herding maintained, for the most part the reaction is enthusiastic! With the adoption of All Breed Canadian Kennel Club herding there is a lot more awareness of the different styles of work. All of my friends and family go "Wow! You're kidding . . .. A sheep-herding doberman?!" I assure them I am not!

How is Flirt's performance as a herding dog?
Flirt has only been on stock once, but she took to it immediately. Her evaluator was a CKC and AHBA judge and Flirt really impressed her. Flirt took direction well and displayed immediate instinct and desire to work the sheep.

Any future aspirations for her in the sport?
Flirt and I will be entering structured training classes shortly with the intention of titling in the sport.

Does she compete in other sports?
Flirt is only seven months old right now, but she is currently training in obedience, agility, and tracking. She is going to be a multi tasker. She is also being shown in conformation in the US and Canada.