Herding Programs

Whether you are interested in competitive herding events or just in testing your dog to determine its level of instinct or interest, there are a number of herding programs available to you. You can use one program exclusively or a combination to provide the herding experience you desire.

The primary trialing programs are offered by the following organizations:

• American Kennel Club (AKC) http://www.akc.org/
• Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) http://ckc.ca/en/
• American Herding Breed Assoc. (AHBA) http://ahba-herding.org/
• Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) http://asca.org/
• U.S. Border Collie Handlers Assoc. (USBCHA) http://www.usbcha.com/

Each of these programs has classes available to meet the experience level of you and your dog.  In general, the programs have tests, started, intermediate and advanced levels. Several of the programs offer more than one type of course - arena, open field, boundary/tending, ranch dog.

The Pacific Northwest Herding Club hosts primarily AKC tests and trials although may occasionally offer AHBA events. The Pacific Northwest Herding Club was founded to showcase boundary or tending style herding.  Tending is a style of herding originating in Europe where the dog works as a "moving fence" to guide a flock of 20 or more sheep down roads, past cars and over bridges to an open field or "graze" where the dog contains the sheep while they eat.  In the AKC program, the C course is designed to test the skills needed for a boundary/tending dog.