Scenes from Sheepdog Camp

For many days this month, the sheepdog camp is my home.

While Border collies have natural instinct to herd sheep, they must be trained on directions (left and right), to stop, and to move the sheep away from the handler.

Thus, sheepdog camp. During the camps, the handlers and dogs work on herding.

This year, I'm participating in the camps with two-year-old Raven. I'm also working at the camps.

My job is to sort six or eight sheep from the flock and move them to a specified place on the 10-acre field. Then, the trainer and participant and dog go to work.

 I have dogs that help with the job.

Mickey, the dog in the background, is an old pro at the job. She knows to sleep until called upon to work. Raven, the two-year-old, is still learning the job.

It's a job where we work for 10-15 minutes, then hang out in the shade for 10-15 minutes.

Then, in the afternoon, we do it all over again... usually at a different location.

It's a perfect working vacation for someone who likes to read, to work dogs on sheep, and to spend the days outside.