LES CHIENS DE BERGER FRANCAIS

by Maurice Huquet, DVM, SCC Judge
(Translated from the French by Pam Green)

Use of dogs for herding or the protection of flocks goes back to antiquity; and shepherd dogs are still the valuable auxiliaries of the herdsman for surveillance, protection and defense, and also for guidance on the long journeys from summer to winter pastures.

Nevertheless, their role is becoming smaller year by year. Long migrations between pastures are no longer tolerated on roads that are clogged with auto traffic. Sometimes local byroads are used but more often, the sheep themselves are herded into trucks and join in the motor traffic. The old-fashioned pasturage system called "au carre," which was the pasturing of sheep on huge unfenced meadows, guarded by dogs, has given way to fenced pens, unattended most times, the fence being the protection from predators, as well as containing the flock.

Save perhaps in remote areas in the Pyrenees or in the Alps, where dogs still are useful, the utilization of the shepherd dog doing actual herding in vast open meadows seems to be fast disappearing. The herd dog's eclipse keeps pace with disappearance of the shepherd. Herding is hard, lonely work, scorned by the public, who know it poorly, if at all. The public simply does not realize all of the skills and aptitudes indispensable to the the job of herdsman. He must have a serious understanding of livestock, their illnesses, breeding, obstetrical interventions in lambing, castration, tail docking, the care of lambs, as well as the training of dogs. Add to this a lonely life, satisfied with one's own company, to live a bit on the outside of society, practically without rest, without holidays, with attendance required night and day. This life can scarcely appeal to young generations in love with movement, sound, space, entertainment of all sorts. Soon the shepherd and his precious helper, the dog, risk becoming for our children, no more than an idyllic, but vague memory.

The protection of a flock requires the shepherd dog to assume a gait, carriage, demeanor and conformation that is slightly different from that of dogs who don't work. His life in the open where he is subjected to all kinds of intemperate weather, modifies his coat. By reason of his incessant activity, his musculature develops, his respiration modifies itself. His forefeet, to land on diverse terrain, make themselves stronger, his plantar pads becoming more resilient. At the same time, his character modifies itself, his obedience deepens and his reflexes become more precise. In order to perceive more easily the orders whispered by his master and keep up the surveillance of his flock, his auditory and visual faculties sharpen themselves.

In the work demanded of the shepherd dog, the gait is almost always a trot. It is necessary for him to develop the qualities of the long-distance runner -- a stayer not a sprinter. For dogs working in the mountains, the ability to jump is essential. Dogs of medium size and shape are most apt for all these kinds of labor.

In the great French plains, where the raising of sheep is still practiced "au carre," the sheep are free to move about. The shepherd dog, called "d'ecaart," becomes both sentry and living fence. He must keep the edges of the flock under control. It's a delicate and demanding job for which endurance and activity are indispensable, the dog getting no rest from his work of sentry duty. By contrast, the dog who works "de Main" (of hand or "de pied," (of foot) lives under the continuous orders of the herdsman. His role is less laborious, but he must be absolutely obedient, passive, and must be able to understand rapidly, intuitively.

When the flock is on the road, the herdsman walks at the head of the flock. When passing cultivated fields, it is necessary to keep the sheep from eating the crops. Thus, the sheep must travel tightly pressed together. It is impossible to maintain order unless the dogs move "de rive" (of the border). The dog on the right wing keeps the flock moving to the right so traffic can pass on the left side of the road. Obviously, it is this dog who is most exposed to accidents with motor cars. When moving 250 to 300 sheep, it is wise to have a third dog, called "a toutes mains" (to all hands) who picks up stragglers and can be ordered by the herdsman to lend help to either of the border dogs.

TRAINING THE DOG OF THE FLOCK

There are many treatises on the training of dogs for hunting or for use in protection. There are no works on the training of dogs for herding the flocks. In practice, each shepherd has his own style and method. His personal methods are perfectly suited to the way he works.

Since the writings of Deaubenton in the 18th Century, included by Cayot in his "Natural History of the Dog," (1867) only scattered references to herding appear in the dog and sheep periodicals. From them it is possible to gather some techniques formulated by breeders and users of shepherd dogs. Among those most important are the writings of a breeder, sheep owner and judge of shepherd dogs, M Montenot.

First of all, give the dog a short name that is easy to pronounce, preferably ending with a vowel -- 0 or A. It is important that each command be given using the same wording, the same intonation, the same gestures.

For phonetic reasons, proven by experience, only the following commands must be used: HEEL; SIT; STAND; IN PLACE; GO FORWARD; HALT; TO THE RIGHT; TO THE LEFT.

Before pursuing any other exercises, the dog must be perfect in obeying and following these commands. When the dog has them down perfectly, he can then be taught heeling on leash and then off leash. After this, the basic training of the jumps and the refusal of food can be considered. These different exercises can be started when the dog is very young, about 6 or 7 months, at which time the dog will think them fun and games.

These exercises are most frequently discussed--methods, techniques and results-- in the many articles and books on the training of defense dogs. They are roughly equal to the obedience exercises of Ring 1.

When the dog is under complete control, and when it is 10 to 12 months old, it is time for further training.

First of all, the dog has to be taught where to bit the sheep. I prefer the region of the upper neck. Deaubenton speaks of the region of the ear and old-time shepherds recommend the hocks. Many experts, however, warn that the button of the ear, where the thin plate enters, can easily be torn, At the hocks, a bite can result in serious lameness, and occasionally, the bite ruins the valuable meat in the preferred leg-of-lamb section.

Many trainers use the following simple method: a ewe that is lying down is held in position by a helper who also protects her hindquarters. The dog is held by a choke collar -not a prong collar-- on a short lead. It should be able to be rightened with sharp jerk. The trainer excites the dog and gets it to bite at the desired area and to ease upon the command, "halt!" This is accompanied by a sharp jerk on the lead. These sessions can be as short as twenty minutes and can be repeated each day until the dog will only bite in the approved area. The dog should always be rewarded with a pat or a bite of food.

At this point, the dog can be trained directly on the flock. One must appeal to his desire to imitate and some trainers use a monitor dog for this purpose. Some simpleminded trainers attach the student dog to the monitor dog by a coupling fixed to the collar. This procedure risks discouraging the young dog, who cannot understand what is going on, and is dragged along until the older dog bites him.

The role of the instructor requires patience, hard work, and perseverance. The dog on the leash ought to be accompanied while doing exercises. It is necessary to repeat the training sessions until the dog is perfect in his actions. When reprimands are needed, they should be firm and not mean. Work well executed should always be rewarded. An intelligent dog learns quickly what is expected of him. After the dog has learned the techniques expected of him he can be let free in the company of his monitor. Thus, several times each day, while the flock marches in tight columns or during pasturage where the sheep are scattered, the young dog will follow his monitor and learn from him the proper movements. Finally, in the last stages of training, the dog will learn to follow hand or vocal signals.

When the dog has mastered the techniques of "de rive" he must be taught to fall back and collect strays and force them to rejoin the flock. To do so, the dog must take advantage of his superior hearing. It is not necessary to shout commands unless it is very windy. In contrast, the dog's sense of sight is not so sharp and handsignals must be given clearly and slowly.

It is desirable to use only those dogs of a kindly nature for herding. The undisciplined, the hypernervous, the too enthusiastic and out of control, bite and wound the sheep unnecessarily and frequently make the flock nervous and exhausted. A nervous dog can even cause abortions in pregnant ewes. A calm dog results in a calm flock. Too few dogs is also a problem. The herd must always have sufficient dogs to do the job without sacrificing rest.

The training of the shepherd dog presents many difficulties. It exacts from the trainer all the patience and competence he can muster. He must also be sensitive to canine psychology. It is delicate work requiring time and effort.

Good shepherds, who are becoming rare, appreciate the value of a well trained dog. The tranquility and sense of quietness and security that a good dog brings to herding is beyond measure. Good shepherds never neglect giving the dog the most complete training and education. It all depends, in summation, on the competence of the trainer.

(Translator's note: The foregoing does not provide an especially clear picture of actual training with the flock. It does make clear the French use methods very different from the British. The French demand a more aggressive dog than the British which requires more and stricter training.)