AKC's herding program began June 13, 1989. The program was the largest and most comprehensive to enter the world of herding. With a group of individuals already interested, the program took off with great enthusiasm. AKC's program was created to be a generic program, it allows the owner/handler of the dog choose from a variety of courses and livestock. The program is open to all AKC recognized herding breeds, Rottweilers and Samoyeds.

Since its inception the program has realized significant and consistent growth. The number of tests and trials during the years of 1997 - 2002 has grown 30%; with entries exhibiting the same percentage of growth during that time span.

Getting Started in Herding
The purpose of non-competitive tests is to offer an opportunity to dogs, without extensive training, to be evaluated in a pass/fail environment. These are standardized gauges to measure a dogs' herding instinct and trainability upon exposure to livestock. An Instinct test level was added in 2002. The purpose of the herding trial program is to preserve and develop the herding skills inherent in the herding breeds and to demonstrate that they can perform the useful functions for which they were originally bred. Although herding trails are artificial simulations of pastoral or farm situations, they are standardized tests to measure and evaluate the characteristics of the herding breeds. The competitive trials offer something for every breed with three distinctly different courses A, B and C, with three levels of difficulty to each course; Started, Intermediate and Advance with three different livestock types - cattle, sheep or ducks.

• Course A was developed to simulate a small farm. The dog would be required to use force when working with stock, thus the Y-chute, pen work and close fence work. The dog would need a forceful presence with stock to obtain the results necessary for this type of farm work.
• Course B simulates open fieldwork. A dog that used the same type of force successful on Course A would fail on Course B. A flock or herd of any type stock has many flight options in an open field. A successful Course B dog will give way to pressure, evaluate situations, circle wide, if necessary, to get behind and move the stock towards its destination.
• Course C was created to test the boundary style dog. This is a dog that can recognize a change in terrain or vegetation; a dog that can move a flock forward or keep it within a specific area (graze).

Dogs are awarded suffix titles upon the completion of the various requirements for the titles of Herding Tested (HT); Pre-Trial Tested (PT); once the dog moves on to the trial level it has the opportunity to achieve suffix titles that designate a particular level - Started, Intermediate, or Advanced and the specific course and livestock type in which the dog competed for that title(s). Herding Started Course A - Sheep would read HSAs and so on. Once a dog has achieved an Advanced suffix title it can continue to compete for the coveted Herding Champion prefix title.

For additional information visit the AKC website.

Photo shown:
CH. Sarkel's Sweeping Changes, CD, AGN, HIC, CGN "Lobo" recieved his Herding Instinct Certificate from Lynn Leach. Prior to his test Lobo had never been introduced to sheep. Thank You Marta Nettelfield for the use of this photo.