Difference In Herding Breeds For Dog Sports

[aussielover]

Not anything specific about koolies, but praise and advantages of other breeds as well.

I also based my decision on koolies based on their pretty looks and only having met 2 or 3 at agility (all excellent dogs) which is not entirely representative of the breed.

Koolies are still at the top of the list but I am now considering other breeds as well.

Also strongly considering a rescue with the potential to do dog sports.

I really like Tollers but I think the coat care would be too much (as in they actually require fairly regular grooming).

[B-Q]

If all goes to plan we might have a koolie puppy in the house within a couple of months and I'll be able to compare it to Quinnie. :D

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Here - the koolies seem to be the fastest. I've seen two varieties - ballistic, and bored. The ballistic ones - it's up to the handler to keep ahead of them to let them know where they're going next, or they will be over three jumps and in the tunnel before you can blink. The bored ones just follow along behind their handler. I don't know if it's different breed lines or the bored koolies have been scolded for going too fast.

BCs - all over the shop. Most of them seem to be very willing to do everything the handler asks and sometimes argue if the handler's signals seem inconsistant or late. Some go fast and some don't, some only do what they're asked and some guess what their handler wants - some guess right and some guess wrong. A fast BC with a brilliant handler looks fantastic but I think there are a lot of BCs out there that look crap because mediocre handlers/trainers think that getting a BC will solve their problems.

Kelpies seem a lot like koolies, but handlers seem to find it more difficult to hold their attention. I don't see as many of them as BCs and Koolies but it's a dog I think ought to be excellent at Agility, they're fast and smart and like learning new things.

Here in SA there are a lot of shelties doing well.

Aussie shepherds seem to do ok but I tend to think they look slow - compared to the best BC and Koolies. It might be a delusion on my part.

I've got an ACDx - who seems strong and fast, and I need to lift my game heaps to keep up. She does argue a lot about what is worth bothering with. Again - probably my fault - not enough value for some obstacles and sometimes not enough value for me. The show line ACD seem too slow and short to be good at Agility. I don't see any out there. But there are some taller longer legged faster ACD crosses doing well. And there are some other bitsas out there that also look good.

[MrsD]

where kelpies and BC's tend to be reserved with people and not overly interested in dogs

I'm not sure that this is common as I have met (& owned) a lot of kelpies who love people, but Jarrah (kelpie) is like this & just completely ignores anyone except our immediate family. The only time he will have anything to do with someone else is if they have food or one of his toys eg frisbee, otherwise they may as well not exist . Whisper (BC) will let people pat her & will wag her tail at them but you can see she is thinking "Haven't we finished yet, can't I go & chase the ball/frisbee/Jarrah now?". Neither of them are particularly interested in other dogs either, most of the time they just ignore them.

Poppy throws herself at people, squealing, like they are her BEST FRIEND IN THE WORLD.

Jonty, my sheltie, is like that, he just loooooves people & throws himself at them wriggling & squirming all over the place. Doesn't matter who it is, family, visitors or complete strangers on the street - Jonty wants to be patted by them & made a fuss over. Not your average sheltie temperament .

Edited July 21, 2011 by MrsD

[Tassie]

And don't forget the Smithfields - there are some lovely Smithies running in agility in NSW and one down here.

While it's true there are definitely some breed generalised characteristics, so much depends too on the individual dog, and their upbringing. My Border Collies for instance have not been great fans of dogs they don't know - but love to be with their small number of best buddies, but they are hugely attracted to people. They actively enjoy and seek out interactions with people in a variety of situations, and make great therapy dogs - the BC smile helps there too.

[TerraNik]

And don't forget the Smithfields - there are some lovely Smithies running in agility in NSW and one down here.

They are so awesome! I love them!

[Tay.]

It really depends on the lines which the dog is from. There is a huge working/show line split between some of the breeds listed.

A lot of Aussies I see in agility are quite heavy dogs so they are a lot slower then the BCs/Coolies/Kelpies etc. But same goes for some Border Collies too.

I have relatives with Kelpies and when comparing them to Borders the Kelpies seem more stubborn, dominant, wanting to do their own thing. But that might just be the individual dogs

where kelpies and BC's tend to be reserved with people and not overly interested in dogs

Not my BC, she's people obsessed . But she chooses her canine friends carefully.