Firchow

In both cases the answer is that there may be no rule against it but it would be frowned-upon.

[coveringears] La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La[/coveringears]

You know the sheep are tough when the good natured betting under the tent is "score or no score?"

I'm sure that's the case. I haven't trialed out East. Outrun length can sometimes be unimportant, too. One of our best trials out here has a short outrun but it's in sagebrush and cactus on yearlings fresh off the mountain. It's about all I'd want in that scenario. http://sheepfestival.net/mediagallery/medi...070408221420275

The shortest I've seen was around 300 yards and the longest was 800 or so. Typically I'd say 500 - 650.

We have put up a web site dedicated to the Kaycee Sheep Industry Festival and Kaycee Challenge Sheep Dog Trial to be held in Kaycee, Wyoming September 1st through 3rd: http://sheepfestival.net

Straw.

That's an old wive's tale. The only sure indicator is if the dog has more black pads than pink pads. The greater the ratio of black to pink, the greater the dog's ability. I know this to be fact because my best dog has one more black pad than my second-best dog and three more than my biscuit eater. I think dew claws play a part, too, but I have not done the same in-depth scientific analysis I did with pad color.

AJ, I tried to contact you through PM but for some reason it does not appear to be going through. Please contact me through wyomingstockdog.com when you get a chance. Glenn

That is rich.

I'm sure our dogs could clear that fence, too, if they really wanted, but ours is 4' max. and we have no problem even with sheep and horses and rabbits and antelope and a multitude of other enticing creatures clearly visible the bulk of the day.

In my opinion the dog house should be large enough for the dog to stand and lay comfortably. You'd have to guess at his full-grown size at this point but I'd think that if you thought in terms of 30"x36"x30" you'd be in the ballpark. You want it to be a snug place for the dog to den up so making it too large defeats some of the purpose. Having him outside is preferable to keeping him crated in a boring environment all day, IMO. He's a dog, not furniture, so I think you'd be taking the logical first step.

The 2007 Powder Horn Classic will be held June 4, 5, and 6, 2007 in Buffalo, WY. Detailed information can be found on the front page of the Wyoming Stock Dog Association website: http://www.wyomingstockdog.com

Epilogue: Jim and Patti have the entire story on their site: http://www.crbordercollies.com/

I think it is important to remember that the ABCA is merely a registry - not a keeper of the breed. Sure, the ABCA has a stance on maintaining the border collies as a working breed and does not encourage breeding based on anything outside of proven working ability, but in the end the ABCA is a database. People like to use "ABCA Registered" as an automatic stamp of approval when, in reality, there is no stamp of approval beyond proven working ability. Most border collies bred and born today simply should not be. That includes breedings from backyard breeders, puppy mills, "working parents", and yes, even the much revered "Open Trial Winner." Unfortunately, the definition of "proven working ability" is and will continue to be bastardized by people who want to breed their dogs while maintaining that they aren't doing harm to the breed. There's nothing anybody can do about it beyond strengthening their personal definition of what exactly proves working ability. Does running well at USBCHA trials prove working ability? Not in my eyes. Does walking on the backs of sheep prove working ability? Not in my eyes. Does gathering 5 head off a 3 acre field every day prove working ability? Not in my eyes. None of those things disprove working ability, but in my less-than-humble opinion, people who breed these dogs need to actually get out and understand what work looks like before throwing Fluffy and Muffy together. Not just see, understand. I have a couple of pretty good dogs and have owned a few others. I also think I understand what real dog work looks like. I have yet to own a dog that meets my personal definition of breed worthy - including "open trial winners" and one that did well at the Nursery Finals and is now neutered.