On March 7 & 8, we attended a clinic on C-course herding, otherwise known as "tending" style. Although Nash had both AKC-PT and AHBA-JHD titles at the time of the clinic, this was his first exposure to this type of herding. Tending is a style of herding originating in Europe where the dog works as a "moving fence" to guide a flock of 20 or more sheep down roads, past cars, and over bridges to an open field, or "graze" where the dog contains the sheep while they eat. Briards usually excel at Tending. Nash was no exception. Barbara Davenport, who has been training Nash and I in other styles of herding remarked:"Clearly we have been trying to put a square peg in a round hole". Another clinic attendee put it best: "you have been forcing him to play the piano when he just wanted to play the violin". Photographs courtesy of Debbi Humble.
