Herding Sheep, They’re Top Dogs

Most dogs know how to play fetch. But Joy and two of her fellow border collies will be taking the game to extremes today when they fetch a herd of sheep, guiding them down Fairview Road and onto center stage at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

At 9:15 a.m., 100 sheep, including a dozen dyed hot pink, will make their way from Orange Coast College and travel south on Fairview Road before they enter the Princeton Drive gate of the fairgrounds.

The sheep drive “stemmed from our theme ‘saluting the fiber arts,’ ” Erin Hunt, spokeswoman for the Orange County Fair said. “It’s amazing to watch the dogs respond.”

The dogs will be followed by Terry Parish, their trainer and owner of the San Pasqual Stockdog Training Facility in Escondido, where the dogs train year-round for stock dog competitions.

She has a specially toned whistle for each dog, but for the most part, Joy and her partners know what to do with only minimal instruction.

“The sheep can be as far as 500 yards away,” Parish said. The dogs “have to figure out what to do.”

Joy and her fellow border collies at San Pasqual have been trained since birth for this job. The desire for the task runs in their blood.

“They have a unique talent,” Parish said. “They want to bring the sheep to you.”

The dogs get the job done with varying styles: some bite, some bark; Joy does whaever it takes.

She will use growls and bites to scare the sheep into submission. She stalks her charges with her head lowered, then circles the flock slowly, watching and when necessary lunging with teeth bared. The sheep huddle together, as if planning a mass exodus, but they are rarely able to free themselves from Joy’s control.

“Joy does not like to see sheep standing still,” Parish said. “She always wants to work.”

On the other extreme, there is Rhys. The 8-year-old border collie is constantly slumped over his front paws and can often be found under a chair or in another shady spot. However, he is not being lazy. Rhys is just a veteran who knows when it is time to turn himself on.

“When the dogs get to be 8 or 9 years old, their minds are so good,” Parish said. “But when he wants to stop, I’ll know. If he stops getting excited before trials [stock dog competitions], I’ll know he is ready to retire.”