Work and Sport
Belgian sheepdogs have had a long history of working relationships with their human partners. Belgians originally served as working stockdogs in Europe, helping shepherds manage large flocks on unfenced fields. Belgian sheepdogs also worked as messengers and first aid dogs on the battlefields of WWI. Since then, the breed has distinguished itself in law enforcement (mostly in Europe) and on search-and-rescue (SAR) teams. Their intelligence, trainability, and athleticism have also made the Belgian sheepdog a great choice for competing in obedience, herding, protection, and agility trials.
At Obsidian Belgians, we promote versatility in our all of our dogs. Each of the performance events offers different challenges and rewards. Each dog is trained every day in at least one type of work or sport and we participate in trials most weekends throughout the year. Whatever we ask of our dogs...they put their whole heart into it!
If you need information about agility, herding, or tracking resources in western Oregon, don't hesitate to write to us!
Obedience
We started training for obedience competition with our first dogs, Sid and Lava, more than 15 years ago. At that time, we (and most other handlers) were taught to train our dogs using a combination of rewards and strong-handed compulsion methods. Lava was a particularly soft dog and responded poorly to these tactics. Joan eventually put a CD on Sid, but none of us much enjoyed the training and we quit altogether after a few trials. Ten years later, we started taking Chilko and Rocky to obedience training with Sheila Cordray. It was amazing how far training methods had advanced in a decade. Clickers have replaced choke collars and operant conditioning methods have proven to be much more effective than the old fashion "carrot & stick" approach.
Joan takes the lead in teaching obedience to all of our dogs. Rocky has particularly good aptitude for obedience and is currently competing in AKC and UKC open & utility classes. Rocky's potential to excel in obedience trials is only limited by Joan's time to train and trial. Chilko and Rogue spend most of their energy in other pursuits, but both should be able to attain open titles in the next couple of years.
Herding
As their name indicates, Belgian sheepdogs originated from working stockdogs in northern Europe. Everything about a Belgian's structure, movement, and instinct was originally shaped by shepherds and farmers to help them manage livestock. Part of the satisfaction of herding is the feeling that you are participating in an activity that stretches back to the very origin of the breed. In our opinion, you can't entirely understand Belgian sheepdogs unless you herd with one.
The basic principles of training a Belgian are the same as working with most other breeds. All dogs are first taught to contain the stock by moving opposite the handler--called "balancing". Training typically progresses by teaching the fetch, outrun, drive, and then advanced maneuvers. The dog first learns to respond to the position and movement of the handler. The handler opens up the correct path for the dog to move into, while blocking all other choices the dog could make. The dog is then taught the verbal commands for each movement, and sometimes whistle signals. During the entire process, the handler always tells the dog when she is right, gives a verbal correction when the dog is wrong, and offers the dog praise for a job well done. Incessant yelling is never effective over the long haul. The entire foundation to the relationship between dog and handler is built on mutual trust. The human trusts the dog to do its job competently, and the dog trusts that her partner will allow her work as long as she is trying her best.
But there are important differences between Belgians and "gathering" breeds like the border collie. Because very few Belgians have the distinctive "eye" that border collies can use, our dogs must rely on their physical proximity and movement to stop or move the stock. Belgians also have a strong tendency to move in circles around the stock. This can be a useful trait when the dog is patrolling around a flock of 200 sheep on open range---a task Belgians were bred for. But circling is inefficient on small groups of stock and needs to be controlled. Most border collies do best when they have big spaces to work in. Belgians, however, typically receive a lot of early training in small arenas and slowly progress to large fields--sometimes it takes years. We've been training for almost five years and we are still novices. Herding takes a lot of patience.
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of herding is the logistics and expense. Herding instructors that have experience with tending breeds like the Belgian sheepdog are few and far between. It's not uncommon for herding students to drive 3 hours for lessons. Then there is the small matter of finding livestock on which to practice between lessons.
As novice handlers, we aren't in a position to offer much advice. However, we will offer a word of caution to folks that are just thinking of giving herding a try. Start by meeting as many different instructors as you can. Professional trainers have a lot of very different ideas about teaching a dog to herd...and some of those ideas may not be what's best for your dog. You will never ruin a herding dog by waiting for the right instructor...even if it takes years. But many a good dog has had her confidence wrecked during the course of a few bad lessons. [Photo by Creative Indulgence]
Agility
Agility not only tests a dog's athleticism, but also the leadership capability of the dog's handler. In an agility trial, the handler approaches the start line with full knowledge of the course while the canine partner doesn't yet have a clue as to the path ahead. It is the handler's responsibility to communicate the correct series of obstacles to her teammate and provide support to the dog in the tough spots.
Rocky (AKA "Rocket Man") and Joan are advancing quickly through AKC, USDAA, and NADAC classes. Rocky is exceptionally fast for a large dog and can hold his own against the best border collies at open level. Its common to hear spectators exclaim a collective "Wow!!" as Rocky gathers himself at a weave pole entry, then accelerates through the poles at unbelievable speed.
Rogue doesn't quite possess the top-end speed of his uncle Rocky, but his responsiveness to handler position and verbal cues is astonishing. Rogue is always watching Dave for a slight dip in a shoulder or turn of his head that signals a change in direction. 
Chilko didn't have a lot of confidence or intensity early in her agility career. But we've spent years learning how engage her natural playfulness as a means to motivate her through training sessions. Through a combination of strategically timed food rewards, lots of praise, and a special little squeaky toy, Chilko has come to enjoy agility and has the higher percentage of qualifying scores than our boys. [Dogwalk photo by Joe Camp; chute photo by Stewart Event Images]
Detector Dogs
Our introduction to canine-assisted wildlife detection started in 2003. Dave had been working on western pond turtle conservation projects for a few years and was conducting turtle nest searches every spring. Searches are typically performed by walking very slowly across a nesting area and visually detecting the hidden nests. After doing this work for many tedious hours, it occurred to Dave that a dog could probably find turtle nests by scent more efficiently than humans can using their eyes.
Dave began training Chilko to do nest searches using methods borrowed from canine narcotics detection and search-and-rescue. Progress was slow because Dave hadn't any previous experience training a detector dog. Eventually, Chilko and Dave became proficient at finding turtles and their nests and Chilko has been deployed on search missions for the last three years.
In 2007, Dave and Rogue began working with trainers/handlers from the Working Dogs for Conservation Foundation to teach several dogs to search for Kincaid's lupine, a threatened plant species that grows on remanent prairies of the Willamette Valley. Rogue was one of five dogs being trained for this work. All of the dogs did remarkably well during field tests. Further training and evaluation will be conducted in 2008. We expect that several dogs will be ready for search missons by summer 2008. [Photo by Alice Whitelaw]
To read an article on Chilko's detector dog training, click here: [224 kb .pdf file]