It was when I attended the Midlands sheepdog trials held on the airfield at Willowmore on 28 May this year, that this puzzle began really intriguing me. Why does every Angora goat farmer not own at least four trained sheepdogs? The answer, it would seem, lies with the owners and not the dogs. "Dog training is an art that requires much patience and a great interest in dogs. In nature, dogs respond to a pack leader, and the trainer needs to be able to impart the same instinctive authority when giving an instruction. The dog and the handler need to understand each other very clearly, otherwise frustration leads to poor management and control, with the resultant loss of interest from both parties", says Faansie Basson from Swellendam, who is rated one of South Africa's top sheepdog handlers.
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