By Dr Clive Dalton The Long Head This is a trial for Heading Dogs, where the dog has to ‘sight’ the sheep at a long distance, move them and then bring them to the handler in a straight line. Three sheep are always used in trials in New Zealand as this is the most difficult … Read more
History Photo of ‘Old Hemp’ bred in Northumberland (UK) and now has his DNA in dog trial and working dogs around the world. Dog trials have been part of New Zealand life since the establishment of sheep farming. The late Neil Rennie’s research found that the first NZ trial was probably held at Wanaka in 1867 … Read more
By Dr Clive Dalton Meg tied up at her kennel but ‘on alert’ – a good sign.What would she turn out to be?Her genetics were right – would her training complete the job? MEGAround the mid 1980s, Kevin Meredith, a farm manager and keen dog trialist got a new heading bitch pup, and I was … Read more