This video is one of Finn's two legs for the Pre-Trial (PT) herding test. (I recommend watching it twice as it stops to download the first time. Also, click the x in corner of the ad to make it go away). To earn the title a dog must qualify two times under two different judges. Herding is the controlled movement of livestock. The AKC has two "Test" levels, Herding Tested (HT) and Pre-trial tested (PT) and three "Trial" levels, Herding Started (HS), Herding Intermediate (HI) and Herding Excellent (HX). At each level the dog must demonstrate more and more responsibility. At the lower levels, the handler is allowed to move with the sheep and the dog must demonstrate control (stopping and sitting or laying down), must keep the sheep with the handler and not chase them all over, have a change of direction, and finally, must help the handler put the sheep back in a pen in a controlled manner. The sheep must also go through various obstacles with each level. At the PT level, there are two panels. The sheep must go between the fence and the panels in each direction. They are given 10 minutes to complete the course. Finn did the course in 4:53 minutes and maintained control the whole time. He makes this look easy, but I have seen dogs really not ready for this level- and it is ugly!
Now that Finn has mastered this level, he will move on the the HS level. There he will demonstrate more responsibility by going and picking up the sheep and bringing them back to the handler, and then he will have three obstacles the sheep will have to maneuver through.
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