Herders – an amazing breed.

Our Gina (18 months old)

     I heard a lot of highly positive estimates of herders (Dutch shepherd dogs) as very clever and brave service dogs.   Having a young herder of my own (a female of 18 months) I get constantly surprised how easily she is taught and what a speedy progress she makes. During our long walks in the mountains I saw that she is very brave, and cautious at the same time. But I never let he run alone too far, knowing very well that  dogs, particularly young ones, starting to pursue a wild animal, very often fail to find their way back.

 

      Yesterday I took my three dogs for a long walk. In the fields they ran and played freely but when we came into the mountain forest and I decided to take the young dogs on the leash. Hardly this thought came into my mind the whole pack rushed down the forested slope after a deer and in a second disappeared from my eyes.  The radio collars didn’t work as the dogs were too excited. In a few minutes to my deep relief I saw  two of them running back to me at a high speed. I thought that in a moment I’d see the third one. But there was none. After waiting for some time and calling her I came back home, left the young one there, took the flashlight and went with my elder dog to the mountains again. It got very dark . The flashlight was of no use because of the thick fog. I hoped that my herder would return to the spot from where their hunt began, but in an hour we came back home without any result. Nothing else could be done, at least at night. “She will come, I’m sure” my daughter said. I kept silent, knowing well that a lot of dogs get lost even in parks. 

      How happy we felt when a few hours later  we saw through the glass of the door the familiar shape of our herder.

      She found her way back due to her excellent flair, ability to orient herself in the darkness, and to nose and avoid foxes.