Traditional
French herding practices generally have involved
close daily contact of sheep, shepherd and dogs.
Predators remained a greater threat and there
was less enclosing of fields in comparison to
parts of Great Britain. During the grazing season
of spring, summer and fall, a shepherd and his
dog or dogs accompanied the sheep to their pasture
for the day and brought them back to an enclosure
or stable for the night. During the winter,
the sheep were kept at the fold and given fodder.
Conditions
vary throughout France, and herding practices
likewise have varied. In the mountains of western
and southern France, while sheep have daily
contact with dog and shepherd, being taken from
stables out to pasture and back again, they
are not as closely supervised as is the case
with the sheep in the more populated and cultivated
plains. In the mountains, flocks are allowed
to spread out more; the close grazing practiced
on the plains would be too intense for the vegetation
there.
In
the mountain regions, single dogs often are
used, although two or even three may be used
with very large flocks. The dog may work at
great distances from the shepherd, even out
of sight. The terrain can be rough and fog frequent.
There may be periods when the dog may be relatively
inactive, but it must always remain at hand,
ready for any eventuality. It will be called
upon to seek out strays, regroup, gather and
redirect the flock, or hold the flock as the
shepherd milks the ewes.
Herding
practices in the mountains have remained little
changed, although the transhumance -- seasonal
migration between winter and summer pastures
-- is now more often accomplished by truck.
A few shepherds still make the journey on foot,
taking several days to reach their destination.
The
plains regions of central France, with more
crops and people, necessitated a more controlled
and precise usage of grazing land. Large flocks
of sheep would be taken out daily along roads,
past unfenced fields, to a grazing area which
might be marginal land or a field being rested
from crop production. In the east near the German
border, the sheep might be stabled at night
in buildings in a village. Toward central France,
the sheep would be kept at a farmstead out in
the country. In the practice called "grazing
to the square," the close-flocking sheep would
be kept in a compact group, with each section
of the field being thoroughly grazed down before
the sheep were allowed to move to an adjacent
area. In many cases, there also would be nearby
fields of crops from which the sheep needed
to be kept.
In
these conditions, two dogs often are used. One,
called the "foot dog," "hand dog," "dog of the
man," works in close cooperation with the shepherd,
remaining near the shepherd for the most part
and being sent out as needed. A second dog,
the "dog at a distance" or "border dog," controls
the side of the flock furthest from the shepherd.
This was a dog which was very experienced, enduring
and capable of great initiative, which had been
given additional training for its job by being
walked along the edge it was to guard. If the
sheep are content to graze in place, the dog
may stand or lie down. Should the sheep attempt
to trespass on a nearby crop, the dog would
patrol that side and keep the sheep where they
belonged. Some dogs doing this work might run
nearly 80 to 90 kilometers a day. Therefore,
it is preferable for the dog pace itself so
as to conserve its energy.
Although
some "foot dogs" may eventually be trained as "boundary
dogs," it is common for the dogs to remain in
their particular jobs for their careers. When
moving the flock from one area to another, or
when doing general farm work, however, both
dogs work similarly. They take various positions
relative to the flock (behind, beside, or in
front) as needed, actively fetching, moving
and directing the sheep. With the largest flocks,
a third dog might be used.
This
type of herding is diminishing, the regions
where it was most often practiced becoming more
devoted to cereal crops. This has left less
land for grazing, and the use of chemicals in
weed control and interfered with the use of
marginal land.
A
less common method of handling sheep, occurring
as a local custom, was to keep the sheep in
movable pens. During the good season, sheep
were kept outdoors day and night in a mobile
enclosure which the shepherd moved twice each
day. The shepherd and dog spent the night near
the pen. The dog's primary job was to keep watch
and to keep the sheep contained as the shepherd
moved the fence. Three sides of the pen would
be moved at a time, with once fence remaining
in place.
In
the days before motorized transport, dogs also
served as drover's dogs, taking livestock of
all kinds to market and working at the pens.
The drover's dog had to handle stock that could
be stubborn or fearful, separated from its normal
routine, moving the animals along briskly through
crowded towns.
In
recent decades there has been an increase in
the keeping of sheep in enclosed pastures, in
the "open air," as is common in Great Britain.
In
France, the shepherd often leads the flock,
or may be beside or behind it, depending on
the circumstances. To collect the flock, the
dog is sent around the flock to regroup it and
bring it to the shepherd. When being taken out
on the road, the sheep often are moved in long
columns. In open areas and areas of less traffic,
or with smaller flocks, the sheep are allowed
to bunch up. The dog may work along the side
of the flock, especially when moving a large
flock in a lengthened formation, or may push
from behind. Occasionally the dog will be sent
to the front to stop or slow the flock. Changing
sides may be done at the rear or at the front.
The dog works in various positions as needed,
both to command and on its own initiative. Practicality
and doing what needs to be done according to
the circumstances are repeatedly mentioned by
French shepherds.
When
a car passes a flock on the road, the dog should
squeeze the flock to the right side of the road
in the direction it is travelling, especially
if a car is overtaking the flock from behind.
When a car approaches from the front, the car
often halts as the flock is taken by. In some
cases, the flock may be stopped while the car
drives past. On the routes of the transhumance,
where traffic is sparse and flocks may number
up to several thousand, the shepherd may simply
walk through the flock in front of the car,
forcing a passage.
In
most work, a lot of barking is not desired.
Where the sheep jam up at a narrow passage,
however, the dog may bark to help move the flock,
or even jump onto the backs of the leaders to
shift them.
Nipping
should only be used when needed, with the preferred
locations being the lower hind leg and, on an
adult sheep being especially obstreperous, the
upper neck, in which case the dog may take a
very brief hold. A restrained "blow of the teeth" on
the side may also be acceptable, providing the
dog does not nip too hard or take hold. The
dog must not be too rough, but at the same time,
it must be capable of using force or the sheep
may learn they can overpower it.
Training
methods differ from shepherd to shepherd. A
common sequence of French training, according
to a French training manual and other sources,
may go something like this: beginning around
three or four months of age, the young dog receives
basic obedience training to come, down, remain
in place, walk on lead, etc. At around 8 or
9 months, the dog may be taken to sheep. It
is first kept on lead, and its early exposures
monitored. It may be taken into a small pen
and allowed to move around the sheep a bit,
under supervision. As time goes on, the young
dog is taught commands for going ahead, returning,
for moving to the right and to the left. Regrouping
is practiced, as are: holding the animals against
a fence or hedge or up to the shepherd; going
to the head of a moving flock and stopping it;
getting sheep moving through a difficult passage.
According to the situation in which the dog
will be working, further training is given for
road work and for elements relating to mountain,
plains or enclosed pasture work. Some shepherds
use a more experienced dog to help train a young
dog, but this isn't overdone or the dog might
pick up any bad habits of the older dog or come
to rely too much on the older dog.
In
addition to the herding breeds traditionally
bred in France -- the Pyrenean Shepherd, Beauceron,
Briard, Picardy Shepherd, and local, rare strains,
occasionally Rough Collies, Belgian Sheepdogs,
and German Shepherds have been used. More frequently
now, the Border Collie is seen. The Border Collie
is differentiated from the other breeds by its
characteristic "eye" and tendency to work further
off the sheep. Some have felt that Border Collies
were not always forceful enough for sheep of
the traditional flocks, and have considered
the breed to be particularly suitable for use
with sheep kept in enclosed fields, which are
flightier as a result of receiving less daily
handling. There is not, however, a practice
of separating breeds as to use or training.
Border Collies and native breeds receive the
same general kinds of training and are used
for the same herding tasks.
In
France, sheep are raised for milk, meat and
wool. There are numerous small flocks of 50
to 60 animals as part of a farming estate where
cattle and crops are also raised; larger flocks
of up to 300 - 400 animals in the cheese-producing
regions; and flocks of 1,000 to 2,000 in the
areas where transhumance is practiced. Large
flocks may belong to one shepherd, or a shepherd
with a smaller flock may contract to care for
flocks belonging to several individuals. In
addition to their work with sheep, dogs also
are used to work goats, cattle and large flocks
of geese.
In
the last 20 years, stock management methods
have evolved and intensified. There are more
expenses and fewer people involved in agricultural
work. The services of herding dogs are in good
demand in France.
Organizations /
Resources /
Herding Dogs /
Getting Started
Stories & Photos /
Clubs /
Livestock Links /
Home
Herding
on the Web
Linda Rorem
e-mail Pacifica19@aol.com