Australian Shepherd Dog Trials

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only children behaved like this. Our three kids, ages three, seven, and ten, grumbled when they saw the setup for the trials. Simple pole barns for dog shows on rocky ground hid a few pens out back for the trials. Swallows and small airplanes swooped overhead. The only refreshments were from vending machines. My husband and I exchanged glances but decided to give it a try. After all, it was free.

We sat on bleachers to watch the trials, the only spectators who didn't seem to be

participants. Everyone seemed to be just waking up at 9 a.m. Judges sat in a white building overlooking the field. A dog owner led his dog into the pen and told the dog to begin. Then five sheep came out of a gate into the field. The dog suddenly got to work, attempting to direct the flustered sheep through three panels, including a chute, without barking. The first dog, named Shadow, was not obeying his owner, and the

sheep ran wild. The interactions among trainer, dog, and sheep were fascinating — part of the fun was trying to understand the meaning of the commands, such as "Go by," "Away," and "Lie down." By the fourth trial, our kids were authorities on the Aussie breed, making comments like "That one was really well trained" and "If that was my dog, I'd name him Caramel."