Harford's Apprentice

Some dogs have natural authority with sheep, others need space and time to learn how to
earn that authority and that’s what I’d make sure I’d give them at this important stage of
learning.
One of my dogs, Dick, was trained from a puppy to become one of the most successful
working and trial sheepdogs of his generation – making the Irish Team five times on five
attempts, and the Supreme Championship three times. Because I’d given Dick time during
his training to understand what was being asked of him, and the opportunity to work on
his own, very often out of sight, he was both a very useful working dog and a life saver at
trials. On one occasion when competing with Dick, I dropped my whistle in the long grass
just as he left my foot. By the time I found it he was coming though the Fetch gates with
the sheep. That’s what I mean by natural ability and control.
Although he had a bit of a checkered history by the time I began to train him, another dog
that could eventually really think for himself was Jim. I always enjoyed his company and he
helped me when I began to stock and farm the Copeland Islands which
lie just over two miles off the coast at Donaghadee in County Down.
Jim became a very talented trial dog, winning the Irish National twice
and qualifying for the Irish team at the International Championship five
times in succession. He was also a very gifted working dog and something
of a character in his own right. Always very entertaining company.
One of Jim’s pet likes was boats. When I let him out of the Land
Rover at Donaghadee to go to the island, he would fly down the
harbour as fast as he could run and jump onto the
first boat he saw. While we were at sea, he would
sit on the very point of the boat and, no matter
how high the waves were, he was happy to ride
them. There were times when you’d have thought
he could easily have been washed over-board,
but he never was. He just stood looking ahead,
often eyeing seagulls about half a mile in
front of the boat. He’d stare hard and
sway his body as if trying to get
them under his control. But
once we reached the island he
didn’t give them a second
glance.
Harford & Dick
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