Is Your Dog an Athlete?

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But herding's biggest draw is undoubtedly the dogs. "If one of our dogs fell in a river, we'd jump in and save it," says Ted Ondrak, who runs the San Fernando Valley Herding Association with his wife Janna. The Ondraks are professional trainers and breeders, but their clients--movie stars and sales analysts, attorneys and seismologists--tend to feel the same way. Most get hooked on herding after buying a dog that needs a job. "Border collies are incredibly smart, but they get psychotic if they don't have work," says Lilliam Cummings, 42, whose two dogs devoured carpets, sofas and a Don Henley CD before discovering sheep. Typically, the pet is given an instinct test--introduced to livestock under controlled circumstances. If the dog has the genes, its joy in the chase proves irresistible. "When we saw the look in his eyes," says Ted Ondrak of his Bouvier des Flandres, "we said, 'We've gotta try this.'" The Ondraks wound up buying the ranch where today's workshop is being held, along with a hundred sheep.

Such dedication is typical of sheepdog trialers--and it is reciprocated. "Dogs give you their all," says MacRae, sipping black coffee. "They return any affection tenfold. They're not gonna say nothin' behind your back." A grin creases the guru's windburned face. "On the whole, they're just nicer than folk."