Herding Classes around North London?

My 10 month old Welsh Sheepdog really needs to be herding to focus his energy so I was wondering if anyone knew of any good (and fairly inexpensive) herding classes around the Barnet/Potters Bar area?

I go on a 1-2-1 basis weekly, Siren has always had quite a strong instinct for herding (she spends her time focused on the other dogs)

You could look on here...
http://www.allaboutsheepdogs.com/

Or contact the ISDS

All I would say - in my limited experience, is that if you intend to start you need to carry on, it has not stopped Sirens focus on the other dogs (if anything she is more so). She also does a few other dog sports, so has that as brain activity as well.

I love taking her herding, and wish I had the time to do more with her, but now I have started - I don't think it would be fair to stop her for any reason.

I don't think I could stop it once I started, it wouldn't be fair to Shiloh. Thinking it's the safest 'sport' for him to do as he has HD.

Good luck when you start off Vicki Ann but just a word of warning before anybody starts herding training. If you just want to 'try it out', then think carefully about what you are doing. Introducing a dog to sheep can/will/could ignite a tremendous desire to work/chase sheep. Don't get this into motion unless you fully intend to carry on until you have a good control over a dog. I have seen far too many pet 'quiet' dogs around stock on walks get fired up when started on sheep then stopped, leading to them then chasing and even killing livestock on walks. It's the quickest way I know to losing your dog permanently!
Always introduce your dog to sheep with an experienced handler and always 'think big' and to the future with a great determination to succeed. It's not a game that you should start then stop with a dog but one that you should be determind to get the most out of. It's fun, rewarding, very challenging but with huge rewards for dog and hander alike especially when you take your friend to the 'post' with you at your first sheepdog trial. Good luck when you start and enjoy yourself.

Hi Vicky-Ann,
When I replied to your initial post I didn't realise your Shiloh had HD. I wouldn't have thought a dog with known HD would be suited to sheepwork considering the tight turns and full on manouevres it will be making. In my opinion one of the main causes of HD in the first place is putting too much pressure on a young developing dogs joints during its growing stage, something often done by trainers of sheepworking collies.

Thank you for your replies. I hadn't thought of it like that.

Shiloh is 1 year in a week, and has not done any vigorous work before now. His brother has advanced HD (osteochondrosis) and has been worked with sheep on a stock farm since he could walk more or less so I'm glad I didn't do that with Shiloh.

I haven't had the x-rays to confirm, but he deffo has too much movement/not enough rigidity in those joints so I'm 95% he has HD, just not yet too much in the way of pathological changes in the cartilage and bone.

I am starting to clicker train his sister, Skye, in the hope of keeping her brain occupied with lots more tricks than she currently knows ... I'm guessing this would be more suitable for Shiloh?