16 October 2023
By: Joanie Bergh
A flock of sheep runs briskly towards the sheep pen. In the dust cloud behind them, Mac, the seven-year-old black-and-white sheepdog, is close on their heels.
Then you hear his owner give a short whistle and Mac moves to the left. With the sound of two long whistles, he shifts to the right. Left, right, forward, slower… until every sheep is inside the pen and the gate can be closed behind them.
That’s how Mac and his owner, Pierre Strydom (66), showcased their outstanding teamwork recently at the South African Sheepdog Championship in Riversdale.
Here, among 40 other dogs, Mac displayed his skill. He didn’t put a paw wrong, and amid all the other sounds on the field, his owner’s whistle was all he focused on.
After the elimination rounds, Mac was named the champion sheepdog. That evening, his owner proudly stroked and spoiled him with a bite of biltong while their trophy gleamed beside them.
Ideal farm workers
On the Mooigedacht farm near Kareedouw in the Eastern Cape, there’s bustling activity early in the day. Mac and his sheepdog companion, Kyla (7), will run energetically to their owner, ready for a day’s work.
“Yes, they’re pets, but they’re also workers. Sheepdogs want to be stimulated; they seek sheep to work. When your dog sees sheep for the first time, you just have to let his instinct kick in. Then it’s like flipping a switch – you see it immediately,” says Pierre.
“The ears perk up, the eyes focus on the sheep, and then you can start teaching them. But if you don’t know what to do, you’ll make a mistake, and it will be a mess.”
<caption>Pierre with Kyla (right) and Mac (left). Photo: Supplied
His dogs can be almost a kilometre away from him on the farm, but when they hear their owner’s whistle, they’ll run to him.
“Sheepdogs are fantastic dogs. They want to please you and are happy when you encourage and praise them. They know exactly what I want when we work with the sheep. There’s incredibly good communication between me and my dogs that you can’t really describe.”
A family business
This year, Mac took over the title of SA champion from Kyla, Pierre’s black-and-white female who was the standout dog last year.
The secret of producing two champion sheepdogs in consecutive years lies in everything his father, Bennie Strydom, taught him, says Pierre.
Bennie had a deep love for sheepdogs and took them to local and world championships, winning several prizes.
Bennie, a former sheep farmer outside Makhanda, always liked sheepdogs, and in 1969 he attended a competition with Pierre, then a young boy.
“My father was so impressed with the dogs and immediately became interested. He then bought a little puppy; her name was Mundy. She and I were great friends,” says Pierre.
<caption>Pierre (right) inherited his love for sheepdogs from his father, Bennie, who taught him how to train them. Pierre still applies the same techniques. Photo: Supplied
His father avidly started studying how to train sheepdogs and sought advice from older hands. Seven years later, in 1976, Mundy won the South African championship.
In the 1980s, Bennie imported four dogs from Scotland and went on to win the SA championships five times with different dogs.
Pierre learned the art of working with sheepdogs from his father and worked his own sheep for years with dogs he trained himself.
In 1986, he and his dogs won the SA junior championships, and in 1991 he clinched the SA reserve champion title.
Mac and Kyla
In 2007, Pierre downsized his farm outside Makhanda and didn’t work with sheep for a while. During this time, he went to other farms to teach workers how to work with sheepdogs.
In 2016, he bought another sheep farm, this time near Kareedouw. “I looked at the sheep and thought I need a sheepdog again.”
He got Mac as a puppy, and in 2018 they entered their first competition. When Mac won the junior championship, Pierre knew he had a special dog. Shortly afterwards he got Kyla, who also won several prizes and achieved fourth place in the SA championship this year.
“She won the championship last year, but I made a mistake this year. She could have done much better, but I gave a wrong command to which she naturally responded.”
Pierre has four other sheepdogs on the farm that he is also teaching to work with sheep.
World championship
In September, Pierre and Mac took part in the world sheepdog championship in Ireland. Mac was one of 240 dogs from 33 countries.
“Mac lost a few points in the course work, but when he had to handle a group of Scottish blackface sheep, these sheep didn’t cooperate,” says Pierre. “I made a few mistakes because I didn’t know the nature of this type of sheep. They weren’t Dorper sheep like we’re used to.”
<caption>Pierre and Mac recently won the South African sheepdog championships. Photo: Supplied
According to Pierre, there are a few factors at play in these competitions, including the weather and the terrain. “You can also give the dog a wrong command. The dog might make a mistake because, for example, he didn’t hear you, or the sheep might be in a bad mood that day.
“There are many factors beyond your control. So, if you and your dog win, it’s wonderful.”
Time and patience
If you want to train a sheepdog, you need a lot of time and patience, says Pierre. “You can’t work one day and skip the next. It’s a seven-day-a-week commitment when you work with little puppies.
“It’s sometimes difficult because you have other farm duties and family responsibilities, but sheepdogs are a part of me and my farm. That’s why I make time for them every day.
“There’s nothing better than getting a dog with an easy temperament that learns quickly. However, the easiest dog isn’t always the best dog.
“Sometimes the dog that’s harder to train is the dog with a strong will and a strong instinct. Those are qualities you look for in a dog that works sheep well.
“I think because my own personality is strong, I prefer the stronger dogs for whom you sometimes have to apply brakes.”
Pierre will work with the dogs in the field for hours every day, teaching them techniques. Then, one day, “everything just falls into place” and all the sheep are neatly in the pen.
“I believe it’s a rare craft to work with sheepdogs. That’s why I enjoy teaching other farmers how to do it right. Working sheepdogs have an instinct that was bred into them more than 100 years ago. It always saddens me when dog owners don’t nurture it. Sheepdogs are happiest when they can work.”
<caption>Pierre with a few sheep controlled by Mac and Kyla. Photo: Supplied
Golden years
In the late 1980s, Pierre lost his first dog due to old age. “It was very difficult for me. Dogs are like family members, and when you work with them in the field every day, you build a very special bond with them.
“Just yesterday, I looked at Mac and Kyla – both are seven years old – and realised I can still let them work for about four more years before their retirement.
“Anything can happen to farm dogs – a snake bite, for example. The other day, a friend’s dog was stung to death by bees. You have to cherish your dogs every day while you can. Having to say goodbye to them one day is unthinkable for me.”
