SEQUIM — Six years ago, Becky Northaven’s life changed.
She adopted a border collie named Katie from a California shelter.
“They had told me that she would never be controllable unless she was medicated,” Northaven said.
“I guess her drugs were sheep.”
Northaven adopted Katie to help with some goats and found that although the dog was good with them, sheep were the true passion of the natural herder.
Demonstrations’ star
Katie has become the star of the show when Northaven does demonstrations and teaches herding classes.
At the annual Shepherds Festival in Sequim on Monday, Northaven ran several demonstrations with Katie and several other dogs at various levels of training herding sheep.
She stayed to give advice.
One family who wanted a border collie as a family pet might reconsider after Northaven gave her advice.
Pet advice
“Border collies are very energetic,” she said.
“If you’re not going to be working their bodies and their minds, it can be very bad for them and they can misbehave.”
During the demonstration, Northaven and the other owners participating commanded the dogs to bring the sheep closer to them — though it was hardly necessary as most of them happily obeyed almost automatically.
“It is in their nature to herd — it is who they are,” Northaven said.
The newest dog, Knight, who is just 9 months old, has been training just barely six months.
As he curved around in a large circle, the friendly crowd of onlookers were almost too much to resist.
His head turned toward the crowd, almost veering off course.
But a short command from Northaven and Knight was back on track.
The festival last year took a break from demonstrations, but in previous year another woman had showed off herding ducks.
More than 25 years
The demonstrations were a part of the festival which has stretched more than 25 years, said Cyndie Stumbaugh, the event’s chairwoman.
“It is a bit slower this year than in the past — I think the weather this morning scared some people away,” she said Monday.
The festival began as a celebration of sheep fibers but has now expanded to fibers from llamas, goats and other animals.
A half-dozen demonstrators were making usable thread out of mounds of dyed wool on wooden spinning wheels while others showed off crocheting and knitting skills.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
