Dear Readers,
When you read this Editorial, the Société Royale Saint-Hubert will have organised
the 2016 FCI European Section Show in Brussels.
More than 12,000 participating dogs have entered this prestigious event !!! Isn’t
it amazing? It depends on how you look at those figures! It’s amazing “per se”
as such an entry places the 2016 FCI European Section Show among the top 3 of all
the FCI Section Shows ever. It’s amazing because the World has been going and turning
somewhat wrong lately but still, exhibitors and breeders do want to live their passion
for dogs and keep taking part in all kinds of canine events, be it shows or sport
competitions. We do thank and congratulate them for that.
Read more
Yves De Clercq
FCI Executive Director
FCI Commission for Herding Dogs - Activity report
The last meeting of the FCI Herding Commission was in Amsterdam on 26-27 June, 2015.
Delegates from Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, The Netherlands, Russia,
Switzerland and Sweden were present. During the meeting, Luigi Cavalchini (Italy)
was re-elected as President of the Commission, Jean-Paul Kerihuel (France) as Vice-president
and Sandra von Erlach (Switzerland) as Secretary, all of them unanimously. The
Natural Herding Aptitude Test NHAT was approved by the FCI General Committee. The
Herding Instinct is a complex of hereditary characteristics and abilities, which
makes a dog useful to control flock animals: interest in flock animals, willingness
to cooperate with its handler, the drive to control the movement of the flock, the
natural aim to search for the balance position opposite its handler in order to
gain better control of the flock. Only training and experience will allow the dog
to face more difficult trials, in which the most gifted dogs will be able to express
at the maximum level of their natural aptitude.
The commission works on the revision of herding rules, revision to be completed
during the next meeting. At the meeting, special attention was pointed out on animal
care during herding training of dogs and about animal welfare.
The interest in herding dog activities, both collecting (Border Collies) and traditional
(inter – breed) increased over the last few years and the commission pointed out
this recommendation to the FCI member countries, with the purpose to practice this
activity under the FCI umbrella:
- if the country does not have any representative in the commission, nominate a delegate
with interest and experience
- adopting the FCI Herding rules
- stimulating the organisation of tests and trials under FCI rules
- controlling international trials following the FCI rules, promoting the education
of new herding judges with specific background.
The next meeting will take place in Bergamo (Italy), on 10-11-12 June, 2016.
Luigi Guidobono Cavalchini
President of the FCI Commission for Herding Dogs