travail/work (ou/or) index
The
CANT of the French Collie Club
Recommended for breeding
In France, getting 4 points as a quotation mark for a dog or a
bitch stands as a major step as far as the official qualification
'recommended for breeding' is at stake (please see Collie Seasons
Winter 1999 page 79/80 for quotation). In a previous article (Collie
Seasons Summer 2000 page 125/129), I presented the TAN (Character
Test) as a compulsary right of way for a dog to reach the 4 points
level. Nevertheless, another solution has to be considered. Indeed,
the CANT (test of Sheepdog Natural Aptitudes) can replace the
TAN for the obtention of 3 or 4 points.
Study sheepdog qualities
The CANT stands as a test whose purpose is to detect and study
the sheepdog qualities of a dog when facing a flock of sheep (inborn
qualities). They are a well balanced temperament, a marked interest
for the flock and the will to circle round and gather the flock.
But for Pierre Legatte in charge of judging the CANT: 'The CANT
is not a trial but it is a test that does not at all penalize
a dog. Indeed, either our Collie kept a certain atavism worthy
of a sheepdog and he will show it, or, he has got no interest
for the flock, which does not take back from him his petdog qualities,
agility dog or whatever qualities concerning the discipline he
is trained for'.
Creation CANT
The CANT was created in 1980 by Paul Le Goff, one of the CANT
judges in France today, and involves all sheepdog breeds such
as Border Collie, Pyrenean Sheepdogs, Sheepdogs originated from
Beauce or Brie ... and of course Collies. It directly depends
on the National Comission for Working Sheepdogs of the French
Kennel Club and can be either organized by this Comission or by
any Club charged with the Sheepdog breed. Besides, it only concerns
6 to 18 months old dogs (previously 3 to 8 months old dogs) because,
according to Paul Le Goff, the instinct of a dog gets transformed
as he becomes older by the education he is given. And he often
noticed that the best results were obtained by younger dogs. In
fact, the important matter is a dog to behave instinctly during
the test. So, either a dog circles round the flock because he
was already trained and prepared to do this or he doesn't react
at all because his education forbids him from leaving his owner
(too much dependence), however he won't be able to pass the CANT.
The test can be entered as many times as the owner of a dog wishes
but once a dog passes, he can't take it anymore to try to get
even better results. However, Paul Le Goff claims: 'We regret
this possibility for a dog to enter the CANT several times because
we have realized that the purpose of the creation of the test
(to detect the aptitudes that were truly 'natural', that is 'inate'),
is divergent as we may find dogs already prepared for this exam
in order to obtain a better studdog quotation mark within their
own club.
Official acknowledgement
From an historical point of view, the CANT of the French Collie
Club was first present at the French Collie Club Championship
Shows as a part of the TAN but was soon considered efficient enough
or in order to become a separate test of the same significance.
So, in 1997 in Checy it officially became as worthable as the
TAN itself as far as the quotation of dogs was concerned, sheepdog
qualities were back on the stage ! ! ! Finally, I have to accent
the fact, comparing the TAN and the CANT test, that TAN is only
considered as a valuable test for the French Collie Club whereas
CANT has got an official acknowledgement. That's why the appearance
of a special mention on the pedigrees of the offspring of a dog
(bitch) passing the CANT was once discussed. But since then the
French Kennel Club elaborated a new document named 'Le Palmarès'
which adds up totalize all the results of a dog, whether they
involve showing, working or testing. This document can be procured
from the French Kennel Club and a database should soon be created
that would display all those results. In 1999, Chantal Bergeot,
secretary and Regional representant for the French Collie Club,
was the first to have a CANT organized during a Collie Club Show.
Hoping this initiative will continue because no matter where,
when or who organizes the CANT, anyway it will be taken into account
and prevent a dog from having to try and pass the TAN once he
has reached the age to be recommended ! (this decision was taken
by The Technical Breeding Commission of the French Collie Club
and confirmed by the Commission of the French Collie Club).
The CANT is divided into 2 parts:
- a short test of sociability
- a test of sheepdog aptitudes
Interview
Before proceeding to this, the judge interviews the dog's owner
in order to determine which external factors could influence the
dog during the test. These factors will help the judge to grasp
the real personality of a dog and are directly in connection with
the (kind of) life the dog has been leading since he was born;
daily environment, life conditions, discipline practise (agility,
defense), age of the dog when he was purchased and urban or country
life. According to Mr Lory (CANT judge): 'So many external factors,
owner asking for obedience or forbidding his dog to react as wanted,
overbearing objectivity of the owner or the family makes the dog
turn away easily from his native role. But our urban pets lost
their pastoral behaviour. This is not so bad but it hides many
inate qualities that can be seen through the aptitudes, thanks
to the CANT which can be considered as a valuable base of selection'.
Without any doubt, the role of the judge stands as a significant
one and each dog has to be considered as an entity.
Sociability
The test of sociability is aimed for judging whether a dog has
got a balanced temperament, not fearfull nor aggresive. If the
dog passes this first test, he immediately starts to try to pass
the test of sheepdog aptitudes (second test). The sociability
test is short, because the TAN is the real Character TEST. Anyway,
the judge approach the dog to see whether he is not agressive
(trying to bite) nor fearful (trying to escape when touching him).
Sheepdog aptitudes
A flock of sheep stands in a fencing enclosure/paddock. The owner
takes the dog to about 50 meters far from the fencing enclosure
(no leash is required) then, he must walk slowly closer to the
fencing paddock. In the meantime, the judge is waiting patiently
for the dog to react in order to analyse the situation carefully.
Sometimes, it's no use waiting at all as the dog's reaction is
immediate, he is to leave the owner and makes for the flock. But
the reaction can also be observed later when approaching the fencing
enclosure or even being in the fencing in the enclosure/paddock
itself. All that happens outside and inside the fencing enclosure
is carefully noted by the judge.
Actually, the dog's reaction depends on the relation he has with
his owner being close and dependant (that is acting quite late
or not at all when facing the flock). So during the test, the
aim is the dog to understand that he's supposed to be interested
in the sheepflock and that he won't be scolded for it by the owner.
Once again, the role of the judge is significant as you will see
it below.
Once the sheepflock has caught the dog's interest, the judge's
part is to determine whether this interest reveals a chaser behaviour
or a real sheepdog instinct. In the first case, the dog is to
pursue the flock and try to isolate a sheep to grasp and aggress
it. In the second case, the dog tries to circle round and gather
the flock when they try to escape, overtaking in order to stop
it, at this moment the jugde can really think he has to do with
sheepdog aptitudes.
Then the judge leads the flock in the center of the fencing enclosure
and the dog is expected to turn around it in order to to prevent
a sheep from escaping the flock and try to make them closer to
the owner. For practical reasons, the fencing enclosure has to
be wide enough (a circular enclosure of more than 10 or 20 meters
of diameter, no maximum being required) otherwise the dog could
feel emprisonned and the flock could have difficulties to move
properly.
To make it possible for the dog to circle round and gather the
flock, the judge is doing his best, making the flock move to stimulate
the dog. Besides, he helps him in order that he takes the opportunity
to block the moving flock by placing himself front of it.
Collies passing CANT
During the French Collie Club Championship, the success rate for
the CANT stands about between 20 % and 30 % which is quite encouraging.
I have to mention the performance of the Collie Lassie of Serge
Lubineau who became French Sheepdog Ch. in 1979 and 1980. The
reasons for a dog to fail are mainly ; a dog being a victim of
his education, too much dependant on his owner, being unable to
have the least interest for the flock or lacking self confidence
or power. The dogs who succeeded, showed a real concern for the
flock without any aggessivity; they even took the opportunity
by themselves to turn around the flock in order to bring it back
to the owner.
Recent CANT graduates
Writing this article and studying the list of dogs successfully
passing the CANT, I noticed that some dogs carrying same lines
in their pedigrees and I soon asked myself questions about a possible
genetic factor. Who better than Raphaël Pouplard, new French
Country Agent, but known in France and abroad for his articles
about Collies, the Florange line etc., much passionate and competent
for investigations pedigrees.
Here are his conclusions:
It's quite difficult to sum up which lines seem to pass on the
herding qualities as a lot of ancestries are concerned and just
a few Collies passed the test. But if we look at the pedigree
of all the ones who succeed, we can find some ties between them.
Among them, of course I have to mention O'Neil Irish Coffee de
Malourène and Ouna Black Rose de Malourène who come
from the same litter sired by F.Ch.Joey of Adhara Night out of
Guiness Bear de
Florange. There are also 3 children of Int.Ch.Night And Day des
Marécages du Prince namely Objectif Lune des Marécages
du Prince, Blue Cristal Youdevil Passion and Orson du Clos de
Seawind. The pedigree of Night and Day is mainly based on the
Florange sable line and it's also interesting to notice that a
lot of the dogs who passed the test can also trace back their
ancestry to that line, like Maïna de l'Or en Barre, Nothing
Like The Sun du Pré Luneau, Orphée Black du Clos
d'Eole, Pilgrim Blood d'Akernar Dénébola, Orson
du Clos de Seawind, and Pacific de La Closerie du Petit Gruau.
But the pedigree of Night And Day also contains the Troydon line
and this affix is featured behind a large number of CANT winners:
Nelson Bleu du Vent des Moissons, Orca Schwartz de la Vallée
des Noyères, Pussy Cat In Blue de Remember Our Love and
Perline Blue de Winthrop.
And not to be forgotten, the name of Int.F.Ch.Dundee Night de
Florange must be mentioned as he is the sire, grand-sire or great-grand-sire
of Nothing
Like The Sun du Pré Luneau, Only The Very Best du Clos
des Duchesses, Orson Night du Clos de Seawind, Nelson Bleu du
Vent des Moissons, Pacific de la Closerie du Petit Gruau, O'Neil
Irish Coffee de Malourène and Ouna Black Rose de Malourène.
Express opinion
The CANT Test is quite popular in France in the eyes of judges
and breeders as stated below:
For Christine Bisconte (Marécages du Prince kennel, Top Collie breeder in France): "The CANT is a plus for the Collie breed. Indeed, even though we can't exactly take the Collie as a working dog today, nevertheless, this is interesting to keep in mind that not only is he a pleasant petdog, but has also aptitudes as far as leading a flock is considered. Personally, I don't think that the future of the Collie breed depends on the working aptitudes but, the search for balanced temperaments is primeval in order that the breed could always be appreciated as deserved. A balanced temperament, a sociable dog, not fearfull, these are what is expected from a Collie nowadays. And a parallel can be drawn between these qualities and a sheepdog instinct even though they are not totally linked. Nevertheless, the hereditary part can't be discussed passing this instinct what could be used in breed selection".
Chantal Bergeot (Du Pré Luneau kennel, a representative for the French Collie Club also stands as a real defender of the CANT): "I am of course convinced of the utility of the CANT as a general though process concerning the Collie and involving breeding for beauty and trying to reach a type we appreciate but also working on temperaments and dog sociability. For me, a dog who works (as a sheepdog leading a flock or practising a discipline such as Agility or Obedience) is of course a dog close to his owner, who loves him and loves to learn how to understand what his orders and wishes mean. Working with his owner stands for him as a privileged moment ... and as the Collie belongs to the first group of dogs, that is made to 'walk and gather', we would be in the wrong not to try to work on his ancestral instincts. Also, it seems to me that the CANT represents a non negligable advantage, an argument for the promotion and the revalorization of the Collie breed whose temperament is often criticized (wrongly or rightly unfortunately) ".
Finally, Mr Kerihuel (President of the French Collie Club and judge) adds: "The utility of the CANT is primordial for a working dog as the Collie, even though the Border Collie proved himself to be superior when leading a flock without any doubt. Our dear Collies suffer from having a bit negative picture for the highest majority of the people: 'He is handsome but not very intelligent'. Whereas a sheepdog represents a more pastoral side with a great sense of cleverness when leading a shepflock or a herd. We should show that our Collies can reveal themselves to be worthy sheepdogs and the CANT stands as the best mean to manage to prove it".
