[Cheviot]

Hi,
 I have just seen this on the International sheepdog website.
Quote.  "ITV is filming a new show featuring sheepdogs and shepherding next month – and free audience tickets are available.
Flock Stars will feature eight celebrities who, under the guidance of three professional mentors, have all retrained as shepherds.
After spending six intensive weeks learning the craft, the eight Flock Stars, along with their sheepdogs, will come together to prove their herding skills in front of a live audience.
ISDS members Emma Gray and Ed Hawkins are two of the professional mentors working with the celebrities.
Hosted by Gabby Logan and filmed at the Sterling Quarter Horses Equestrian Centre in East Sussex, Flock Stars will be an entertaining day out for anyone involved in the sheepdog world!"
Anyone else but me, think this has got to be the most absolutely stupid idea, ever. A few years ago there was the celebrity show jumping programme, after which the British horse society said they had received a huge amount of enquiries about learning to ride, which was an excellent response to that particular programme, but this shepherding programme is going to give the impression that you can get a dog and be a shepherd within six weeks!!!!!!!    How many people will just go out and buy a border collie pup, because unfortunately border collies are probably one of the cheapest breeds to buy into, then go to a trainer, or not, and realise that it isn't quite as simple as it looked on the telly, and promptly dump the unfortunate dog, hopefully at a rescue centre but most likely kicked out of the car in the countryside, because that is where there are some sheep for it to play with!!!!!!!!. Then there are the people who will watch it and think that is perfectly ok to go and let their little darling doggie have a go at herding sheep, because they have again seen it on the telly, it won't matter to most of them that the sheep do not belong to them, just because it looked like fun on the telly.
I don't usually get irate at TV programmes but I don't think you need hindsight to see the repercussions of celebrity shepherds, if it is anything like the showjumping programme, it was pitched as entertainment and on at prime time at the weekend, it wasn't very informative about horse care and the needs of the animal, and I doubt if this one will be, I really do hope that I'm proved wrong, but I just don't think so.
Rant over off to do some meditating to bring the blood pressure down.
Regards
Sue

[Marches Farmer]

Alas, I think you may be right.  And if there was ever a breed of dog that isn't suited to life in a small, suburban semi it''s the BC!

[Womble]

Reality TV really has 'jumped the shark' now, hasn't it?

[Fleecewife]

That was a brilliant rant Sue 

Very very sadly, I think you're right about the possible outcome 

[doganjo]

So write to the producers then  doubt if they are TASers

[Herdygirl]

Makes you wonder how desperate for money the ISDS, professional mentors and so called 'celebrities' are.
 

[Porterlauren]

Funny how shepherding is now cool.

Most be the book lol.

[Lesley Silvester]

Where do they get their ideas from? Someone who knows nothing about sheep?

[renee]

No, another flock animal that is getting more common - homo idiotis 

[claire]

likewise .. interest in horses... clueless new owners.. horses ill cared for and dumped...one of those celebrities still going on about her sore back from when she fell off...
monkey see, monkey do.

[Castle Farm]

Should be interesting to watch, being as the dogs have more intelligence than the celebs.

[ellied]

Since a border collie (and a 3 legged sheltie) just won Britain's Got Talent I imagine a show where newcomers try and learn how to work a dog may be useful to demonstrate the challenges as well as the apparent ease of a finished pro team winning quarter of a million on TV with a 2 minute act..

Lots of folk already fancy a try at what they perceive to be an idyllic lifestyle with rural pursuits.  Some make decent smallholders and riders, dogowners etceventually, some will prove disastrously with a variety of animals, agri and domestic.  Better they see celebs find out how hard it can be and laugh while it's all still on the TV.

[john and helen]

By gum, i wouldn't want you lot as a jury 

lets see who the celebs are 1st, who knows what backgrounds they come from, i have one friend who is an actor, and when he is not doing that he is dry stone walling and fencing…

we already had one man and his dog, and it does say the are being trained by experts,
i often see local smallholders holding 1 day courses on sheep handling or birthing , or pigs cattle etc etc for other smallholders, ..most of us are clueless until shown or taught, not all of us come from farming backgrounds

[Coastie]

I just see more Border Collies going into homes that are unsuitable for a dog bred to work -along with the Sprockers and Springers