0:00:02 > 0:00:05'This is Teg, my beautiful, soppy sheepdog.'
0:00:06 > 0:00:10I know, it's all about you. It is. It's all about you.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13'Teg is part of a rare breed.'
0:00:13 > 0:00:15She's proper Welsh, isn't she, you know?
0:00:15 > 0:00:18'Yes, Teg is a Welsh sheepdog, a breed brought back
0:00:18 > 0:00:21'from the brink of extinction.
0:00:21 > 0:00:26We found 80 of them, but of the 80, 20 were too old to breed.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29'I want Teg and I to contribute to this story
0:00:29 > 0:00:31'and now that Teghas reached breeding age...'
0:00:31 > 0:00:35She's only two-and-a-half, it's barely legal.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37'..I need to make a decision.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41'If I breed from Teg, her puppies could help her kind.'
0:00:41 > 0:00:45We need a new bloodline, really. In Wales, in the Welsh dogs.
0:00:45 > 0:00:50'But the path to the pitter-patter of puppy paws is not a simple one.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53'As a Welsh sheepdog, Teg should be a working dog,
0:00:53 > 0:00:57'but currently she's suffering from an identity crisis.'
0:00:57 > 0:01:02Sort of a paw in both camps. She's sort of part pet dog...
0:01:03 > 0:01:05..and part working dog.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07'Because I've allowed Teg to spend more time
0:01:07 > 0:01:10'on the sofa with me than herding sheep,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13'we both have to spruce up our shepherding skills.'
0:01:13 > 0:01:15I don't know where to stand, I don't know
0:01:15 > 0:01:19when to give her commands or when not to give her commands.
0:01:19 > 0:01:20SHE WHISTLES
0:01:20 > 0:01:25'After seeing her with other pups, could Teg even handle motherhood?'
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Oh, Teg that's not very maternal.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31'And can I convince my reluctant husband that breeding
0:01:31 > 0:01:33'would be a good thing?'
0:01:33 > 0:01:38- The big question is... Are you ready for puppies?- No.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41'Should I help my quirky dog Teg
0:01:41 > 0:01:43'deliver a basket full of pure Welsh puppies?
0:01:43 > 0:01:47'Or will this all end up as a shaggy dog's tail?
0:01:47 > 0:01:48It's going to be a nightmare.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50It's going to be a nightmare!
0:01:59 > 0:02:03'Eight years ago, I left the city for the good life in Wales.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08'I bought a farm in Monmouth and a mix of livestock.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16'I adopted two rescue dogs. But there was one thing missing.'
0:02:17 > 0:02:23I just need a dog, a dog that can work. As much as I love these two,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27they weren't going to cut it. 'So Teg came into my life.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31'Teg was bred to be a working dog.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36'Although not pedigree registered, she's the daughter
0:02:36 > 0:02:38'of Missy and Cumra,
0:02:38 > 0:02:42'two gorgeous Welsh sheepdogs, a breed I never knew existed
0:02:42 > 0:02:44'until I set my eyes on her.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50'As a sheepdog, Teg's meant to have one role -
0:02:50 > 0:02:52'rounding up livestock.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57'However, there's another side to this story, as my husband,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00'Ludo, knows only too well.'
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Well, when Kate said she wanted to get a working dog or another dog,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06I thought, absolutely no way.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08But, eventually, I said yes to having a third dog
0:03:08 > 0:03:11cos she's a very cute dog, no question about it, but as long
0:03:11 > 0:03:14as Teg stayed on the farm, it would be fine, I thought.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16She'd learn how to be a proper sheepdog.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18The next thing I knew...
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Teg wasn't at the farm, she was on our sofa at home.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Not on the sofa that often.
0:03:25 > 0:03:31- She still sleeps outside.- It's those two words, "that often", isn't it?
0:03:31 > 0:03:32'You get the picture.'
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Right from the start,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38Teg's been a bit of a bone of contention in our house.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40So, Ludo, my husband,
0:03:40 > 0:03:44doesn't take a her terribly seriously as a working dog.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47And just thinks I'm using that...
0:03:47 > 0:03:51You see, you're doing me no favours at all!
0:03:51 > 0:03:55That I'm sort of saying she's a working dog to kind of try
0:03:55 > 0:03:57and deny the fact that, actually,
0:03:57 > 0:03:59we have ended up with three pet dogs,
0:03:59 > 0:04:00which is what he never wanted to do.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04'Teg spends most of her time with our to rescue dogs,
0:04:04 > 0:04:05'Bella and Badger.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12'The truth is she does sneak onto the sofa sometimes.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16'When I'm not around, she sets up camp in Ludo's office.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21'And he's no better than I am at helping her find her true identity.'
0:04:21 > 0:04:24He treats her exactly the same as our other dogs.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26She is treated like a pet.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29And he'll take her out with the other dogs, which I do, too,
0:04:29 > 0:04:33and chuck a Frisbee around with them, which is great,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36she absolutely loves it, and it's great exercise, but...
0:04:38 > 0:04:39SHE SIGHS
0:04:39 > 0:04:42..I just sometimes think it can undermine
0:04:42 > 0:04:44the work that she's doing.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49And it sort of exacerbates, really, this slightly strange
0:04:49 > 0:04:53role that she has, which is a sort of a paw in both camps.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57She's sort of part pet dog, and part working dog, and I think
0:04:57 > 0:05:01sometimes she feels a little bit confused about her identity.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03You know, what am I?
0:05:03 > 0:05:06'To be considered a true Welsh sheepdog,
0:05:06 > 0:05:08'Teg must renounce her pet privileges
0:05:08 > 0:05:11'and become a proper working dog.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14'As if this wasn't enough strain on our domestic bliss,
0:05:14 > 0:05:17'Teg's reached breeding age.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21'And, so, before I can even think about breeding her,
0:05:21 > 0:05:25'I need to address the identity crisis we've unwittingly caused.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29'Have we turned Teg into a hopeless pampered pooch?
0:05:29 > 0:05:33'Or is there still a fully functioning working Welsh sheepdog
0:05:33 > 0:05:35'lurking somewhere in there?
0:05:35 > 0:05:39'There's only one way to find out.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42'We're heading to the hills above Trawsfynydd in the heart
0:05:42 > 0:05:46'of Snowdonia, where sheep are still raised on vast,
0:05:46 > 0:05:51'rugged landscapes by shepherds and their highly-skilled dogs.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53'We've been invited to join them
0:05:53 > 0:05:57'today on a traditional hill gather to see if Teg has what it takes
0:05:57 > 0:06:01'to reconnect with her Welsh working roots.'
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Slightly apprehensive this morning.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08This is going to be a really big test for Teg
0:06:08 > 0:06:12because she's never done a gather before.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16I don't quite know how this is going to work. Alan is a proper...
0:06:16 > 0:06:20proper Welsh farmer with proper Welsh sheepdogs.
0:06:20 > 0:06:25And both of us, I suspect, could get very shown up today.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28'My concern is that, as of late,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31'Teg has been more of a pet than a worker.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34'And she hasn't been around a large number of sheep for three months.'
0:06:39 > 0:06:41You're going to get a proper workout today, Teg.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45We'll see whether that ancestry is any good at all, shall we?
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Hey, shall we?
0:06:47 > 0:06:51'Alan Jones' farm has been in his family for three generations,
0:06:51 > 0:06:55'and they have always used Welsh sheepdogs to heard their flocks.'
0:06:55 > 0:06:57- And these are both Welsh dogs, too? - Both Welsh, yes.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01It's really interesting, isn't it, how different they are, the look,
0:07:01 > 0:07:06- as a breed.- Yeah, they look a bit different, mostly the same type.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10'Unlike most breeds that conform to a distinctive look,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13'the Welsh dogs are bred for their herding behaviour,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16'believed to be ingrained in their genetic make-up.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22'Today, Alan is bringing the sheep down for shearing,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25'and Teg and I will get a chance to help, or perhaps hinder,
0:07:25 > 0:07:27'this traditional gathering.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36'Joining us is Dafydd Gwyndaf,
0:07:36 > 0:07:40'only the chairman of the Welsh Sheepdog Society, the organisation
0:07:40 > 0:07:44'which can certify Teg's Welsh credentials and shed some light
0:07:44 > 0:07:48'onto what distinctive behaviours a Welsh sheepdog should display.'
0:07:48 > 0:07:52It doesn't eye the sheep. It works quite freely.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56And doesn't go down on its... on its belly, or anything like that.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00It works on its feet all the time, with the occasional bark.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04'So, naturally, I'm keen to introduce Teg to him.'
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Her mother's got a complete blue eye.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09So she's got the half on one side,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12and then she's got a little star, like David Bowie.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14HE LAUGHS I always think she looks like
0:08:14 > 0:08:16a cross between David Bowie and Basil Brush!
0:08:16 > 0:08:19So, what's the plan, then?
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Well, the plan is to go up to the mountain now.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23And we'll meet Alan up there.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26- What a spot!- Yes.
0:08:28 > 0:08:29Nice view for you.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31Oh!
0:08:31 > 0:08:36- So, is everything we can see your land?- Yes. Yes.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38You must feel like king of the castle when you're up here.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43- Yes, it's nice when it's dry, like today.- We're having a kind day!
0:08:43 > 0:08:48- Yes.- So, I can see a few sheep in the distance.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52Your job, then, push them down, make sure they don't come back up.
0:08:52 > 0:08:58OK, OK. Teg, were you listening? Were you listening to that? Yeah.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02All right. We'll wait here and see how you get on.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07'And, so, Alan and his dogs set off to do what they do best -
0:09:07 > 0:09:13'round up about 300 sheep with five dogs over 400 acres of mountain.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17'The speed at which the Welsh dogs run over that rugged terrain
0:09:17 > 0:09:18'is incredible.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22'How they can even hear the commands from their owners over those
0:09:22 > 0:09:26'great distances and howling wind, I simply don't know.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29'My guess is the dogs know exactly what they're doing,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32'and the shouting just gives them a bit of extra guidance.'
0:09:32 > 0:09:36HE SHOUTS AND WHISTLES
0:09:36 > 0:09:39'Back in the day, hardy men, known as drovers,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43'and their Welsh dogs would drive livestock long distances to markets.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46'The Welsh sheepdogs were in charge not only of herding the animals
0:09:46 > 0:09:51'but protecting them and their owners from predators and thieves.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55'With the arrival of the railway and motor vehicles, transporting
0:09:55 > 0:09:59'livestock became easier, and the droving tradition slowly ended.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03'This is probably as close to what the drovers used to do
0:10:03 > 0:10:06'as it gets in the 21st century.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10'It's teamwork at its best.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18'Before we know it, the sheep are coming down from all corners,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20'lining up to a more manageable spot.'
0:10:20 > 0:10:22LOUD WHISTLE
0:10:22 > 0:10:25'And that's our cue to join in.
0:10:28 > 0:10:29'Although we have both done
0:10:29 > 0:10:32'a little bit of training over the last 18 months...'
0:10:32 > 0:10:33SHE WHISTLES
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Teg!
0:10:35 > 0:10:38'..it soon becomes clear it's not been enough.'
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Teg, that'll do! That'll do, Teg!
0:10:40 > 0:10:44Teg, come here! Keen as mustard. Wait.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47'Whilst no-one can dispute our enthusiasm...'
0:10:47 > 0:10:48Teg, Teg...
0:10:48 > 0:10:51'..there appears to be a communication breakdown.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54'And I think I know where the problem lies.'
0:10:54 > 0:10:57Teg! You've lost the lot.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59I'm the one that lets her down.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05I just don't... I don't feel confident in any way as a handler.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08I don't know where to stand, I don't know when to give her commands
0:11:08 > 0:11:11or when not to give her commands.
0:11:11 > 0:11:12Steady. Teg, come back! Come back.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Luckily, she's so good, she sort of covers for me.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18'I wonder what the professionals made of her.'
0:11:18 > 0:11:21- The more she worked up there, the better she got.- Yeah.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23And if she was up here for two or three weeks,
0:11:23 > 0:11:25she'd be a different dog.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27You're not stealing her.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31'Yes, we both can do with more training,
0:11:31 > 0:11:35'but I think the experience has definitely proved that Teg
0:11:35 > 0:11:39'has the instincts and latent skills of a working Welsh sheepdog.'
0:11:39 > 0:11:45I've got the happiest dog. She's got this sort of grin from ear to ear.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Your work is done.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49She just... Look at her!
0:11:49 > 0:11:52She's like a kind of kid that's had too many sweets.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54She's just running around and around in circles,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56she's so excited about the whole thing.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01It was just lovely to see her out on a Welsh hillside, you know,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03her habitat...
0:12:03 > 0:12:07with Welsh sheep, doing what she was absolutely bred to do.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Has she jumped in? Teg!
0:12:13 > 0:12:17'But, back at home, bad habits are hard to break.'
0:12:18 > 0:12:22Teg goes... "Great, I'm a pet." And she'll go and chase a Frisbee.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25I think she just forgets that she's a sheepdog.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28For a long time, Kate has dreamt of having that kind of
0:12:28 > 0:12:30working relationship with a dog, but I...
0:12:30 > 0:12:34I will be amazed if she can actually develop that with Teg
0:12:34 > 0:12:38effectively enough to have her count as a proper sheepdog.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42'Maybe Ludo is right, but it's a challenge I'm determined to face.'
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Now, then, where have you got to with your handling?
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Can you give her "Come by" and it'll work?
0:12:49 > 0:12:52Yes, yes, and she'll pretty much listen to that.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55'My guru, Adeline Jones, has been working with me and Teg
0:12:55 > 0:12:57'for over a year now.'
0:12:57 > 0:12:59There. Stand there. Stay there.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02'She's the secretary of the Welsh Sheepdog Society.'
0:13:02 > 0:13:04No, no, no!
0:13:04 > 0:13:06'And, to be registered with them as a true Welsh dog,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09'Teg must prove she can work with sheep.'
0:13:09 > 0:13:14- The voice of evil, she recognises me.- You must keep her back there.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16'Adeline is a master handler,
0:13:16 > 0:13:20'and Teg works better with her than she does with me.'
0:13:20 > 0:13:22You need to keep her from running all over you
0:13:22 > 0:13:25because all she is doing is she's...
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- I'm in control.- Yes! Because she is!
0:13:28 > 0:13:30You don't really matter at all, and I can run them over
0:13:30 > 0:13:32- the top of you. - 'The roles are reversed here.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35'Teg is the one handling me.'
0:13:35 > 0:13:37Steady, Teg. Steady.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39I suppose you have that inherent understanding that
0:13:39 > 0:13:42I don't have of the position that a dog's going to be
0:13:42 > 0:13:44and what's that's going to do to the sheep.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46At the moment, I haven't joined those dots.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48She picks up that I haven't got the confidence.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51- Do you think that's right? - I think that is entirely true,
0:13:51 > 0:13:56and I think you need to work on taking control of the situation.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58- Yeah.- And where to stand, it'll come with experience.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00You just have to learn it.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06Good girl. Steady, steady. Stand, stand. Teg, Teg, steady.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09She's in control now. She's putting a bit of pressure on.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12She's got them back, she knows what she's doing.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Come and have this gate and shut it across the back.
0:14:14 > 0:14:19- Now, that was you and her. - Mainly her.- Very little of me!
0:14:19 > 0:14:24Teg knows what to do. It's pack instinct, it's how they hunt.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28They observe, they see what's going on
0:14:28 > 0:14:33and they fit in with whatever they need to do. And... Well, Kate...
0:14:33 > 0:14:38isn't a dog, and doesn't do it that way. Perhaps Teg can teach Kate.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41That's hopefully where it will go, anyway.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43SHE LAUGHS
0:14:43 > 0:14:46'Given their innate herding instincts, it's difficult
0:14:46 > 0:14:50'to imagine that the Welsh sheepdogs almost disappeared a few years ago.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54They fell out of fashion when the Scottish Border Collies
0:14:54 > 0:14:59'and sheepdog trials became popular in the 1930s.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03Breeders started crossing the Border collies with the Welsh sheepdogs
0:15:03 > 0:15:06and the pure Welsh working dogs plummeted in numbers.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11This is really where you see the difference
0:15:11 > 0:15:15between the Borders and the Welsh.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17If this was a Welsh dog,
0:15:17 > 0:15:19they would be upright, standing behind the sheep.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23The Border collies are so controlled.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26You see them working right down on the ground.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29They are attentive to every sound.
0:15:29 > 0:15:35But it's interesting that I've spoken to enough Welsh farmers now,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39farming in, you know, quite rugged environments,
0:15:39 > 0:15:43and all of them have said a collie wouldn't cut it out here.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45It's got to be a Welsh dog.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49If it wasn't for the efforts of two neighbouring farmers
0:15:49 > 0:15:52and a dog named Topsy, my Teg wouldn't be around today.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56John Davies and Huw Thomas were responsible for saving
0:15:56 > 0:16:01the Welsh sheepdogs from the brink of extinction nearly 20 years ago.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04I catch up with them at John's farm near Aberystwyth.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Hello. Good to see you, John.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09So this is Topsy's great-great-granddaughter?
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Topsy was the first dog to be registered as pedigree
0:16:12 > 0:16:14by the Welsh Sheepdog Society,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18which, for Teg, is almost like being related to the Royals.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23I wanted a dog to mate with Topsy to keep...
0:16:23 > 0:16:26a Welsh dog, to keep the breed going
0:16:26 > 0:16:29and I could see they were getting less every year.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33And Huw was going around the country, around farms,
0:16:33 > 0:16:35so I phoned him one evening
0:16:35 > 0:16:38asking him if he knew of a good Welsh dog somewhere
0:16:38 > 0:16:42which I could put on Topsy to keep the breed going.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Together, they kick-started a nationwide search
0:16:45 > 0:16:49for pure Welsh dogs, and the findings were alarming.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51We found 80 of them,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54but, of the 80, 20 were too old to breed,
0:16:54 > 0:16:56so that reduced it to 60, which is, you know,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00it's getting to the stage of... extinction would have occurred
0:17:00 > 0:17:02in the next five years without any shadow of doubt.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06I suppose the main message was then, go forth and multiply.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Which is what they did.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14Today, there are about 2,000 Welsh sheepdogs registered in the country,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18which is a remarkable comeback from such a small gene pool.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21But in reality, that number compares to the population
0:17:21 > 0:17:23of giant pandas left in the wild.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30The history of the Welsh sheepdog goes back a long way.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34To discover their origin, I meet with a historian
0:17:34 > 0:17:36at the National Library of Wales.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Cledwyn Fychan has arranged for us to have a look
0:17:39 > 0:17:41at some ancient manuscripts.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43The history of the Welsh herding dog,
0:17:43 > 0:17:47or the "bugeilgi" as it's known in Welsh,
0:17:47 > 0:17:52goes back to references in The Laws of Hywel Dda,
0:17:52 > 0:17:56which possibly stretch back 800 to 1,000 years.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59The king of all Wales in the 9th century, Hywel Dda,
0:17:59 > 0:18:03or Hywel the Good, wanted to create a just society
0:18:03 > 0:18:06by attributing value to everything that mattered.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11So it's this bugeilgi who goes in the morning behind the herd
0:18:11 > 0:18:15and then comes behind them again in the evening, bringing them back.
0:18:15 > 0:18:20That dog is worth the most expensive or the most valuable oxen.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23Do you think I'm allowed to refer back to this law
0:18:23 > 0:18:26and say that my dog is far more valuable than anybody else's?
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Who knows? You may find it to your advantage if you did.
0:18:30 > 0:18:31Erm...
0:18:31 > 0:18:34how sure can we be
0:18:34 > 0:18:38that the Welsh dogs working today
0:18:38 > 0:18:40are true Welsh dogs?
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Well, erm...
0:18:43 > 0:18:46what is a true Welsh dog?
0:18:46 > 0:18:50When you consider that the laws again, it says there specifically
0:18:50 > 0:18:54that a bugeilgi can be of any type
0:18:54 > 0:18:58as long as it can perform certain duties.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00And that's still true today.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07So, based on tradition, it would seem like it doesn't really matter
0:19:07 > 0:19:10what a bugeilgi, or a Welsh sheepdog, looks like,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14as they are defined simply by their behaviour and the way they work.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17But what about Teg?
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Is her behaviour that of a Welsh sheepdog?
0:19:20 > 0:19:22Well, tomorrow, she's going to be assessed
0:19:22 > 0:19:25by the Welsh Sheepdog Society.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29We have to look tough and manly and working.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33If she can demonstrate that she works with the characteristics
0:19:33 > 0:19:36of a Welsh sheepdog to a panel of experts,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39she will be given her Welsh Sheepdog Society registration
0:19:39 > 0:19:41and then, if I breed from her,
0:19:41 > 0:19:45her puppies could contribute to future generations.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57It's judgement day.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01Teg and five other dogs are about to be scrutinised.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06A team of experts will be watching their every move.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09If they perform well, they will be awarded a breeding licence
0:20:09 > 0:20:11by the Welsh Sheepdog Society.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14The way they work will be crucial
0:20:14 > 0:20:17as it's this that defines their Welsh credentials.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21Their style of working is very particular to Welsh sheepdogs.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26With their tails held high, they dart boldly around the flock.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Unless told otherwise, they are constantly on their feet.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Unlike borders, they don't use a fixed stare,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35yet their eyes don't miss a thing.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39And when the occasion calls for it, they're not afraid to be vocal.
0:20:39 > 0:20:40BARKING
0:20:40 > 0:20:43It's our turn and first impressions count.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46You all look quite intimidating.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Morning. Kate. Lovely to see you.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51How are you, Ian? Nice to see you.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55- Erwyd.- Hi, Erwyd. - How are you?- Hello. Good to see you.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59So this is Teg and we're both a bit nervous.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01SHE LAUGHS
0:21:01 > 0:21:03What's your feeling, just looking at her?
0:21:03 > 0:21:06The first thing from the head, a proper Welsh head
0:21:06 > 0:21:10should have a distinctive dip between the temple and there.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12But that isn't there. That could be a Border.
0:21:12 > 0:21:18- And Welsh dogs should have a slightly shorter, broader head.- OK.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22She's a bit long in her tail.
0:21:22 > 0:21:23OK.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27Which is a funny thing to say
0:21:27 > 0:21:29but, like, most Welsh dogs...
0:21:31 > 0:21:35- ..have got a shorter tail than a Border.- Right.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39- She has got a Border collie's tail. - Right.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42'Teg, a Border collie? I don't think she's happy with that.'
0:21:44 > 0:21:45SHE WHISTLES
0:21:45 > 0:21:48That'll do, Teg! Teg, that'll do!
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Excuse me a minute.
0:21:54 > 0:21:55WHISTLING
0:21:55 > 0:21:58- She's eager.- Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01She's a very keen, eager bitch.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05I have insulted her.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09She's trying to prove to you she's definitely not a collie.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11Insulted the bitch, I can see.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16She said, "I may have a long tail and a long nose
0:22:16 > 0:22:18"but I'm definitely Welsh."
0:22:19 > 0:22:20Well done, Teg.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24She's not going to allow them to judge her just on looks alone.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Now it's time to show them officially what she's made of.
0:22:30 > 0:22:31Away, Teg.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37'The aim of the assessment is to show how Teg behaves
0:22:37 > 0:22:39'when herding the sheep.'
0:22:39 > 0:22:45- What it wanted was a five-mile run before the start.- To settle down.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49'Our plan is simple - to move the flock from one side of the field
0:22:49 > 0:22:51'to the other and stop by a gate.'
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Good girl.
0:22:54 > 0:22:55Teg, by, by.
0:22:55 > 0:22:56A bit wild.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Teg, by, by.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02The dog seems to have got it about it.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05- It only needs some training. - Yeah, yeah.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09The tail comes up on the corners.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Right, we are in...in business.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16- Now that is showing far better now. - Yeah, yeah.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21- Tidy.- Keeps them in a bunch anyway.
0:23:21 > 0:23:22Quite tidy.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39That'll do. Come here.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Good, good. Excellent, Kate.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Well, it takes us a little bit of time to find our feet,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46but what did you make of her?
0:23:48 > 0:23:50Good.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Yes, good.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56Actually, she was doing work on her feet,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59she was working
0:23:59 > 0:24:01in a Welsh manner.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Yeah. Tail up.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07- A bit of a bark every now and then. - Yeah, that was acceptable.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11The only thing, she was a bit overenthusiastic.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13A bit like her owner!
0:24:15 > 0:24:20It's all looking good for Teg, but then they drop a bombshell.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24They want to know if Teg's parents are pure Welsh sheepdogs
0:24:24 > 0:24:26and I simply don't know the answer.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30The problem you have got...
0:24:30 > 0:24:36- You don't know her full history. - That's right.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38- Of her bloodline.- That's right.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42So we wouldn't be able to register
0:24:42 > 0:24:45her puppies.
0:24:45 > 0:24:46OK.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51They would have to be put to the test working first.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Does that mean she can't be registered?
0:24:55 > 0:24:57- Yes.- Right.- No.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02'OK, so we have a bit of a good news, bad news situation.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06'On the bright side, they all agreed that Teg works in a Welsh way
0:25:06 > 0:25:10'and if I breed from her, her puppies could be registered,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13'as long as they show the same Welsh working traits
0:25:13 > 0:25:14'and pass the assessment.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18'But on the downside, Teg can't be registered,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21'although I'm not going to give up quite yet.'
0:25:21 > 0:25:26The stumbling block is the fact that we don't know her maternal line.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29We know who her father is and we know his breeding
0:25:29 > 0:25:34but we don't know anything about Missy, her mum, and her breeding,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37and that's the thing that's stopping them saying,
0:25:37 > 0:25:38"We can register her."
0:25:38 > 0:25:42So I think I've got a bit of a detective story on my hands.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49But, first things first, it's time Ludo and I have a little chat.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52- She's been assessed.- Yeah.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56And the general consensus is that she is a good dog
0:25:56 > 0:26:00and, erm, if we bred her,
0:26:00 > 0:26:04the puppies could be registered if they worked, you know,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07in the same way as Welsh sheepdogs,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10so she would then contribute
0:26:10 > 0:26:13to the future of the breed.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16OK. I thought you were going to say contribute to the household budget!
0:26:16 > 0:26:20Her pedigree. But would they be pedigree?
0:26:20 > 0:26:23They would be able to be registered as Welsh sheepdogs.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27Well done, Teg. Congratulations.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29You've passed the first test.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32The big question is - are you ready for puppies?
0:26:32 > 0:26:34No.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Where are you going to live when she has them?
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Well, she could come into season, sort of...
0:26:40 > 0:26:43October, late October, November.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45A nine-week pregnancy.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48So we could have puppies.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51That's Christmas or something. Isn't it ridiculous?
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Can you imagine anything sweeter than...
0:26:53 > 0:26:56That would be appalling. Just imagine it.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59So...what do you think?
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Do you think we should do it?
0:27:03 > 0:27:06I don't know. Do you want to do it?
0:27:06 > 0:27:07"Please! Please!"
0:27:09 > 0:27:11I promise we won't keep any.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15I can see you holding your fingers.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19So what do you think? Shall we do it?
0:27:23 > 0:27:25Do I have to commit, do I?
0:27:25 > 0:27:28- Why?- Because it's being filmed and if you commit now
0:27:28 > 0:27:30you can't get out of it.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Maybe.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Well, you want me to say yes, do you?
0:27:37 > 0:27:39- A nice, clean...- Yes.- .."yes"?
0:27:39 > 0:27:44Without you talking over me like that? All right, then.
0:27:44 > 0:27:45Good.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50It's going to be a nightmare. It's going to be a nightmare.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54It's going to be three months of puppy poo
0:27:54 > 0:27:56for Christmas and beyond.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58We were going on holiday then and everything.
0:27:58 > 0:28:03I tell you what, I'll go on holiday and you can look after puppies.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05When do you wean them?
0:28:05 > 0:28:07'We'll see about that!'
0:28:09 > 0:28:13'Next time, I set off on a mission to find Teg's ancestry.'
0:28:13 > 0:28:15- But did you go to a farm? - No, I didn't.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19'We learn about the complications of matchmaking dogs.'
0:28:19 > 0:28:24You stand a chance of problems with deafness and with eye problems.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27'And I play Cupid to find Teg a suitor.'
0:28:27 > 0:28:31I can't tell whether that's a kiss or potential for a snap.