BCCA HIC Test
The BCCA Herding Instinct Test is done under the auspices of the BCCA or other sponsors.
There is no fee for the sponsoring club or for the HIC certificate. The last revision governing the HIC program was in 2008 and it took effect in 2009. The earliest age for BCCA HIC testing is 6 months of age and for AKC instinct testing it is 9 months of age.
Instinct Test Information and Forms
Sponsors, you should download all forms (except for the sample flyer & registration form) to be sure you have the latest ones.
Forms. There are minor revisions to improve instructions for the judges; no-pass definitions are in bold font on the judge’s test form and those are also defined in the judge’s instruction sheet.
- Sponsor Information Sheet (updated Aug 2024)
- HIC Sponsor Check Sheet (updated Aug 2024)
- Judge’s Instruction Sheet
- BCCA HIC Test Form (make in triplicate; one to judge, one to owner, one for sponsor to retain)
- Sample flyer and registration form. Change as needed for your club or sponsor.
Learn About Instinct Testing
This slide presentation describes the venues that offer instinct tests (AHBA, AKC, BCCA) and defines terms used in herding. There are many pictures — all of Beardies with different stock in different places to demonstrate the terms.
This presentation takes a few moments to open because of the large size. It is “self-guided”; use the navigation bar at the bottom to advance or backup. When done, hit the ESC key to leave the PDF presentation and then the back arrow to return to the website. Click here for the slide presentation.
History of The Program
A working herding program began in 1982 (source: The 1994 Bearded Collie Annual, p 69-71, interview in 1986 with Susan Holm). Susan related that Mari Taggart, Jo Parker, and she wrote the program and it was approved in February 1982. It was the first of its kind and it was based on the premise that the process of testing needed to reach average Beardie owners with no knowledge of herding. The program was revised in 1985 to reflect knowledge gained that was specific to Bearded Collies. The biggest obstacle early on, according to Susan, was getting the program off the West Coast.
The first National Specialty Test was held at the 1985 Specialty in Washington state. 20 slots and 5 alternates were made available and with a 70% pass rate, most of the top show placements and the majority of the class winners were instinct certified. After that specialty event, there was an increase in interest across the country.
When asked “what do you feel are the benefits of testing for herding instincts?”, Susan gave a reply that remains relevant today. She said the number one benefit is that it keeps the breed whole. Instinct testing goes beyond working ability; the correct working temperament is also the ideal temperament for the dog in general, for show, for obedience, to share life with day in and day out.
The test was geared to test natural herding instinct and no training was required. Dogs passing a single test were entitled to use H.C. after their name. Dogs over 6 months could participate if AKC registered or if they had an ILP #. Testing forms on all dogs and pedigrees on passing dogs (for research and ROMI purposes) were to be turned in. The original 1983 document contained details of instinct test qualifications for passing and definition of herding terms. The AHBA test was used from some time in 1993 until 2008.
In 1984 the Register of Merit Instinct (ROMI and ROMIX) program began. It recognizes sires and dams with progeny who obtained the H.C. The official designation of the BCCA herding instinct testing title was changed to Herding Instinct Certified (HIC) in 1999. Over 2250 instinct awards have been earned since the program started. Approximately 222 ROMI awards and 32 ROMIX awards have been made as of September 2023.
In 2008 the BCCA instinct test was modified with respect to herding characteristics to be recorded by the tester and only the BCCA HIC test has been used since 2009.
Herding Characteristics
Individuals who have experience herding with Beardies inherently recognize these characteristics. Now it is possible to back that up with information from the instinct tests. Over 1472 test hard copies exist; the information was transferred to an electronic database and then analyzed. Click here to read about this interesting topic.
