I have two Belgian Malinois, one is about 3-4 years old, adopted after he was brought up from NM where he spent 4 months in a shelter after being picked up as a stray.
(You may have read the thread "Meet Zephan".)
I also have a 1 year old female, that I brought home at 8 weeks old.
I started taking them to herding in January, mainly as a mental and physical outlet for them.
From day one, both the owner of he herd training facility and the lead trainer expressed how well they both did, especially my male, Zephan. He lit up the first day, and has loved every minute of it since!
We did IPO (Schutzhund) last year, which he enjoyed, but I have never seen him this happy in training, as he is in herding.
My pup had been imprinted on sheep and ducks at 6-7 weeks old, but she was 9 months old before I ended up taking her for training.
She took to it like she had been doing it all her life.
I doubt my male had any previous history in herding, I don't think anyone that would put that kind of training in would abandon their dog.
It gave me goosebumps to see genetics at play, as their instincts kicked in as soon as the sheep entered the ring.
I never considered titling in herding, but with as well as they have been doing, curiosity got the best of me and I asked about the Herding Instinct Test. I was told by the lead trainer and the owner that they both could pass that today, and that my male should be good to go for Junior Herding Dog Title at the next trial (Aug), so I have decided to trial both of them.
The lead trainer has been working my dogs in the ring, but is now beginning to show me how to work my male. Hopefully I will be good enough to work them in the trial in August.