herding_guy

Danielle.....Please PM me or contact me via email; [email protected] we can chat about dog and talk options this dog is young enough to be rehabilitated and start working. Diggers Herding & K9 Education

Hi everyone Talk To The Animals is airing feature on us at Diggers Herding 4:30pm today channel 9

This is IMO a pretty good philosophy.

Yes it was, thanks Melree. We will be holding another herding beginners day on May the 8th......training days are then available to those doing the one day workshop almost every weekend. Don't think you need to bring a dog....the day is about herding and learning about the drives of dogs and how to tap into them. You will experience all aspects of teaching/training Natural, Inducive & Complusion NDTF & Delta students are welcome with or without dog. I have dogs I can loan you for the day. Bookings essential. PM or Please join us on Facebook; http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/gr...id=372326618864

No places left for 27th March....thanks for interest. Please feel free to join facebook group for updates on training days and other workshops; http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/gr...id=372326618864 Cheers.

Have returned PM's to those interested. Only one place left for 27th March.

Hi everyone. We are back into action and will be holding a herding workshop for beginners and those interested in learning about training their dog for sheep herding. Date: Saturday 27th March & NEW DATE - Saturday 8th May Location: Diggers Rest. Vic. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source...054846&z=14 Time: 10:30 - when we stop. Few places left. Limit to 8 dogs so everyone gets lots of work. Ongoing training available most weekends after this workshop. Please RSVP by PM or join Facebook group "diggers herding k9 education" http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/gr...id=372326618864

I run herding clinics and you don't need a reliable recall. Focus will be there once he has sheep in front of him. Never had a dog that hurt one of my sheep at a herding clinic yet.

Nipping / biting is the undesired trait / behaviour of the herding instinct / prey drive. Herding is not biting stock. Bite is not bred for in sheepdogs. Bite is just one behaviour in the behaviour sequence of prey drive in herding dogs. The dogs that bite nip are ussually softer dogs that lack confidence & presence. Using tug toys may increase the bite if incorrectly done.

Yes it's part of the herding instinct ......prey drive. IMO an undesired trait. You need to nip this in the butt now (sorry for the pun) ;) because soon it will be the postman, car tyres, joggers and kids My tip dont fight it (herding instinct or prey drive) but work with it. Understand the herding instincts, work them & get them under your control. For me nipping / biting is an unwanted behaviour unless I ask for it. Most dogs give it a go at some stage in thier working career but it's up to the handler to stop it promptly. Go to a trainer that understands herding dogs if you can't find anyone PM me. Cheers, Dave.

Is the aggressive subjects name Kevin?

Thanks JulesP. What's on this wekend? Poly pipe makes noise???????? Only when it bounces The dowling being used at this speed must have sounded pretty scarey. It made me cringe. Always question & if you ever feel uncomftorble with any method being used by someone on your dog don't be backward in coming forward. If it feels wrong it probably is. (Not that I'm saying the video showed bad methods...just questioning).

Congratulations to all. I watched this video, and need to ask a question. What is the purpose of the long piece of doweling?When starting a dog I use either a rake (plastic) or a boogie bag (poly bag tied to the end of a lunging whip) then the dog graduates to a length of poly pipe. All are chosen because if the dog is accidently hit with them, god forbid, there is little chance of physical injury to the dog. The items are first conditioned safely and are only an extension of my hand. I understand that there is a rule in ANKC herding that only doweling can be used but surely this should not be the case with inexperienced dogs. Why does this rule exist??? Isn’t a length of poly pipe safer?????

Start the dog on smaller less dangerous animals like sheep. Cattle can do a lot of damage to an inexperienced dog. You are going to have to teach him to cast, gather and drive.....Heading would be good but thats up to the dog. My advice would be find someone you can take him to that can asess him and teach you what you need. I know there are some very good people on this list.

What breed of dog and what stock animals are you working?

Congratulations all. Pippi....well done! This brag is a brag about someone else....a little kelpie named Rosie and her handler Geoff. Rosie started life as a sheepdog a bit slow. She was scared of sheep and, to her breeder, looked as though she wouldn't mount up to much more than a pet. Well 4 years later she has grown up to be a great little bitch....worth her weight in gold, all due to the patience and consistencey of her charge, Geoff. At casterton 2008 she won equal 1st in the high jump and took out the prestigious Casterton Kelpie Triathlon event. The event was a combination of High Jump, sprint and hill climb and Rosie won paws down. Last weekend Rosie and Geoff entered the encourage class at the sheep dog trials in Welshpool. The course was not easy it included race, yard, truck and paddock. Rosie and Geoff won with an almost perfect score of 99/100. Not bad for a little dog that would yelp and run away from sheep until she was 6 - 7 months old. Congratulations to Rosie and Geoff. I look forward to seeing more spectacular stuff from you two.

Two methods but both need you to have a good stop or sit. First off lets get on the same page…..my definition of a stop is; stop what you are doing and wait for my next command and remain in control of sheep. Sit means park your bum or lay down, don’t move at all and wait for my next command or a release – do not continue working sheep. Method one; Stop dog on your right & sheep to your left. Step in between dog and sheep gesturing dog to come towards you and applying pressure at same time so he does. As he approaches say a cue word (I say behind, come, to me) and as he passes you swing round to your right adding pressure to your dog to move on and add cue word to go back around sheep to your left. Remember this is teaching and the dog needs to be set up to win. Cue words are added to actions…..reward for moving towards you is heading the sheep. Method two; teach dog a solid recall off sheep on lead, so you have full control, then take dog to more sheep in another yard. This way the dog learns that if he comes to you when called he will get more work. Both methods are a little difficult for me to convey as written word and are much easier taught visually. Remember the dog should see you as a gateway to the sheep and not a hurdle. So always teach with kindness and only correct when the dog knows.

Congrats.

Damara are great easy care sheep but smart. If your fences are weak, to low they will escape but it keeps your dogs in a job. You wont make fool of yourself ..... I'm the judge. You'll have a ball. Have fun tomorrow.

That’s great. Why wait till May? If your in Victoria (I don’t know Murray Bridge) There is a trial on at Easter, Saturday, in Welshpool. There will be a City Slickers class and I heard the judge is really cool. You can camp there or stay at the caravan park (Toora) or hotel. Camping means you can sit and listen to kelpie dudes yap on about absolute crap for hours and hours (the border collie people just don’t have the stamina). Seriously it will be a great weekend the trials will be held on Saturday and will include a high jump and some other fun events. The City Slicker class would be a great way for you to gain that experience and have some fun. There will also be lots of opportunities for you to work your dogs and get advice/help from some pretty knowledgeable and friendly trainers. Where & when is the May trial…I’ll try and make it Kelpie-i….4 cans…..you laugher.

Ive got four kelpies on a treadmill generating power to run the computer and two tin cans and a length of string connecting me to a phone line.....and you don't want to know what the horse is doing.

No problem. I find Damara great sheep to teach and train dogs on they are very athletic, light, flighty and kind to dogs (unless they have a lamb at foot). However they do flock tightly which doesn’t give the dog good opportunities to gather. I too have experienced the rushing dog/s …it’s usually the young head strong type dog and have put it down to; 1/ Over heading ie as you said wanting to head all the time…genetic based behaviour. 2/ Dog feeling bored wants to excite things up a bit so he rushes the sheep past you so he can head again. 3/ inexperience….young excited dog. 4/ Dog just being belligerent. Remedies that helped me…. More experience…ducks would be good for you as long as he doesn’t get to close and pluck ‘em. Teaching distance – I’ve done this by using fewer and wilder sheep and giving the dog experience on just holding them. A good dog increases his distance so he can hold the little mob together. Also commanding the dog to sit as he gets to the sheep flight threshold helps. This also puts more control on the dog and gives the dog more to do. Always increase pressure on the dog when they come in to close as well. If it’s a rush on the lift / draw after the initial cast, ie (if I’ve got the terminology correct) when the dog firsts collects his sheep, then teach your dog a drop (clap) sit or stop once he gets behind his sheep. This gives the sheep a chance to get themselves together and start drifting away from the dog and hopefully to you. Teach the dog a “steady” which will give you greater control. So I suppose a lot of it will sort out with teaching/training, experience and maturity. I’m sure there are a few good herding people here that may add to this. I work with Kelpies mostly however have started quite a few Borders. I know I’d love to hear from some others too. Learn more about sheep too. Get out there without your dog and move the sheep around. Watch them and learn. Going to trials and volunteering for let out gives you a great opportunity.

Who said that?????? Like this site don't believe everything you hear. Herding training still happening. Been a little slow though due to drought and poor starving sheep (bastards cost me a fortune to feed).

Please do it will be good to see you again.

Your welcome JulesP. The “shoosing” noise acts as a secondary key impulse (that’s tech’ talk for excites the dog up) to increase the intensity of prey drive and therefore shift her into another behaviour other than “eye”. This is good but doesn’t discourage her from sticking. The stop and recall are what you really need…..the rest is up to your use of them. Once a mob of sheep learn that they can get away from a dog by sticking there heads in a corner they will just keep doing it. They figure if they can’t see the dog it isn’t there. You need to practice moving sheep around with the dog towards the center of the yard therefore keeping the dog between the fences and the sheep therefore always moving towards the center of the yard. Your dog also needs to build courage enough to get in between the fence and the sheep. This can be done by slowly working sheep closer to fence and moving her in between fence and sheep. Slowly reduce the distance between sheep and fence and show her how wonderful she is every time she moves through. She’ll eventually love doing it because of how wonderfull you’ve made her feel every time she does it. Yes those ol’ 3 sheepers are pretty pretty cool but not as cool as Aussie kelpie trialers. If you ever want to bring her out to have some practise just contact me.