Herding Talk Thread

[JulesP]

She has been doing obedience the whole time Janba? She didn't even want to focus on me or be with me. She went and say at the gate whilst I was running around out in the paddock!

[Janba]

She has been doing obedience the whole time Janba? She didn't even want to focus on me or be with me. She went and say at the gate whilst I was running around out in the paddock!

A bit of confusion maybe? Your acting differently (having visions of JulesP flanking her sheep ) . I would be taking her back as soon as possible and as often as you can and just letting her turn on again and start working.

You know she has instinct and unless you have squashed which I doubt it is still there just needs to be bought out again.

[JulesP]

I apparently did a very nice job of my flanking!!!

I've been very careful not to tell her off for any herding instinct she has shown even when she drove me nuts bolting up and down the fence with the pony. I don't even tell her off when she does her nose nudging.

I have got her umm fairly quiet I have no idea what I do.

[luvsdogs]

Just recieved my Dec Dogs NSW journal. Congratulations Janba on Cole's passes on the Oct long weekend.

[superminty]

Going herding this Sunday.

Goal is to start teaching sides The dog is getting close to 5 years old I realised today I think it's time he learnt his directions

Hopefully gonna get to work some calves too, so excited! Last time he worked cows he went really well for about 5 mins, then it all got too much and he hid behind me for the rest of the session

Edited December 9, 2010 by superminty

[Janba]

Going herding this Sunday.

Goal is to start teaching sides The dog is getting close to 5 years old I realised today I think it's time he learnt his directions

Hopefully gonna get to work some calves too, so excited! Last time he worked cows he went really well for about 5 mins, then it all got too much and he hid behind me for the rest of the session ;)

Have fun -I haven't been game to try cattle because knowing my luck Cole wouldn't duck quickly enough

I'm off for a weekend on sheep as well at a friends place. A group of us are going and we're going to start a couple of pups, including a Cole baby, as well as do some work with the older dogs. Then Sat night will be a Chrissy party.

[JulesP]

Have fun guys

[Dova]

Took the girls herding again, I'm cramming before the hot weather arrives , & Izzi worked sooo well at driving I can't stop smiling :D. Put her around the PT course driving 7 sheep, this is the best bit ,I stood in the middle & didn't move, she worked her little heart out & got them around the course I was stoaked, it wasn't perfect as my timing really sucks at times but SHE DID IT . But wait there's more ;) when we took the whole mob back out to the paddock I got Izzi to drive them through the Y shoot & all but one went through, gotta say it was pretty messy but she did the best she could with me in charge . Pebbles is still confused about driving but it was only her 3rd time & I know she'll pick it pretty soon. Delta is the only one that has her side cue's, if I say come round/away she usually goes the right way, although she always has to bark at the same time but I'm working on that at home , she's still on a long line. I've been thinking about what trials to do next year & when Pebbles gets her open in obedience think that'll do, probably keep doing agility & jumping with Pebbles & Delta it's good fun, but we aint giving up herding it's way to much fun & the only one that they all love. Might get 6 sheep of my own so we can work at home :D can't use our 3 pet sheep they play with the dogs . Enjoy your herding everyone, looking forward to next season & hearing everyones brags .

[Janba]

Sounds like you had a good weekend Dova and well donre on the driving.

We're back from our weekend away and I discovered a new way of doing things - arm chair herding

We were sittin on the fenceline in a yard about the size of a large HT arena teaching dogs to drive. The set up was a Y shute with the exit about 6m from the corner and up the next fenceline a panel with a 1m opening and 6 BCs on the other side of the fence. When no one was working I decided to give Cole a go but was too tired to stand up so directed him from my chair and he worked realy well. We then worked on getting the angle right to force the sheep into the panel after the Y shute despite the pressure from the dogs on the other side of the fence. By the end he was putting them through the panel with no commands.

We also did some beautiful long c asts but I still am having problems with him stopping at the top. He does bring the sheep straight back to me but I want that stop.

[matilda1]

My husband and i have got so excited about herding that we bought our own sheep on the weekend.

just 3 of them for now, but we will be adding another 2 early next year.

We are now going to start turning the horse arena into the herding penn.

We purchased 3 dorper cross whiltshire. 2x wethers and 1 ewe.

They are only 4 months old right now, so it will be a little while before we are working them at all,but we need time to set things up anyway so it's perfect for us.

only problem is that they are sooooooooooooooooooooooo cute.

[Dova]

Way to go Belladonna it'll be impossible to get you out of the paddock soon, your OH will have to make baaing noises from inside to bring you in . We've got three pet sheep, no good for herding training but I've been thinking of getting 6 wethers for training & that'll save heaps in fuel money, then I'll go for a lesson once a month to get the bad habits knocked out of me .

Have fun with your sheepies Bella & I don't mean cuddling them because they're cute either , but if you do cuddle ours like a scratch under the chin :D.

[JulesP]

Do you find the dogs sit at the fence staring at the sheep day Dova?

[dasha]

You can start working them now to break them in to the dog.

You need then to work off the dog and so may as well start them now while they settle in. Just start by keeping your dog off them and getting it to balance to you and that way the sheep will learn that being close to you is good. And they will do so calmly. But don't feed the sheep for coming to you. Let the dog keep them there and when you call the dog off, let the sheep move away when you have stopped the dog aff the sheep (or caught it if it doesn't have sides or stop yet)

Edited December 21, 2010 by dasha

[piper]

You can start working them now to break them in to the dog.

You need then to work off the dog and so may as well start them now while they settle in. Just start by keeping your dog off them and getting it to balance to you and that way the sheep will learn that being close to you is good. And they will do so calmly. But don't feed the sheep for coming to you. Let the dog keep them there and when you call the dog off, let the sheep move away when you have stopped the dog aff the sheep (or caught it if it doesn't have sides or stop yet)

If I recall Belladonna has beginner dogs, so would that not be a bit diffcult to get them to break lambs in? I remember working some lambs with Piper and they were very very light and did not flock tightly at all, not sure if that is normal or not as it is the only time i have worked lambs but if it is I don't think I would want a beginner dog out there on them. Just thinking that both the sheep and the dogs could learn the wrong things. Happy to be told I am wrong though as I have extremely limited experience of starting lambs being worked

[Dova]

Do you find the dogs sit at the fence staring at the sheep day Dova?

When I walk down to the front paddock in the mornings to get the paper I have 4 dogs, 3 sheep & a cat with me, the sheep play with the dogs & the cat , so no the dogs don't sit staring Jules .

[JulesP]

Do you find the dogs sit at the fence staring at the sheep day Dova?

When I walk down to the front paddock in the mornings to get the paper I have 4 dogs, 3 sheep & a cat with me, the sheep play with the dogs & the cat , so no the dogs don't sit staring Jules .

I reckon Poppy would :D

[superminty]

Forgot to update with details of my last session with the Cash-man.

We had our second ever go on cattle - this lot are only little though and they are super cute!

We let the stock gather and start to move off, then I sent him. He went round to the head, stopped them and then didn't know what to do! So he lay down and just held them. They wouldn't just turn around like sheep do, so he had to apply a bit more pressure to turn those heads.

I was really happy with his work, he lacks confidence so is very puppy like around them, but he has no problem covering the head and applies the right amount of pressure to get them to turn.

At one point they all jammed themselves in a corner and he had to work pretty hard to get them out! Also copped his first kick in the head - I am glad he is learning this lesson (that cows kick!) now while they are little!

He did struggle a bit with the numbers - there are about 10 and I think he would work a smaller group much better. They do tend to string out a lot more than sheep do.

He did a nice shed at one point -completely by accident. He split three off and wouldn't let them back into the main group Silly dog.

He was a very happy boy once he got back on the sheepies - he knows how to control them

[JulesP]

Sounds good Superminty. Paul McP. thought that Brock might be good on cows. He has certainly shown more interest in horse herding then sheepies.

[superminty]

Paul McP. thought that Brock might be good on cows. He has certainly shown more interest in horse herding then sheepies.

Oh dear.

My old horse was great for that - Cash used to have a go at getting her to move when he was a pup but she just looked at him with disdain and he gave up

[JulesP]

Paul McP. thought that Brock might be good on cows. He has certainly shown more interest in horse herding then sheepies.

Oh dear.

My old horse was great for that - Cash used to have a go at getting her to move when he was a pup but she just looked at him with disdain and he gave up

Brock did a beautiful cast around the pony the couple of times he has snuck in the paddock when I've left the gate open by accident. Usually when I have been in there trying to catch a naughty yearling. He has really shown no interest in sheep at all. Maybe he knows I don't really 'need' him.