Herding Dogs

[Baymule]

I shake the can, calling SHEEP SHEEP SHEEP! and i walk to the pasture i want them to go in. I pour out a little feed and go open their gate. They RUN to the open gate and I just go close it. This works even with pastures that are out of sight of their barn. Evening, I just reverse and pour feed in their pan in the barn. They run to the barn, if there was no feed, they would run back to me, baa, baa, baaing. LOL

 

[Mini Horses]

I shake the can, calling

Same here.... They come running --- Even when they are in someone else's field,

 

[Beekissed]

Little Dooley is growing quickly! He's been getting in trouble all day for stealing our tools, hardware, etc. and generally making a nuisance of himself. But, he makes me grin every time I see that happy little tail wagging along as he's dragging off yet another item...can't get too mad at him when he's so very joyful about it all. I like it that he doesn't get his feelings hurt when he gets a correction...stays happy and loving throughout it all.

He got tied up for the first time in his life today, when we couldn't trust him around our work site when we went in to eat. He yelped a few times but soon learned it was futile and accepted the new restriction on his life....I LOVE that. He was just as happy when I went out to let him off the lead as he was when I put him on it. No pouting, no fear of that line, just pure puppy joy.

Visiting with Mom as she goes out to weedeat. He's learning to climb and seems quite agile for such a young pup.

 

[Baymule]

When Trip was a young pup, he would take things that had my scent on them. He watched me plant onion sets one time, then pulled every one of them up. Another time I was working, laid my hammer down, reached for it, only to find it gone. It reappeared two weeks later, in the driveway with chew marks on the handle. I still have that hammer. LOL

 

[Beekissed]

When Trip was a young pup, he would take things that had my scent on them. He watched me plant onion sets one time, then pulled every one of them up. Another time I was working, laid my hammer down, reached for it, only to find it gone. It reappeared two weeks later, in the driveway with chew marks on the handle. I still have that hammer. LOL

I have a hammer just like that, similarly marked by Ben....it was so chewed up we had to put duct tape around the handle in order to use it.

I think Dooley is entering the equivalent of the terrible twos....his energy levels are increasing and so is his physical ability/agility. I went out this morning and he started spinning out of pure exuberance...never did that before. Going to have to keep this one exercised to burn off all that excess.

 

[Ridgetop]

I shake the can, calling SHEEP SHEEP SHEEP! and i walk to the pasture i want them to go in. I pour out a little feed and go open their gate. They RUN to the open gate and I just go close it. This works even with pastures that are out of sight of their barn. Evening, I just reverse and pour feed in their pan in the barn. They run to the barn, if there was no feed, they would run back to me, baa, baa, baaing. LOL

Yup, after the first generation of sheep are trained, the rest all learn that they want to be in the barn or night fold at night for their feeding. They get a night feed of hay when their forage is gone, and when we have steady green forage, just a small ration of rolled barley corn.

Training was an effort. I think I wrote about it on my Ridgetop site. The only problem is that if we want to shut them in early, they are no where to be found! They have an inner clock that tells them to come at dusk. Luckily, our Anatolians stay with them if we forget to let them in or are not home at that time. The dogs give us reproachful looks because they are on overtime but don't abandon their sheep when their shift is over! LOL Had an emergency once and got home at midnight. Went out to let in the sheep and found them huddled around the gate, with 3 Anatolians ringing them. The dogs would not let them wander away since it was full dark. Such good dogs - truly thinking workers.

Dooley sounds like he is going to be a thinker too.

 

[Beekissed]

Dooley sounds like he is going to be a thinker too.

He is and it thrills me because I can't wait to see how he will put his thinking to use on herding. His mother is the kind of dog they tell to "go get Daisy" and she brings Daisy...and not the other cows...down to the barn to be milked. I'd love to have a dog I can give a general order to and get him to understand it that clearly, like "Go get the sheep" and he just brings them to me and into the new paddock without a lot of extra commands and fuss. I know....I'm dreaming, aren't I? But...it could happen!

Bay, sold Charlie today and was so glad I did....she immediately went to her new owner and tucked her head under her arm and never looked at us again. She acted like that was her long lost owner and she was reuniting with her! THAT was the person she was supposed to belong to and not me. Feels good to see something like that. I couldn't bond with Charlie and that could be the reason why. She belonged to someone she hadn't met yet.

Charlie now lives in the Hudson Valley, NY, on a horse and goat farm with some very nice people. I thank God for His blessing on all of us and on Charlie.

 

[Beekissed]

Training went well this morning and I think, with many repetitions, I just may get a solid down with this dog. He's only had a few day's focused training on that and he's starting to get it....I can see the light dawning there. He's no longer pulling on he leash, he gets "walk up", sit and is starting to recognize "lie down" but needs help with the execution of it still.

He was trained on chickens yesterday morning and we'll see how much reinforcement he needs on that. He had started to chase them with mouth open, trying to grab, so he only goes to the coop now on a long line~though he is free to wander up there all day long, he doesn't usually do so. This morning he walked like a little prince on his line, loose leash and at heel, laid down at the coop on command and was told to stay. He was still lying down when I came out of the coop and walked like a gentleman back down to the house, even with the cat running in front of us, which usually triggers an exuberant chase sequence between the two. Nope, he walked nicely.

That's after only two days of leash work and without a slip leash, like I usually use with the LGDs while in training. I'm starting to have hope that this little guy may be trainable.

He went to the sheep paddock with me yesterday to visit Blue, the LGD, and he is showing less fear of the sheep and they are less curious about him. He had a good romping fight/play session with Blue until they were both worn out and I'm hoping they continue to bond in that way, providing good socialization between them as well as the idea of a pack order.

This morning I started teaching him about lying down at the gate until I tell him to walk up/through the gate. We'll do this each time we go through that gate, morning and evening and whenever we pass that way until he learns to lie down automatically at each gate and stay there. I'll progress from walking through to just staying there while I tend to chores in that paddock. I want a solid down at the gate....that's going to be one of my most needed tools, to keep sheep in or out when I pass through with the ATV and water wagon.

 

[Hufflesheep]

Same here.... They come running --- Even when they are in someone else's field,
[/QUOTE]

Oof! Mine are so stubborn, when they get loose if they hear the grain can they run faster away from me!

 

[Baymule]

Bee, words cannot express how happy I am for you, living your dream! It sounds like you have two great dogs. I know what you are saying about Charlie, I firmly believe that some dogs are meant to be with certain people in certain places and sometimes it takes awhile to get that all sorted out. Glad that Charlie found her place and that you gave that opportunity to her.