Herding Dogs

[Beekissed]

Haven't made huge progress with Dooley, as I've had no time to train him lately, but plan to get to it more before spring, when I can get the sheep up into the big field. He's been tethered on a run line, as he is obsessed with herding the chickens and I don't know if I can train him out of THAT due to his high drive.

He is maturing a little though, even without any additional training, so when I take him down to the sheep paddock he has good recall, only works the sheep when I say he can and he listens to the commands he knows, which is "down", "walk up", "that will do" and "come here or come back". He's no longer afraid of the ATV and will run alongside it now when we go down to the sheep paddock and back.

He plays ferociously with Blue and Blue lets him win most of the time when they wrestle, but Blue is a streak of lightning and can outrun Dooley...and he can also jump higher. Blue always has the last laugh.

I love to see the sheer joy they display when running like the wind and playing so very hard. They are both grinning and panting by the time its over.

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[Baymule]

They are so cute! What good play buddies they are. Dogs need each other's company and play time. I love the pics of Blue on top of the hay bale, that's funny.

 

[Beekissed]

They are so cute! What good play buddies they are. Dogs need each other's company and play time. I love the pics of Blue on top of the hay bale, that's funny.

Bay, Blue loves to lay up there and watch over the flock....we have a lot of tree tops down in that paddock, so I think it gives him a better vantage point. I expect that one day Dooley will figure out he's light weight and also has the power and speed to jump up there, then ol' Blue is going to have to come up with another gambit to escape the little booger!

We'll be rolling out those mulch bales onto all the bare soil in that paddock this winter, so when Blue comes back there in the spring he's really going to miss that high point.

 

[messybun]

Maybe you could make Blue a pallet cube so he can keep a good vantage point when you remove his bales.

 

[Beekissed]

Been talking to a guy on FB on one of the herding groups there and it turns out he's some kind of world winning trainer. So humbling that he would take the time out to help me! He has a home in Japan and also in Canada and does teaching and training on both continents.