building confidence

[Guest kimkathan]

I have a dog who is working the sheep nicely in the open, solid on flanks, and becoming more consistant with her down. Our current problem is a confidence thing, I think. When working in a stall or pen, she'll circle the sheep and pull in tight behind them and the fence or wall with no hesitation. She'll also go into corners and pull out the stock with out problems. However...when ever a sheep turns and looks at her and won't move, she'll either try to circle to get it to move, walk right up to it's face and lick it, or will aviod having to work it and work the rest. I have tried to walk up with her and encourage her to grip, but she seems to become stressed and either start eating manure or want out all together. Also, if I try to get her to hold the sheep in the barn or another field, while I'm feeding, as soon as the sheep get close and want to get through, she'll move out of the way and won't hold her ground or even try. I think I may have contributed to the problem. When she was younger, she'd go in for cheep shoulder shots and hold on, I wrot it off as age for a while, but when she was around a year and a half I started to repremand her a bit for it ( a growl, or a mild correction) Could I have turned her off adn caused her to not hold her ground? How hard should I push her on this? She'll work cattle as well as sheep and will head and heel the cows. For some reason it seems to be when a sheep is at evy level with her.

[Guest Amanda]

Two questions in one day. Good grief!

 

I do not like taking the grip out of a dog too early. Mind you, I have gripped off in my share of trials. But confidence can get compromised if you are on them too soon. So maybe you contributed to the problem. But no one should ever bash their head against the wall for gaffs with dogs. Lots of dogs make it through the same gaffs just fine.

 

It sounds as though your dog has a bit too much eye, which will hold him up when the sheep face him. That is a problem I can't solve.

 

It is also possible your dog lacks the power. If it does not, you can help out your dog by trying to restore its grip, which is a lot more difficult than taking it out. My old friend Cropper, suggested getting some mean spirited sheep in a barn and have the dog defend itself, whatever it took, and encourage it at the same time with a word attached (I like "shift"). Later, you can say "shift" in sheep dog trials, and get disqualified. But your dog won't get held up with a sheep facing it.

[Guest kimkathan]

It seems to me as though it's that she's lacking power. But the part that befuddles me is that she'll take on a cow, but not a sheep. I'll try the pen with some onrey sheep, but in your oppinion, how hard should I push her on this?

[Guest Amanda]

You can't push it too hard. You can encourage dogs, but unwillingness to address sheep, is your dog no longer participating in the job. They must be willing partners in order to push the job. If they cop out, very little can be done.

It is odd that she'll take cattle. With cattle one assumes she would be free to take any piece of the action available. Maybe that's the difference. She wasn't free to do so with the sheep.

Again, no guilt required. Lots of dogs would have successfully survived the same handling. She may just not have enough gas.