Guest DebM Posted February 7, 2006 Report Share Posted February 7, 2006 Howdy! Thanks for the interesting & informative answers. Here's my question: When driving, what do you read in the sheep that tells you they need the dog to move up into them or to lie down to get them to move? Put pressure on or take pressure off so they move? I'm feeling my way with my new dog and we often end up with the sheep stopping and turning to face her, obviously they feel too much pressure from her. How do I read them to decide what to ask her to do? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Amanda Posted February 8, 2006 Report Share Posted February 8, 2006 Sheep should flow along at a steady pace. Either stopped, or running sheep needs adjustment to pressure. You should go out without your dog, and move the sheep. Try to learn when they feel you and understand their reaction to the pressure of you behind them. Try yourself, to take them in a straight line, no dog. You are describing something that needs livestock sense and I have just laid out the quickest way to help you learn it. You need to learn to read sheep, in order to tell her what to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DebM Posted February 8, 2006 Report Share Posted February 8, 2006 Thanks! Since running sheep were brought up, I'd like to ask another question. How do you handle sheep that are bolting but not from the dog's presence. You know the kind; the ones that try to bolt during the fetch or drive to the hold out or exhaust no matter how right the dog may be. Do you have the dog head the sheep? Flank and stop him on their shoulders? <small>[ February 08, 2006, 02:19 PM: Message edited by: Deb M ]</small> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Amanda Posted February 9, 2006 Report Share Posted February 9, 2006 Very few sheep have the get up and go to bolt without a reason, like a dog vexing them somewhere on a field. Would they run to the exhaust or the hold without a dog on the field? I don’t think so. Left to their own devices, sheep are fairly sedentary. Trial sheep always have to be kept on some line. If the dog is required at their head to get them on that line, he had better be there. If he needs just a touch to veer them back, maybe flanking to the shoulder would do. What ever tack he takes, he must deliver it with enough presence to persuade them, but not so much as to insult them and cause them to bolt. yours Amanda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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