kelpiegirl Posted August 20, 2007 Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 Lucy and I ran in a point/time trial over the weekend. We have never done a take pen before, and I can see that was just a bit hard for her. We were supposed to take the sheep out, and then start the course- the clock starts when you open the gate. On our first run, going around those sheep, was, well hard, because she decided that maybe they ought to stay there? We had been working on holding, so apparently, she remembered our lessons Anyway, then they split, and we did the course with 3 out of the 5. Our next run was much better, as I went to my sheep, and then flanked her, to a down, and the sheep and I walked out easily. Anyway, my question is, is this sort of take pen stuff harder for a younger keen dog? Or, is it just my dog? I know we should work on it, but it just feels like a whole lotta pressure for a young dog. What is expected in young dogs in this scenario? Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockdogranch Posted August 20, 2007 Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 I'm assuming this was a beginning level class. Usually, you are allowed to go in there with the dog and help as necessary, while at the advanced levels, you must remain at the gate. As for who trains this sort of thing when, I'm sure it really depends. I usually train it pretty early on, as I like to use the young ones I'm training for chores, and this is a chore we do often--gate sort a handful from a larger pen into a really tight area, then go round to the other gate, and bring them out of the small area. I do this because I am always sorting off different groups of sheep for class, so, as I said, it is something I need to do. But the other reason I have the YOUNG dog do it is that I feel it really builds confidence--it usually doesn't take but a handful of times (or less), and the pup can go in alone, go round them and bring them out calmly and quietly. End result? A pup that is not afraid of very close encounters with its stock, which I find is a VERY useful thing to have. Anna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amc Posted August 20, 2007 Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 Anna's spot on about training a young dog about taking sheep off a fence in tight quarters, but to answer Julie's original question, I'd say 'yes'...the take pen is a very high pressure situation for young, inexperienced dogs. The ASCA program has take pens for sheep, cattle and ducks in its A course and the ducks are the worst! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.