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Sheep and Cattle?


Lizmo
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There are a number of differences between how cattle and sheep work. Cattle have a herd mentality but not to the degree that most sheep have. I really only have experience with range sheep so I can only compare cattle to those, so take that into account on whatever I say. Sheep's safety is in number's and being the sheep who get to be in the middle. Their flight zone tends to be a bit bigger also. When you send a dog after sheep, that are used to be worked with a dog, and are spread out across a pasture their first instinct is to group up. So the dog can work the group as a whole more often with them. Cattle will group up also but don't move with "one brain" as much as sheep do so the dog has to keep the group in "mind" while working individual's along the way. Cattle also want to size up a dog more and see what they're made of. If the dog teaches cattle to be respectful without being overly aggressive they are great to work. Dog's that can adjust back and forth between the two species easily are awesome to watch!

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^^^ What she said! So what it boils down to, often, is that the dog needs to work a little more closely to cattle than to sheep in order to get them to move. Generally, dogs can get away with having less "presence" with sheep than with cattle. A dog working cattle has to have a heel hit and a nose hit (but should use it as a last resort) , but can move a fair number of sheep without.

A

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