Turkeyfether Posted October 29, 2007 Report Share Posted October 29, 2007 1)I have recently acquired 2 sheep( a ram 1 1/2 yr old & a 6 mos ewe lamb):they are used to Austrlian Cattle Dogs. 2)6 days ago I received an untrained 18 mo/old male fixed border collie.Has STRONG herding instincts.His FIRST love.Herds everything living & hurts nothing. But chases the ducks in the pond & I'm afraid he'll drown with exhaustion from swimming non stop back & forth across the pond. He won't quit until the duck exits the pond.(I'm selling off all the ducks) Any suggestions on training books? I don't know the "language" of border collies & would appreciate any help you can give me. A very wonderful family had him for the past 10 mos & are moving & thought to give him to a farm.It was unexpected & I quickly grabbed at the offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted October 29, 2007 Report Share Posted October 29, 2007 The first thing is not to let him keep swimming after the ducks until he decides to quit, and don't let him herd everything. Get him under control. Do not let him roam the farm and do whatever he pleases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixie_Girl Posted October 29, 2007 Report Share Posted October 29, 2007 For right now, he needs to know some basic obedience! He also needs to learn a "that'll do" command. That'll do, means he HAS to stop whatever he is doing, "game"/work is over. And, as Bill says, you need control over your guy. After you have a good stay, lie down, sit, here, recall, and that'll do. THEN you need to look for a trainer. There is nothing that will replace a good trainer! There are several vids out on training, but trust me, your dog will invariably do something not covered and it is nice to have a live person there to guide you! Sounds like you fell into some good fortune! Could you maybe tell what area of the country your in? Somebody might know someone close by to help you! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiegirl Posted October 29, 2007 Report Share Posted October 29, 2007 I do goose control with two of my dogs. One is quite a swimmer. We had a big to-do about her one day, when she finally decided to take that long dip. She was chasing the geese, who were molting, so they couldn't fly off, and she just swam and swam all over the dam (not really, I just like that saying), anyway, she was in there for a while, and some guy came over and told me he knew of a Beagle that dropped dead of a heart attack- he ran himself to death- so, now I am like the mother in the JAWS movie, who poo-poos her husbands concerns about their young son in boat in the water, until she sees the picture of a shark ripping a boat apart to get to the people- and I start calling more vehemently. That did nothing. Basically, I had to wait until I was in her view, and break her attention on them, and I got her out. When she did get out, after 1/2 hour, she was absolutely fine. Once they are in the water and locked on, it is really hard to get them to re-focus on you. So, don't allow the behaviour to start. This also signifies bad things for training with sheep or other stock, as the dog learns to a) chase, and not work with the handler. Since it is a new dog, you need to really establish a good working relationship, and have all access to things that might run, or get worked, only through your rules. Oh, and do not put him on the ram if he hasn't had sheep experience. If you can, get him in with a good trainer for now- with dog broke sheep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eileen Stein Posted October 30, 2007 Report Share Posted October 30, 2007 I agree with the good advice given here. I wouldn't worry that he will herd til he drowns, but I would worry about him herding or chasing any animals on his own. If you allow him to do that, it will be very hard for you to get him to pay attention to you when you try to train him, because he has learned that he can satisfy his deepest needs on his own. He won't turn into a useful dog unless you get him to recognize that you are always an important part of the picture when he is doing any herding, and the only way you can do that is to keep him from herding or chasing ducks (or anything else) by himself. I would recommend getting a copy of Bruce Fogt's book, Lessons From a Stockdog, which you can get here. I think that would probably be the best book for someone in your situation. There is also a good video called Starting your Border Collie on Cattle, Sheep or Ducks which you might also find helpful, which you can get here, but I would go with the book first. You will probably need help from a live person with dog-broke stock at an early stage, though. Keep your eye out for a weekend clinic near you -- if you tell us where you are we might be able to make some suggestions. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkeyfether Posted October 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2007 Thank you for the very helpful information, especially the written material which I intend to get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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