grenzehund Posted May 27, 2008 Report Share Posted May 27, 2008 Lovely weather here for a sheepdog trial this past weekend, but that's not always the case... Any adjustments you experienced handlers find necessary in the rain? (other than sartorial ) Do the sheep behave differently? Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted May 27, 2008 Report Share Posted May 27, 2008 Light rain after a warm day makes sheep frisky, unless they've been kept off grass and then they'll really want to stop and eat, if they are that kind of sheep (typical of wool breeds). Harder rain makes most sheep heavy to work, and high winds are a killer - sheep get nervous when it's so windy that it becomes hard for them to hear where the dog is or smell him - and when visibility gets low they get very squirrelly. What "squirrelly" means depends on the sheep in question. Mine turn into racehorses. I've seen others simply lay down and refuse to move. Every time you think you've got a "rule" for how stock move, you'll find an exception. I'm learning the best thing is to keep an open mind, be aware that any change can affect the sheep and your dog's ability to control them, and then simply try to "feel" the sheep reacting, rather than trying to read their minds. I'll leave that for the likes of Tommy Wilson and Alisdair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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