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Nan is my Open dog and a very nice one at that. However, as all dogs have, she has a hole. She has a hard time driving heavy sheep or sheep that will face here. She will fade off to the side or overflank or slice to cause movement to get them to move but not go directly into them. Tess, on the other hand, will walk directly into the sheep and give them the thought of "I am going to bit your f***** face off if you don't move" But then again, Tess has learned to do this over the years.

 

I try to have her walk in to them but she will stall and then look at me. She doesn't want to go into the heavy pressure and it is a lack of confidence.

 

Today, I walked her up, side by side, then had her walk into the sheep and encouranged her greatly. She wants to flip back to the edge of the bubble still. After a bit, it was better, but I can see the lack on confidence on heavy or sour or standoffish sheep. If the sheep move, she will work them perfectly.

 

I work her in the stall where she WILL walk up into the heads of the head and move them or go around the packed pen and move them and grip as needed. She will drive them in the pen with no issue.

 

 

She is very reactive to me and not proactive on the sheep. I have been using her to do the chore work where she has to think for herself and that has helped. Prior to me, she was told where to be on the trial field and as a Nursery pup, was a horrible gripper (due to the lack of confidence.

 

Right now, I walk with her into the heavy sheep, then let her get ahead of me and when she stalls, encourage her greatly. That seems to work.

 

Any other suggestions?

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Guest carol campion
Nan is my Open dog and a very nice one at that. However, as all dogs have, she has a hole. She has a hard time driving heavy sheep or sheep that will face here. She will fade off to the side or overflank or slice to cause movement to get them to move but not go directly into them. Tess, on the other hand, will walk directly into the sheep and give them the thought of "I am going to bit your f***** face off if you don't move" But then again, Tess has learned to do this over the years.

 

I try to have her walk in to them but she will stall and then look at me. She doesn't want to go into the heavy pressure and it is a lack of confidence.

 

Today, I walked her up, side by side, then had her walk into the sheep and encouranged her greatly. She wants to flip back to the edge of the bubble still. After a bit, it was better, but I can see the lack on confidence on heavy or sour or standoffish sheep. If the sheep move, she will work them perfectly.

 

I work her in the stall where she WILL walk up into the heads of the head and move them or go around the packed pen and move them and grip as needed. She will drive them in the pen with no issue.

She is very reactive to me and not proactive on the sheep. I have been using her to do the chore work where she has to think for herself and that has helped. Prior to me, she was told where to be on the trial field and as a Nursery pup, was a horrible gripper (due to the lack of confidence.

 

Right now, I walk with her into the heavy sheep, then let her get ahead of me and when she stalls, encourage her greatly. That seems to work.

 

Any other suggestions?

 

 

This is a tough one Diane. You are trying to put into her something it sounds like isn't there. So I would approach it two ways.

 

One thing I would do is to work her so you are not putting her into a situation where she knows she can't do it. Work her on lighter sheep that will move off her so she feels she has power. Work her so that she isn't allowed too close to them so she always has room to walk in and affect the sheep. THis will show her being proactive gets her somewhere.

 

Then, at the same time, I would get her to drive getting used to looking for the pressure point and knowing when she touches it, that the sheep will move off her. It doesn't necessarily mean close to the sheep. You can do this by parallel driving with the draw behind you. That way she gets used to the sheep leaning on her when she drives and to make them go, she will have to be right at that pressure point along side of them (between you and the sheep) otherwise they will come back towards you. This helps because it is a positioning that makes it clear to the dog that it has only to do with making sheep go. The dog can't be sucked into a flank to bring the sheep back. That can happen when dogs drive with the draw behind them. They can easily fall into a fetch if they are hesitant at taking control.

 

You can tell very easily in this configuration if she is falling off the pressure point as the sheep will fold to you. When she is on the right spot, the sheep will flow off her easily and you will see her brighten. Dogs like that feeling of power they get in that spot and they start looking for it. If she is approaching sheep that are heavy and walks into that point, they should move off, so long as you don't wait to set it up til she is on top of the sheep. If you let her get too close, they can size her up. You can actually give a dog power by stopping it at the right time allowing the sheep a chance to go.

 

Another thing you can do is make sure she has a fast walk up/forward- a surge. If sheep are resisting her, apply it before she gets too close and before the sheep stall. Then when they start moving, back her off and maintain that space. A dog like her needs space to walk into so the sheep can feel her coming and react before she gets there.

 

You can teach a grip command, but I have seen many a dog ruined by doing that. If not properly taught, they think that any time the sheep are resistant they should fly in. So it doesn't gain them confidence-just a DQ in places you weren't planning for it. But a surge forward before sheep start stalling can be very effective. Its along the same lines and it won't get you DQ'd.

 

Your part is to learn to handle her to keep the sheep from knowing she has the weakness. Keep her farther off the sheep but in contact so they keep moving. Manage her contact. Keep room for her to walk up. Work responsive sheep to get this in place.

 

I have had dogs like this. I have a two year old that will flank off pressure when I started her and this is what I am doing with her.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Carol

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