tight at the top,pace issue??

[ewenityfarm]

I have a 2 yr old bitch that is notorious for going tight at the top after doing a nice wide outrun. She then becomes a speed demon on the fetch. This is a very intense dog, that is very very fast. I have worked her in contained areas, and get good results but when I transfer to the big field she flattens out. Plus this is all at breakneck speed. She does not do this when she drives only in flanking. I suspect she thinks the sheep are getting away from her. I have tried leaving the post when i send her, running up to her ,using the stick for pressure to slow her down, not giving her her sheep and taking her back to the post. The dog works well in big fields after her first couple of outruns,but in a trial its the first one that counts. Now I dread that first outrun and I am sure she knows it! Any suggestions?? Im working on the relationship issue, which I think plays a part, and we have gone back to some basic obedience for some 1 on 1 listen to me stuff, which is helping. In the meantime,suggestions are welcome. I would at some point like to get this bitch in real trials:)) She does just fine at home on the farm with ranch work.

[Guest carol campion]

I have a 2 yr old bitch that is notorious for going tight at the top after doing a nice wide outrun. She then becomes a speed demon on the fetch. This is a very intense dog, that is very very fast. I have worked her in contained areas, and get good results but when I transfer to the big field she flattens out. Plus this is all at breakneck speed. She does not do this when she drives only in flanking. I suspect she thinks the sheep are getting away from her. I have tried leaving the post when i send her, running up to her ,using the stick for pressure to slow her down, not giving her her sheep and taking her back to the post. The dog works well in big fields after her first couple of outruns,but in a trial its the first one that counts. Now I dread that first outrun and I am sure she knows it! Any suggestions?? Im working on the relationship issue, which I think plays a part, and we have gone back to some basic obedience for some 1 on 1 listen to me stuff, which is helping. In the meantime,suggestions are welcome. I would at some point like to get this bitch in real trials:)) She does just fine at home on the farm with ranch work.

 

 

Hi

 

The speed comes from her being tight at the top. She is speeding up because she does not have control of the sheep. She is actually pushing them off line by being too tight and then panicking.

 

This is not a relationship issue. It is a stock handling/training issue. Getting her to obey any corrections will be a relationship issue

 

She is probably doing the same thing to you at home but not as pronounced because the sheep know her. You need to get her deeper at the top so she can feel where to be and then look for the proper control point. When she is too close, she will never find it. Then she can gain the confidence from controlling the sheep from the proper pressure point.

 

Watch her with a much more critical eye and go for gold. If you can't tell, get someone who knows dogs and outruns to watch you. YOu need to stop her on her outruns/flanks as soon as she starts tight/flat and let her know not to be in there. She will probably need more pressure than a new dog because she will have been doing this wrong for longer. So you need to stop the tightness as soon as—almost before—it happens. Then make her flank/cast the proper distance off or don't let her fetch. You ned to set this up to happen that first outrun each session and I know you will see a difference. She is just doing what she thinks is OK because she has been doing it for a while.

 

Carol