Sharing questions from the Festival

[Debbie Meier]

I didn't know where to put this, please feel free to move it if it's should be somewhere else.

 

This past Saturday/Sunday our club hosted a Point/Time Arena Sheep Trial at the Iowa Sheep and Wool Festival. After the trial we held a working demonstration under the pine trees and openned it up to questions allowing the questions to steer the demonstrations, I thought I would share some of the questions that came up.

 

How do you teach the dog to know which obstacle to take the sheep through?

 

Why do some handlers use whistles while others don't?

 

What do the words mean that the handlers were using?

 

Why don't the dogs lie down when told (ggg)?

 

Will an older dog teach a younger dog?

 

My first dog did a great job, my second dog goes out with it and chases the sheep, he actually hurts them, how do I stop him and why does he do it?

 

What treats do you use?

 

How do you get the dogs to be so obedient?

 

My dog goes out and herds the horses, how do I teach her not to do that?

 

My dog goes out and works cattle on his own but when I try to tell him what to do he won't leave my side, how do I get him to do what I want?

 

How do you teach your dogs when it is time to work?

 

Do you use seperate collars when they are working?

 

We were told that border collies are hyper, why are yours so calm?

 

My dogs keep going out and chasing stock when we are away at work, why do they do that?

 

Do you use a shock collar, and will a shock collar work to stop my dog from chasing my sheep?

 

Why do you teach your dogs to drive? Followed by, Both my dogs work great, they do their job and bring me the sheep, but I can't get them to hold the sheep off the feeder, they just bring the sheep to me, how do I teach them to hold the sheep away from me? I think this guy will understand why we teach the dogs to drive after today, he sat in for 2 days of demos and thought Bea was just hilarious, every time I turned my back, she would break her lie down and flank out to fetch me the sheep, she has a "cute" way of doing it without disturbing the sheep, the pen was small, so she would just trot off hugging the fence getting around the sheep, "Time to bring Deb the sheep"...wonder how funny he will think it is when he tries to convince his dogs to hold the sheep away from him today and get them to stay put and hold the sheep away from him.

 

I'm sure I will think of more, I just thought sharing the questions would interest some, kinda gives a person an idea of what people are thinking in our area and what their perceptions are. It really was a neat way to handle the demonstrations, let the crowd direct the flow, it really held people especially those that wanted to learn. Those that just wanted to watch dogs work hung around for their normal time and then wondered off.

 

Thank god for Jake, I could demonstrate something then give him a lie down, that'll do and he would just hang loose. At one point I heard some whispers and saw some people pointing toward him, there he was sacked out, flat out with the sheep grazing around him. I said his name, to bring him to attention, gave him a flank command and off to work he was again, talk about demonstrating an on/off switch.

 

Deb

[Eileen Stein]

That list of questions sure sounds familiar.

 

Why do you teach your dogs to drive? Followed by, Both my dogs work great, they do their job and bring me the sheep, but I can't get them to hold the sheep off the feeder, they just bring the sheep to me, how do I teach them to hold the sheep away from me? I think this guy will understand why we teach the dogs to drive after today, he sat in for 2 days of demos and thought Bea was just hilarious, every time I turned my back, she would break her lie down and flank out to fetch me the sheep, she has a "cute" way of doing it without disturbing the sheep, the pen was small, so she would just trot off hugging the fence getting around the sheep, "Time to bring Deb the sheep"...wonder how funny he will think it is when he tries to convince his dogs to hold the sheep away from him today and get them to stay put and hold the sheep away from him.

 

It seems to me that what a good sheepdog loves best is the feeling of being in control of the sheep. And I bet nowhere is that feeling stronger than in keeping them from going somewhere they REALLY want to go, like the feeder. You often see dogs early on in their training who will typically run out to fetch sheep very happily (even if they're not asked to, like Bea), but if the draw is toward the handler they will abort their outrun and cut in to hold the sheep instead -- they're just not willing to release that pressure. Probably with a little guidance this guy will have no trouble in getting his dogs to hold the sheep away from him -- sounds like he already sees the point of that.

 

That seems like a great way to structure a demo.