Bart Posted June 10, 2005 Report Share Posted June 10, 2005 I sent my two year old BC to bring my 15 sheep in for the night. They were out of sight when I sent him but I knew where they were. He came back with 12 in a few minutes and I am pretty sure he went back by himself for the other 3. A few minutes or more the other 3 came down the hill and into the pen, but no dog. I whistled for a while when I realized he wasn't coming back. He does like to chase the rabbits and there are a lot out there now. I got in the truck and went out looking for him. We have another pasture that he can reach from where I sent him. I found him there at the gate with his tongue hanging out from exhaustion. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
workindogs Posted June 10, 2005 Report Share Posted June 10, 2005 Is it possible that he simply got lost?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted June 10, 2005 Report Share Posted June 10, 2005 That certainly happens. I sent a dog like 100 yards one time and 2 hours later found an exhausted dog that had gotten turned around in some woods. Scared us both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted June 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2005 Not lost for sure, he knows the territory. One more fact I forgot, I added 6 sheep to the flock that morning. Could he have been confused as to how many he found and went back for more. The other pasture is where I keep the rest of the sheep. Of course it was empty but he would not have known that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted June 10, 2005 Report Share Posted June 10, 2005 Can you clarify a bit? Did he go back on his own for the 3 sheep that were left? Were they ones that were familiar with going in at night? Could they have been in that second pasture and he nudged them towards home then couldn't find his way back out of that pasture? How big are these pastures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted June 10, 2005 Report Share Posted June 10, 2005 What is the height of the forage in these pastures? and is it getting dryish? Sometimes if a dog is trying to work by hearing and the grass is rattley, the dog will hear the sheep on the outrun (so they lift them right) but then lose them if they bolt, and the dog has to make a lot of noise itself to speed up. Possibly when the sheep left, the dog thought it was tracking the sheep into the other pasture. Don't know if that makes sense but we deal with that rather often here - the key for us turned out actually to make sure the lift happens extremely gently so the dog can keep focused on the sounds and smells in front. If you can't see what's happening, try practicing this first where you can see and then the dog will get in the habit of doing this on his own. If long grass isn't a problem, nevermind! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted June 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2005 I am pretty sure he either took off after a rabbit or can't count his sheep. This is the first time he had to deal with the extra 6. I am pretty sure he went back for the 3 and am also sure he pushed them down the hill. The terrain is pretty rough and the second pasture is two ridges away. He is too young and he isn't really even two (will be two in september). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted June 11, 2005 Report Share Posted June 11, 2005 I am wondering why you didn't know if he went back for the additional three. Were you able to watch while all this went on? That seems like a young dog to send out without more "supervision" so you are aware of what he is doing. I envy you having sheep! My dog(s) gather the cattle decently but get bogged down if the stock is not within sight of me so I can offer encouragement and commands. But they are also young dogs working a larger group of cows with calves (25 cows, 22 calves, and a bull) so it's not an easy group to work for young dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kajarrel Posted June 11, 2005 Report Share Posted June 11, 2005 I wonder if you have another question, underlying your original question . . . Kim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted June 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2005 Property is hills and brush. He knows it better than I do because when he was young we used to hike it. It would be pretty hard to climb up the hills just to see if the sheep were there - much easier to send the dog. Maybe I should not have let him gather them at such a long distance but it was getting too much for me to find them myself. Occasionally when I could not find them I would take him in the truck up my dirt road to the back of the property (about 50 acres) and try to let him out - if he wouldn't get out I kept driving, finally we would get out even though I could not see the sheep I assumed he could smell them or he was going to chase rabbits. I then drove back down the dirt road and waited. Soon out of the brush came the sheep. Other times he would not get out at all and sure enough they were down the street at a neighbors. However there are times when they are within sight of me across a ridge or at the end of the pasture and he needs me to tell him where they are, perhaps they are downwind. Any thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kajarrel Posted June 12, 2005 Report Share Posted June 12, 2005 I do think wind direction makes a difference, also, as Rebecca mentioned, tall grass (they don't seem to have as many problems in scrubby brush/woods). I have a sense that my dogs are more visually oriented than scent oriented, but that's just a guess. Kim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted June 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2005 My six lambs (6 months, they are purchased) ran off this morning. I spotted them an hour later going up my fire road. I had the dog but the road drops off pretty steep on either side and I was afraid the dog would spook them down the hill if I sent him. I decided to leave them alone assuming they would come back. They weren't back by 6 PM. So I took the dog to where I last saw them and put him on a lead and told him to find the sheep. He went to the end of the fire road where it T's and he took the left fork for about another 1000 yards where he headed down the steepest side of the mountain. I turned back, the brush was too thick to even follow him. Went back home and hoped they would appear this morning. But no sheep, any suggestions. By the way I just found out that lambs will run off, but after 1 year they won't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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