Non-dog broke sheep for a young dog

[Maja]

Julie,

Thank you for your answer.

 

"It's quite likely that if Bonnie had enough space to get far enough away to stop the charging that she would also be so far off as to not be able to move the sheep at all."

 

That's of course very possible with these sheep, it was like that in the beginning with my new lambs, they just didn't care about the dog. I only had experience with this one weird flock where the sheep seemed to be hell-sheep if Bonnie moved from the outer flight bubble into their fight bubble (which was quite large). With those sheep if I kept Bonnie way out (I mean for us way out, kind of like some dogs in open class distance) the sheep were very easy to move, not to say actually flighty. A somewhat similar thing I have with my own sheep there working close, the sheep are a bit heavy and and with a large distance they are rather zippy, even the barrel shape berrichon Bertha. But I guess it does not matter - the area that is fenced in is the way it is, and there is nothing I can do about it.

 

"Does the farmer have a way to sort some sheep off? If so, I would remove the worst of the protective ewes and work just those who aren't trying to kill the dog."

 

I was also thinking about asking them to just take out a few young rams. It's a non-sheep related problem that they don't want any money from me so I feel awkward about putting them to additional trouble. But I will try to tackle them, threaten with my LGD or something unless they agree to a payment

 

Either way I will be very careful not to discourage Bonnie, who is very eager to please hence I must be extra careful - she won't quit but might feel less confident nonetheless.

 

Unfortunately my flock of ouessants was killed by a dog before I managed to buy them and bring them home. So now I only have my berrichon-Polish - Merino mixes - 6 sheep in all, and no breeding program to speak of.

 

Maja