Maja Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Following your encouragement I bought three ewe-lambs that have not seen a dog in their life. We had our first practice today, which went ok. and I am happy with it overall, I thought there would be much more havoc, but there was hardly any. But I wanted to ask you for some tips on how to handle them - if there is any way that's different from dog broke sheep. The little ewes are not afraid. And I, rather than being a draw, am a very strong pressure point - they really don't want to go where I am. It makes the fetch very difficult and the drive very easy. In fact, Bonnie, who is 15 months now, was not able to fetch the sheep to me. Perhaps it's s weakness in her character, or may be she is just young. I don't know. So the first time I tried to encourage Bonnie a bit to fetch and we did a lot of driving, so that the sheep learn that if they move nice the doggie stays far away. the driving was very nice and calm on both sides. I was also thinking that I should move father away from the sheep, so that do not repel them so much. Overall they behave in completely opposite way to my dog broke sheep that are now all sold. So I think it will work out well. I will be grateful for all tips . Maja Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PennyT Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Your experience doesn't surprise me. Undogged sheep do seem to fear people more than a settled dog. From what I saw of Bonnie on your earlier videos, she seems to have a pleasant calming authority over livestock. It takes a either a lifetime of experience or a natural gift for humans to achieve the same effect in so short a time. Penny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maja Posted February 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Penny, Thank you . Is there anything I can do to help Bonnie on the fetch, or shouldn't I do anything and just let things take their course? As I wrote she has a problem fetching them, and I was thinking that increasing the sheep's distance from me would help Bonnie. On the other hand the sheep seem to be getting the idea what it's all about, so it might be as with many things in herding, that the problem just needs time to resolve itself. Maja Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maja Posted February 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 So I have a movie with Bonnie second time on the new sheep (the name of the file says third time, but it's her second). As I wrote, they are not afraid of dogs at all, and they are neither shy nor flighty which is what I had expected them to be, but which didn't happen (the Cameroonians were totally bonkers for a very long time, just turbo charged maniacs). There is one fragment that shows how Bonnie cannot fetch the sheep but then later she actually is getting somewhere, that is, she's getting the sheep to me. I'm sorry I talk to her so much, but most of the time I am at a distance from her or behind her so I want to keep contact. I see she is unsure of herself but she is also beginning to use her eye later on. Also she seems very wary of the lambs' butting, but she was raised on a nasty ewe and an ornery ram, as some perhaps remember. So that the background. I will be grateful for all the pointers. I think the non dog broke, people shy sheep were a very good idea. But it shows Bonnie's weaknesses. Maja Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PennyT Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Keep Bonnie on her feet and teach a grip. Penny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maja Posted February 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 Penny, Thank you. I will do that. The has been a considerable improvement between the second and the third session with the sheep. The sheep have thought things through and must have decided that facing the dog was not all that good, so today they presented their pudgy versions of Thompson gazelles. But alas! Bonnie grew up on the Cameroons and was she ready for them! the rolly-polies don't have chance. So they quickly decided that maybe face-offs were a better idea, naaaah, better yet, maybe, just maybe, the tall person was good to be near, since it's so scary then the doggy won't follow there perhaps, or maybe we will just stay in one place and pretend they are not there. Or maybe, blast it, the doggy is telling us to go somewhere agaaaaain. I know Bonnie is learning a lot with the new sheep, but I am learning oodles too. Maja Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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