I have questions too

[Jo&Tex]

I had a great time at my first herding lesson. The trainer was super. Working with a deaf dog did not faze him at all.

Since Loki shows some willingness to be a sheep dog, I need to find a way to achieve his dreams. We will never trial but I'd like to keep on learning with him.

Since he can't hear a whistle, does anyone have any suggestions to help us communicate? If he's looking at me, then he's not focused on the sheep.

I'm wondering if a vibrating collar would help.

 

How many different whistle commands are there?

[Billsmom]

I'm far from being an expert on stockdog training, but if you worked in a small area with a few dog broke sheep, and used your body position to apply pressure, I'm sure you would both have a good time. Caution! You must make sure that you are comfortable with the sheep, so you can push through them if need be.

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

Since you won't have to worry about trialing (and regulations thereof), you might want to look into one of those radio collars that uses vibrations to signal. You could get as much variation as you needed, most likely, even to run very basic trial courses.

 

My husband won second place the first time he ran in a trial - not using a single command, just his dog's name. The judge that day talked to him afterwards and said she was impressed but he would have been far and away the first if he'd just flanked him at one certain time to hold the sheep to the right side of the post (one sheep came around short). That was when Patrick had to admit that he'd forgotten all his commands completely while he was out there.

[Bill Fosher]

Hi Becca,

 

The same thing has happened to me before. Immediately after sending my dog, there was a small "plink!" heard. My brain had rolled out my ear canal and landed in the grass. After my run I found it again -- sort of like finding a contact lens on the beach -- and stuck it back in, but I'm not sure it got hooked up correctly.

 

i think I was third in a pro-novice class on that run.

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

I wonder whether I should try leaving the brain behind in the handlers' tent. I like it pretty much at other times but I'll admit it seems to get in the way out there more often than not. I find myself musing thoughtfully, "I wonder why . . ." and then the sheep are on the other side of the field.

[Jo&Tex]

So it doesn't matter if I don't know the whistle commands since I'm going to forget them anyways....that'll make things easier.

 

I just stand out there and wave my arms like a crazy person, same as I do now.

[Pipedream Farm]

I know a handler who has contemplated making a dual vibrating collar (for his dog that went deaf), one on each side; and then use each to give flanks.

 

Mark

[Caroline Reichard]

I have a friend whose trained dog is now nearly totally deaf, and she is really bummed about it. Has anyone actually tried the vibrating collar with success? Besides flank commands, what was used for a stop, steady, walk up, and call off?