KrisK Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 So, I don't have sheep (yet!) nor are my ducks the kind that take kindly to herding (Heavy Muscovies). There are a few people close by (within 60 km) that do CKC herding (yes, I know it's not the real thing!) but if it's an opportunity for Flint to see sheep and perhaps give him some direction...is it worth holding my nose, just for a bit of time? Bearing in mind that Flint is only 14 weeks old. Or should I just drop in with Cricket who at 9+ is not likely to be at tuned in as Flint? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maja Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 For such a very young puppy-puppy, I would not let anyone near the dog with sheep unless I am 1000% sure that the person can deal with this tender age. You won't miss much if you wait until he is much older, and you'll avoid the possibility of doing something wrong. My impression is that the younger the dog the more experienced the trainer has to be, if the handler has no experience. And that goes for wherever the trainer is from. If am wrong, please, more experienced people - correct me. maja Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisK Posted July 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 sorry, I guess I'm not wording this correctly. I know Flint is much too young to start training in any serious way...but is it worth giving him some brief exposure to sheep at this time? I didn't really mean that I would let anyone train him...blah..I think I've been out in the sun too long!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnewe2 Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 If in the right place it's fun to see what they are thinking and doing at that age but if they don't see sheep for quite some time (from his age now) I don't think it's anything that will hamper him later on. But if he's turned out to sheep in the wrong manner at that tender age a lot of damage can be done and it may be lasting. So check the place out before you go, or maybe take your older dog along with Flint and let Flint see them through the fence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbie Meier Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 We expose our pups at a young age but are very careful how, when and with what livestock. Before taking pups out to stock we sort through the sheep making certain to take out anything that has been known to give a pup/dog a hard time, we also are certain to not put a pup on the sheep after another dog has offended them, chased them or upset them. I would not suggest exposing a pup for the first time at a organized event or fun day, unless you were really good at reading the livestock and recognizing whether or not you were placing your pup into a positive enviroment. Privately would be best but, I would also want to be certain that who ever was to help me expose my pup is someone that has demonstrated an ability to bring out and support natural talent and ability not only in pups but also on through to fully training a border collie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 Kris, There's no real reason to expose him at this age unless you're really just dying to see whether he's interested. I expose mine at such a young age because I happen to have sheep right here, and I am in complete control of the situation. What would worry me about taking him someplace like an all-breed facility would be the competence of the owner/trainer to really do right by him at this age (not training, just simple exposure), as well as the fact that the sheep may well be rather sour (I'm making assumptions here, but many times schooling sheep used repeatedly by a variety of dogs will be "tame" but they'll also be somewhat willing to turn and challenge a little puppy). There will be no harm to him if he doesn't see sheep until he's actually old enough to start training. So it's really up to you to assess the situation and decide if it's worth taking him someplace where the training may not be appropriate and the sheep might be quite willing to take advantage of an itty bitty puppy. If you're really interested in taking him out to sheep sooner rather than later, you should probably go to that facility in advance and see just how they work dogs and what the stock are like. If you wanted to try that with Cricket, that would be fine. It's not a matter of keenness or lack thereof, but even if Cricket wasn't super excited about working, you'd at least be able to see what approach the trainer would take in that case. You'd get to see how they expose a newbie dog (which isn't quite the same as a baby dog, but close enough). If you choose this route, I think you should go when they are giving lessons to more than just you so you can see how they approach training with a variety of dogs. You could even specifically ask if you could come out and watch some lessons/training sessions with border collies so you could make a better assessment of what they might do with your dogs. If and when it comes time to take Flint, then I'd definitely opt for a private session just to keep distractions, etc., to a minimum for him. There's also the option (maybe?) of getting some lighter ducks (Indian runners or the like) to keep at home. Then you have complete control over exposure, and of course ducks aren't likely to turn on him and scare him at a tender age. The down side to this idea is that not all dogs are interested in working poultry, but if not, then you could just sell the ducks and no real loss to you either way. (That is, if he never showed interest in working ducks, that doesn't mean he won't be interested in working sheep.) J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisK Posted July 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 Thanks everyone, this is why I come to the Boards with these kind of ponderings I know that the experienced people here will give me their thoughtful and honest opinions. I likely will take Cricket...she saw sheep when she was around 5...not too interested so she would be a good 'test'. Flint has already shown interest in rounding up the ducks..they were not impressed. Maybe I'll look at a few runner ducks.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynthia P Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 The littermates are all very interested in sheep; All my advise about not letting them obsess on lambs/sheep that i've given, now I must follow! If you want to see what he does there is little harm provided the sheep are appropriate! Also, there is no problem with waiting until they are a little older either. Less chance of your dog being scared by something. When my Pam dog was 6 months old we were at an all breed event when someone in the tested level ran sheep into a fence near her. She was afraid of sheep until she was about 14 months when we finally convinced her it wasnt all that bad. I wouldn't have the patience to do that anymore so I'm more careful about the exposure at a young age cynthia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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