look back for sheep

[ejano]

We have nine sheep now, four shetlands and five Tunis cross - all independent thinkers.

 

We've extended our pasture out onto the hillside using Electronet fencing. (Just as an aside, putting up the electronet and the solar charger had to be the easiest thing we've done since we 've gotten sheep. Zip, zip and it's done.) The sheep have an entire hillside of grass and absolutely refuse to go in there because each time they do some darn fool puts her nose on the fence and they all go skittering back to the barn at full speed

 

I'm using Robin to push the sheep into the new grazing area, shutting the gate and leaving them there for short periods of time to get them used to the place. This is a big step for us. Robin is working at about 400 yards out, sometimes just out of sight, though I can see the bigger sheep as they come through a dip in the pasture so I know what he's doing. He's having some difficulty keeping the entire packet together. He usually brings me 7, then willingly goes back for the two escapees. Today, he brought six. I sent him back and he brought just one as Snowdrop had apparently evolved and went to hide in the barn, taking one of the little ones with her.

 

I sent him back again but he didn't find them. He didn't realize they'd gone in the barn so he was very reluctant to leave the packet he did have to look for something he couldn't see. He kept turning back to the ones behind me perhaps thinking he ought to bring those to me and he'd done such a good job so far I didn't want to keep correcting him for doing something wrong when I couldn't explain what to do right, so we called it a day.

 

Obviously, if I close the barn doors, the sheep will stay in his view and the immediate problem will solve itself. But on a larger scale, I want him to trust me to send him out to look for sheep he can't see. How do I help him find the other sheep when they are out of sight?

[Pearse]

Obviously, if I close the barn doors, the sheep will stay in his view and the immediate problem will solve itself. But on a larger scale, I want him to trust me to send him out to look for sheep he can't see. How do I help him find the other sheep when they are out of sight?

 

Lay him down, walk level with him, tell him to look back. When he turns and looks back, walk with him until you find the sheep, send him to gather them. Don't send him back for sheep that you suspect are in the barn. No good can come of it.

 

You need to set it up so that you know absolutely that there are sheep there, and in a place he can easily fetch them from, and where you can see him fetching them, until he's rock solid. That's how you build the trust. The dog needs to know for absolute sure, that every time you turn him back for sheep, there are sheep there to be got. If he's unsure, walk him back to where he can see them, and then send him. You need to be able to see him do it to be sure he's working correctly and not developing bad habits out of your sight. When he's solid and confident, then you can begin to introduce blind outruns and fetches.

 

At least, that's my thinking on it..

 

Pearse

[ejano]

Thanks - we'll start to work again. I've another nagging problem to deal with as well. When he gets the entire flock, he's putting them up against a fence corner and keeping them there with his strong eye. He's not relaxed enough to lie down and get stuck; he waits on his feet just in case one or more of them pops loose so I am easily able to call him off and redirect him in a flank between the sheep and the fence, which gets him out of the spot, but he shouldn't be creating the problem in the first place - though I am grateful that he can hold them because Lamb Chops (a whether) has turned a bit nasty now and again.

 

I suspect that both issues can be helped by slowing Robin down to a crawl. I've avoided this because he's a bit sticky now and again and now I see its past time to introduce "take time".

 

I will say one thing - I would have thought my flock would have been dogged out by now, but every time I work the dogs, one or more of them pulls a new trick out of their proverbial hats. I guess that's a good thing. Keeps the dogs and me on our toes

 

Liz