Grant & Lee Update - Starting a Sheepdog (new video)

[BCSnob]

Grant & Lee are almost 8 months old now which is about the age we will "try" a pup on sheep. In these sessions we expose them to sheep to see if they are interested in the sheep; this may take a few exposures to peak their interest or it may take more time for them to mature. We also assess their seriousness about the sheep; are they just diving in, chasing, playing or are their instincts starting to turn on and they are serious. We can tell their attitude by their tail carriage: up high and it's play time, low or tucked under their belly and they are serious. Barking is also a sign of play.

Renee and I have taken our pups to sheep a few times. Grant (Renee's pup) is not quite ready for training; he's keen but not mature enough (tail high and barking). Lee is ready.

Here is Lee's 3rd session on sheep. I am mostly trying to get him to feel balance and how to correctly move around the sheep (correct distance off the sheep). I don't want him circling mindlessly. I want him to sense where the balance point is and am switching him frequently so that we will frequently end up at or going past the balance point. The more times I can get him to the balance point the more likely he is to feel it and sense his instinct to want to go to balance. (The balance point is that location on the other side of the sheep from me that will turn the sheep directly to me.)

I'm also working on a down and the beginnings of a call-off. I'll use whatever tool helps him be correct without putting too much pressure on him. So far I've been pleased with his developing feel for the sheep and glimpses of thoughtful attitude.



Lee at 8months

[BCSnob]

I don't see it as giving away training techniques; I see it as trying to slow the change in public perception of the breed from livestock working dog to sportdog.

[AZPops]

Great video up date Mark. On the other hand, aren't you giving away your training techniques?


Pops

[corgi-traveler]

Thanks for sharing. Fun and educational! 🙂

[Little_Kopit]

It sure is rewarding training a dog who wants to do what you want and who seems to be asking, 'is this it'.

I have a 10 month old Chessie now - Kopit's successor. She's not the lady Kopit was, but a rewarding soul all the same.

:B

[BCSnob]

He really impresses me walking from the house to the training paddock; he is now walking by my side dragging a line with very few corrections from me. He keeps looking at me to keep pace with me, not racing ahead to get to the sheep.

Mark

[Little_Kopit]

Thanks for the update video Mark. I've been wondering. The lad seems to know why he's in this world.

:B

[RBak]

Wow, what energy that dog has! Very impressive, Mark. I know there's a lot of hard work that goes into training these wonderful dogs. Congratulations to you, and Happy New Year!

Rita
Andy the sheltie
Nicky the horse

[BCSnob]

Here is Lee at 9 months after 12-15 training sessions. He is almost ready to move his training sessions to a muck larger area.

Lee in training

Mark

[BCSnob]

Deb, you can keep your snow. We are scheduled to get 2200' of new fence in early December which would be very difficult with snow on the ground. Also training Lee with snow would be more difficult to not possible depending upon how much snow.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

RBak wrote:
No snow out here, Mark.

Rita

You can have some of mine! About 2' (although much has melted due to warm ground) - but poor little Ben (13" at the shoulder) has been running through drifts taller than HE is....

Mark - that was fun to watch how your body language influences the dog. I've used similar techniques while lunging horses.

[corgi-traveler]

I can definitely relate to being put off by the paddle. Young Diva is very sensitive, she is intimidated by even a crook and will wander away from the stock and sniff when it comes out. Pretty much all I can use with her is a little 3-foot sorting stick. Luckily she doesn't generally come in to close or hot, so I don't normally have to put much pressure on her. We have recently started working with call ducks, though, where she really does want to pounce in and make herself some duck soup sometimes 😮

Buddy, OTOH, is sometimes completely oblivious to the paddle, flag, crook-with-a-shaker-bottle, thrown crook, etc. He's a very strong-willed little dog. I guess you have to be if you are 26 lbs and you were bred to move 400lb cattle.

[BCSnob]

Samantha,

I learned in Lee's first session on sheep that he was put off by the paddle; it made him apprehensive about coming towards me and the sheep. In the 3rd session I found there were a few times I needed something more than me to apply enough pressure on Lee to get his attention and to push him back off the sheep so I picked up the paddle. Once off his sheep Lee again became a bit apprehensive about the paddle so I put it down.

During these early stages of training I find I spend a lot of time finding the right corrections/training tools to get the desired reaction from the pups without it being too much for the pups. I want them near the sheep, feeling the sheep's reactions to their actions; but I don't want them too close or too wild because then they stop thinking.

Mark

[AZPops]

Thanks for sharing Le's training with us Mark! Really good stuff! ...


You've got a really nice place BTW, (it could be the angle of the camera) but I thought you were taller. .... :B

Pops

[Scottiemom]

That's quite amazing, Mark.