Sneak Peek

            Dog's ready but, where's the sheep?

From Positive Herding 101

Is your dog ready to go to stock?

Once you begin to work obedience skills around livestock you will realize how strong a behavior has to be to meet criteria near stock. Your herding skills will need to be even stronger than your obedience skills because then the stock and your dog will be moving. If your dog cannot perform a sit around livestock there is no way they will be able to stop or otherwise control themselves when their instincts are screaming - CHASE!!!

Let’s quickly review the skills your dog needs before they begin herding.

Skills necessary to start herding: (performed near penned livestock)

• Eat or play with you (engage with you)
• Work for food, a tug, a ball, or another toy
• Perform sit, down, stand (or tricks)
• Heel with you (optional)
• Recall

If your dog cannot engage with you, perform basic obedience behaviors or tricks, and recall reliably off of penned stock your dog is NOT READY to move forward with herding. If you move forward before your dog has the skills and self-control necessary you are setting them up for failure. Do you and your dog a favor by working the above skills until you have confidence that your dog is capable of listening and controlling themselves near livestock. Time spent building mass on non-herding skills around livestock is time very well spent!

So is your dog ready to do obedience around livestock?

Getting your stock to your training area

There are several ways to move your stock from the pasture or dry lot where you keep them to your training area. How you accomplish this depends on your setup and how docile your livestock is. If you have another trained dog you will certainly use them to move the stock but if not you need a safe, easy, and efficient way to get your stock into a small pen in your training paddock.

Do not try to move the livestock from where they are housed in to your paddock and small pen using your untrained dog on a leash as a helper! This may be your dog’s initial introduction to livestock and should not include your dog lunging at stock or being jerked around while you yell and wave your arms.

If you are going to be working your livestock in the paddock where they stay you can set up your small pen in that paddock and feed your stock some grain or hay inside the pen every day. Place a tub or two near the pen and put a bit of feed into them. Call your animals and step back away from the tubs and pen. After a few days, the stock will start coming over to the tubs when they see you approaching with feed or when you call.

Slowly move the tubs into the pen and leave the gate open. You will move away from the pen as you call your livestock. Within a few more days your stock should be going readily into the pen to get the feed. Now start shutting the gate and leaving the stock in the pen for 10 to 15 minutes before releasing them. After a few days of the stock being shut in for short periods, you should be ready to work your dog outside of the pen.

Another way to move your stock into a pen is to put out several tubs with a small amount of grain in each and have the stock move from one to the next, as they empty each tub, until they enter the pen.

Eventually, you can reduce the number of tubs. Be sure to have the last tub at the very back of the pen so you will not disturb the stock as you close the pen gate.

 If you are not going to be working your livestock in the paddock where they stay you will need to be creative in your use of barriers. The most efficient and safe way for you to move your stock to your training paddock is through a series of lanes, panels, or other barriers. You may have to set up some temporary electric fence or netting to efficiently move your livestock.

If you use electric fencing or netting be sure and train your livestock to it before you try to use it as a barrier. Contact a local farmer, your County Extension Service, or the manufacturer/seller of the electric netting or fencing for information on safe setup and use of electrified fence.

Warning! – Do not allow your dog to come into contact with “hot” electric fence! If livestock is present your dog may associate the shock they receive from the fence with the stock and develop fear of the livestock. Make sure the fencing is switched OFF before you take your dog near it! It is never a good idea for your dog to touch an electric fence!

Warning! – Do not allow your dog to come into contact with “hot” electric fence! If livestock is present your dog may associate the shock they receive from the fence with the stock and develop fear of the livestock. Make sure the fencing is switched OFF before you take your dog near it! It is never a good idea for your dog to touch an electric fence!

Once you get your stock into your training paddock you can then use feed in tubs to get them into your little training pen as explained above.

If you are not a member of my private FB group, Positive Herding Dog, just ask to join and answer a few questions so I can get to know a bit about you and your dog(s). You may also ask questions about this training in that group.

If you found this blog helpful, please tell your friends and spread the herd!

Barb

Come bye to learn more about herding!

Join my list to receive the latest news and updates.

(Don't worry, your information will not be shared.)