Catch dog

[SJGC]

Back before I knew anything about anything I worked in NZ and the boss was awesome with his dogs. They could move sheep through hoops and catch them anytime he asked. Fast forward to now and I still don’t really know anything about anything but I’m trying to learn.

I’ve got a young heading dog that is coming on really well - all instinct. He tries to bite ewes in a gentle way when he gets the chance and so I’ve tried to find a way to discourage him from getting too enthusiastic about biting but not stop him.

Had a screw up moving ewes and lambs yesterday and three 2-3 week old lambs got left behind. I came back later with the dog and when the lambs split and high tailed it in opposite directions I sent him after one and with an open mouth he knocked it over. Didn’t try to kill it or savage it just waited until it tried to get up and then knocked it over with an open mouth again. I was running to get the lamb and kept saying “good dog” and “hold” and then praised him when I had the lamb. He did the same with the remaining 2 lambs.

How do I encourage him to keep doing this and also to hold the lamb until I get there? Any good trainer resources people might recommend? Seems to me that a dog that can catch and hold sheep is worth its weight in gold.

 

[Woolless]

Sounds like you've got a good one there
Keep doing what you're doing, sounds like to me. I would agree, a dog that will catch is Incredibly useful.
@unlacedgecko may be able to give better advice.

 

[Hill Ground]

Keep Heaping the praise on, he'll get the idea.

I've got a beardy that was given to me out of a housing estate. Hopeless on a big mob, but single one out and he just keeps running alongside it licking it's face bringing it back until you've caught it!!

 

[Hilly]

Do good praise do wrong just change tone of voice and correct them , they soon grasp iwhat you want .

 

[MJT]

Back before I knew anything about anything I worked in NZ and the boss was awesome with his dogs. They could move sheep through hoops and catch them anytime he asked. Fast forward to now and I still don’t really know anything about anything but I’m trying to learn.

I’ve got a young heading dog that is coming on really well - all instinct. He tries to bite ewes in a gentle way when he gets the chance and so I’ve tried to find a way to discourage him from getting too enthusiastic about biting but not stop him.

Had a screw up moving ewes and lambs yesterday and three 2-3 week old lambs got left behind. I came back later with the dog and when the lambs split and high tailed it in opposite directions I sent him after one and with an open mouth he knocked it over. Didn’t try to kill it or savage it just waited until it tried to get up and then knocked it over with an open mouth again. I was running to get the lamb and kept saying “good dog” and “hold” and then praised him when I had the lamb. He did the same with the remaining 2 lambs.

How do I encourage him to keep doing this and also to hold the lamb until I get there? Any good trainer resources people might recommend? Seems to me that a dog that can catch and hold sheep is worth its weight in gold.

When he’s starting to try and catch one again then give him praise and keep saying “Get it” “Get it”,until it’s second nature, then if you want to you can set him to catch a ewe and shout “the ewe” “the ewe” or if a lamb then “the lamb” “the lamb” and then eventually he will learn which to catch out of a ewe and lamb pair. Can’t imagine having dog that doesn’t catch, saves a lot of work. Sounds like he’s going to be a good one.

 

[Farmer_Joe]

When he’s starting to try and catch one again then give him praise and keep saying “Get it” “Get it”,until it’s second nature, then if you want to you can set him to catch a ewe and shout “the ewe” “the ewe” or if a lamb then “the lamb” “the lamb” and then eventually he will learn which to catch out of a ewe and lamb pair. Can’t imagine having dog that doesn’t catch, saves a lot of work. Sounds like he’s going to be a good one.

Ha ha I trained mine same way, separate one out and say get it, job done he does it perfect now he takes no prisoners but Christ it’s handy skill to have

 

[Wood field]

my older dog will catch and hold , I think they either have it or not.
I just say hold and he will , that’ll do and he lets go
Younger dog is a great gathering dog but soft in close work , she’s now copying the old lad so I keep telling her “ hold “ followed by lots of praise

 

[Dry Rot]

I believe dog training is mostly a communications problem!

I ruined my first working line German shepherd because I was concerned she could be dangerous and turn into a rogue biter if I trained her for man work. Hard mouth can be a problem with retrieving breeds. They crunch the game they've retrieved. Spaniel breeders reckoin it's genetic and avoid certain lines.

Anyway, I used to play fight with this GSD and taught her not to bite the same way I would train a young spaniel not to grip. I take a fold of the dog's lip, place it between it's teeth, then gently squeeze, saying "Don't bite". Unfortunately, it worked and she would not grip a man! (I didn't make that mistake again).

I knew a very good trainer (a gypsy) who trained his rabbit dogs to catch and retrieve alive, as he had a good market for clean rabbits. He told me he trained the dogs in his kitchen, using a tame rabbit.

I am no sheepdog trainer but had one dog that would single out and catch. Just taught him to grab "That one!" out of a group....same as other posters above. Like a game of hot or cold we played as kids.

On one of the Scottish islands, the sheep were a breed that would not flock and the dogs were trained to catch rather than gather. Maybe the Gecko knows?

 

[unlacedgecko]

I believe dog training is mostly a communications problem!

I ruined my first working line German shepherd because I was concerned she could be dangerous and turn into a rogue biter if I trained her for man work. Hard mouth can be a problem with retrieving breeds. They crunch the game they've retrieved. Spaniel breeders reckoin it's genetic and avoid certain lines.

Anyway, I used to play fight with this GSD and taught her not to bite the same way I would train a young spaniel not to grip. I take a fold of the dog's lip, place it between it's teeth, then gently squeeze, saying "Don't bite". Unfortunately, it worked and she would not grip a man! (I didn't make that mistake again).

I knew a very good trainer (a gypsy) who trained his rabbit dogs to catch and retrieve alive, as he had a good market for clean rabbits. He told me he trained the dogs in his kitchen, using a tame rabbit.

I am no sheepdog trainer but had one dog that would single out and catch. Just taught him to grab "That one!" out of a group....same as other posters above. Like a game of hot or cold we played as kids.

On one of the Scottish islands, the sheep were a breed that would not flock and the dogs were trained to catch rather than gather. Maybe the Gecko knows?

I've read about the island. The photo I saw of the dogs they weren't collies as I'd know them. I understand the dogs were defanged to avoid carcass damage.

 

[AftonShepherd]

Out shearer had an 11 month old bitch once that lay beneath the trailer sleeping until something rough escaped off the trailer then went and caught it without being told. Anyone that knows our shearer will understand that she got plenty of practice!

 

[Woolless]

Out shearer had an 11 month old bitch once that lay beneath the trailer sleeping until something rough escaped off the trailer then went and caught it without being told. Anyone that knows our shearer will understand that she got plenty of practice!

I worked on a gang with a shearer like that but he was well in his 50s and was fond of a dram!

 

[AftonShepherd]

I worked on a gang with a shearer like that but he was well in his 50s and was fond of a dram!

In this case it was the trailer maintenance that was the issue rather than the abilities of the shearers.

 

[Hill Ground]

Out shearer had an 11 month old bitch once that lay beneath the trailer sleeping until something rough escaped off the trailer then went and caught it without being told. Anyone that knows our shearer will understand that she got plenty of practice!

My old dog would sit under the truck when sheep were in the pens.
The words "ahh you f**ken bitch" where like an untaught command and he'd come shooting out to see what had jumped out or generally gone wrong!!

Don't think I'll ever have another dog as intuitive as him, just seemed to get it!

 

[neilo]

My old dog would sit under the truck when sheep were in the pens.
The words "ahh you f**ken bitch" where like an untaught command and he'd come shooting out to see what had jumped out or generally gone wrong!!

Don't think I'll ever have another dog as intuitive as him, just seemed to get it!

Mine would be knackered by lunchtime if they responded like that.

 

[SJGC]

Thanks for the replies. Think the biggest challenge for me is to not get in the dogs way too much

 

[Dry Rot]

I've read about the island. The photo I saw of the dogs they weren't collies as I'd know them. I understand the dogs were defanged to avoid carcass damage.

That is correct. I think details were included in an early book on Nature photography written by the Kearton brothers. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_and_Cherry_Kearton). Fascinating stuff including dangling over cliffs on the end of a rope with plate cameras to get photographs! They reported how one islander got his toe caught in a puffin noose and fell over the cliff to be suspended upside down until he was rescued. My copy of the book was loaned to my boss, a peer of the realm, and never returned! But you could probably get a copy through your local library or one of the used book dealers.

We waste so much of what dogs have to offer us. I believe we haven't even scratched the surface yet.