Getting a dog to work properly.

[sticky]

so today I found a ewe with maggots (no I’m not going to cull her) in a bunch out the back of my buildings. I managed to get her back to somewhere near along with another (2 ewes and 4 lambs) and as I’d left the field gate open I got the dog out of the vehicle and together we pushed them through the gate into the yard. All the yard gates were open and nowhere to put them ready, so I sent her away and she got in front and held them until I closed and opened some gates then I went past and we pushed them into a pen. Once in the large pen she went in on her own and held them up tight, I wish she would be that strong in the field behind them.

 

[Wood field]

so today I found a ewe with maggots (no I’m not going to cull her) in a bunch out the back of my buildings. I managed to get her back to somewhere near along with another (2 ewes and 4 lambs) and as I’d left the field gate open I got the dog out of the vehicle and together we pushed them through the gate into the yard. All the yard gates were open and nowhere to put them ready, so I sent her away and she got in front and held them until I closed and opened some gates then I went past and we pushed them into a pen. Once in the large pen she went in on her own and held them up tight, I wish she would be that strong in the field behind them.

Keep doing that and build her confidence, she will come by the sounds of it

 

[yellowbelly]

What @Wood field said

Looks like you've tried to do too many sheep too soon.

Work her on a few (like today) and gradually build up numbers.

 

[noagain]

so today I found a ewe with maggots (no I’m not going to cull her) in a bunch out the back of my buildings. I managed to get her back to somewhere near along with another (2 ewes and 4 lambs) and as I’d left the field gate open I got the dog out of the vehicle and together we pushed them through the gate into the yard. All the yard gates were open and nowhere to put them ready, so I sent her away and she got in front and held them until I closed and opened some gates then I went past and we pushed them into a pen. Once in the large pen she went in on her own and held them up tight, I wish she would be that strong in the field behind them.

I'm the same, out in the field trying to get them out a gate himself, torture, in the yard getting them in the pens or pushing behind the race, he'll eat them

 

[unlacedgecko]

so today I found a ewe with maggots (no I’m not going to cull her) in a bunch out the back of my buildings. I managed to get her back to somewhere near along with another (2 ewes and 4 lambs) and as I’d left the field gate open I got the dog out of the vehicle and together we pushed them through the gate into the yard. All the yard gates were open and nowhere to put them ready, so I sent her away and she got in front and held them until I closed and opened some gates then I went past and we pushed them into a pen. Once in the large pen she went in on her own and held them up tight, I wish she would be that strong in the field behind them.

As been said, go back to smaller mobs and build her confidence.

 

[Wood field]

I learned the hard way ! Best thing’s I ever got told 1. Count to ten before you start shouting commands
2. Never be afraid to go back to basics with any dog
I am no expert believe me , but time and patience can cure a lot of things

 

[Greythundercloudys]

Yes, to much eye, better a plainer one with more movement, obviously they like those type for trials, they get worse with age, maybe a partner would help would help or maybe it in her breed. If she worked with the quad with a horn that may jazz her up abit.

 

[CopperBeech]

so today I found a ewe with maggots (no I’m not going to cull her) in a bunch out the back of my buildings. I managed to get her back to somewhere near along with another (2 ewes and 4 lambs) and as I’d left the field gate open I got the dog out of the vehicle and together we pushed them through the gate into the yard. All the yard gates were open and nowhere to put them ready, so I sent her away and she got in front and held them until I closed and opened some gates then I went past and we pushed them into a pen. Once in the large pen she went in on her own and held them up tight, I wish she would be that strong in the field behind them.

I was going to say (before the experts gave you all of the answers) that if it were me, I would fetch her on in a yard / pen / barn and also get another dog with a lot of push to give you a hand if possible.

There IS a lot that is just down to the breeding, but also you can to a certain extent put a bit more push into a dog, it’s just confidence. Same as you can bring a dog back down a bit.

I personally like dogs that I need to reign in, and probably why I keep a tag tag group of mongrels but I have had dogs that I’ve had to gear up a bit to go toe to toe with the sheep.

Ive taught plenty of other folks dogs to catch sheep also.

 

[CopperBeech]

 

[Woolless]

I was going to say (before the experts gave you all of the answers) that if it were me, I would fetch her on in a yard / pen / barn and also get another dog with a lot of push to give you a hand if possible.

There IS a lot that is just down to the breeding, but also you can to a certain extent put a bit more push into a dog, it’s just confidence. Same as you can bring a dog back down a bit.

I personally like dogs that I need to reign in, and probably why I keep a tag tag group of mongrels but I have had dogs that I’ve had to gear up a bit to go toe to toe with the sheep.

Ive taught plenty of other folks dogs to catch sheep also.

Big plus one for the comment about preferring dogs that you need to rein in. Speaking from my vast experience (I've trained two dogs), it has to be preferable to have a dog that needs calmed down and directed rather than one that needs geed up. As for catching, my current workmate learnt to catch before she could do anything else, from her much mourned older sister, shepherd error there in all honesty! Not that my comment helps the OP but it sounds like things are heading the right direction there anyway.

 

[Dry Rot]

Dog training is about solving problems and the key is usually working on inbred instincts. Those instincts were installed in wolves and other canids by Nature over thousands of years, we've just selected for the ones we want and culled the ones we don't -- and modified most.

Walking up to sheep is very similar to getting a pointing dog to flush game so the Guns can shoot and a problem I have often had to deal with. A fox will 'point', then when it has precisely located it's prey, pounce/chase/kill. Watch pups/cubs at play and you'll see the instinct in practice.

A pointing dog that won't move forward to flush is called a 'sticky dog'. It does everything right but fears to flush the bird for some reason. Some dogs will do the hunting/finding bit but avoid the bird altogether rather than flush it. This dog is called 'a blinker' and it's a bit more difficult to detect as the handler is often convinced the dog just didn't scent the bird at all, which could be true.

The cure for both of these is to create another less serious fault which can be cured later. Sometimes it is letting the dog run in and chase. Sometimes, the single experience of mouthing/killing a bird will cure it. Letting the dog maul a shot bird that is still fluttering through final nervous action can flip the switch. Then you've got a dog that needs to be restrained rather than encouraged which is usually easier to deal with.

I am not suggesting that we should let our sheepdogs kill a few sheep (!), but training is often a matter of setting the scene, faking events, and convincing the dog that it's reverted back to it's wild ancestry and those primeval instincts. I have occasionally got a dog to point game, when it has previously failed to do so, by sitting down with a recently shot bird and encouraging the dog to come up and smell it without biting. Dogs often react to snipe like this as they must seem like just another small bird, like pipits and arks, which we don't want our dogs to point. I convince myself that I'm showing the dog that I value the bird and it is not to be torn up and eaten, let alone ignored. All I can say is that it sometimes works! Maybe involving that sheepdog in the "kill" would help flip the switch? On the other hand, of course, it might turn the dog into a sheep worrier! Your choice.

 

[Aha_Lucia]

She won’t bring them to me.

You need to get back to basics with her and put her on a different whistle / command for pushing up. You need to make if fun and get her excited to push the sheep. Or get her moving with side commands and get her flanking, the sheep will move and then she might just follow and bring them to you

 

[Woolless]

Dog training is about solving problems and the key is usually working on inbred instincts. Those instincts were installed in wolves and other canids by Nature over thousands of years, we've just selected for the ones we want and culled the ones we don't -- and modified most.

Walking up to sheep is very similar to getting a pointing dog to flush game so the Guns can shoot and a problem I have often had to deal with. A fox will 'point', then when it has precisely located it's prey, pounce/chase/kill. Watch pups/cubs at play and you'll see the instinct in practice.

A pointing dog that won't move forward to flush is called a 'sticky dog'. It does everything right but fears to flush the bird for some reason. Some dogs will do the hunting/finding bit but avoid the bird altogether rather than flush it. This dog is called 'a blinker' and it's a bit more difficult to detect as the handler is often convinced the dog just didn't scent the bird at all, which could be true.

The cure for both of these is to create another less serious fault which can be cured later. Sometimes it is letting the dog run in and chase. Sometimes, the single experience of mouthing/killing a bird will cure it. Letting the dog maul a shot bird that is still fluttering through final nervous action can flip the switch. Then you've got a dog that needs to be restrained rather than encouraged which is usually easier to deal with.

I am not suggesting that we should let our sheepdogs kill a few sheep (!), but training is often a matter of setting the scene, faking events, and convincing the dog that it's reverted back to it's wild ancestry and those primeval instincts. I have occasionally got a dog to point game, when it has previously failed to do so, by sitting down with a recently shot bird and encouraging the dog to come up and smell it without biting. Dogs often react to snipe like this as they must seem like just another small bird, like pipits and arks, which we don't want our dogs to point. I convince myself that I'm showing the dog that I value the bird and it is not to be torn up and eaten, let alone ignored. All I can say is that it sometimes works! Maybe involving that sheepdog in the "kill" would help flip the switch? On the other hand, of course, it might turn the dog into a sheep worrier! Your choice.

I often wondered what the effect would be if one day you did actually catch a sheep, kill it and eat some of it like a pack with the dogs. I bet they'd be thinking, 'Finally! It's taken him long enough'!