Lazy collie

[Wood field]

Got our 12 month old collie back fro the trainer last Sunday
He said she’s ok , will flank and hold sheep to him but .. in her own time
I put her round about 30 hoggs this morning and at first was pleased , she flanks and holds them in a group , lies down well and flanks the opposite way as asked , then she will just lye down as if totally uninterested, even to the point that I had to go to her and put her on a lead to go back to the motor.
Is there anything I can do to drum up enthusiasm or am I wasting my time
Tia

 

[glensman]

Got our 12 month old collie back fro the trainer last Sunday
He said she’s ok , will flank and hold sheep to him but .. in her own time
I put her round about 30 hoggs this morning and at first was pleased , she flanks and holds them in a group , lies down well and flanks the opposite way as asked , then she will just lye down as if totally uninterested, even to the point that I had to go to her and put her on a lead to go back to the motor.
Is there anything I can do to drum up enthusiasm or am I wasting my time
Tia

Use very tasty treats.

 

[CopperBeech]

Is she lying down not interested in the sheep ? Or is she clamped down looking at them frozen with too much eye ? If you had to go get her sounds like it could be the latter ?

 

[Wood field]

Is she lying down not interested in the sheep ? Or is she clamped down looking at them frozen with too much eye ? If you had to go get her sounds like it could be the latter ?

She tends to lye down even when the other dogs are being run before putting them away for the night
With the sheep she did about 5 mins on her sides then seems to lye down and switch off !
The sheep buggered off to a corner and she didn’t want to get up and get back round then until I sort of shushed her along
Strange thing is before we thought she was ready for schooling she would get under a gate and storm around 200 ewes and lambs , I resisted the urge to bollock her not wanting to put her off.

 

[CopperBeech]

That’s very odd. How heavy handed is the trainer and did he teach her to lie down while he had her ?

 

[Wood field]

That’s very odd. How heavy handed is the trainer and did he teach her to lie down while he had her ?

He’s very laid back … like the dog
To be fair she sees the other dogs as boss rather than us if that makes sense, I wonder about running her with our dog to see if she speeds up a bit.
I’ve a video of her first time round some hoggs before she went for schooling, but it will make me look a real tit

 

[CopperBeech]

He’s very laid back … like the dog
To be fair she sees the other dogs as boss rather than us if that makes sense, I wonder about running her with our dog to see if she speeds up a bit.
I’ve a video of her first time round some hoggs before she went for schooling, but it will make me look a real tit

Yer is run her with another dog and see if it Gees her up a bit. Or get her in a pen and see what she does.

 

[Wood field]

Yer is run her with another dog and see if it Gees her up a bit. Or get her in a pen and see what she does.

I’ll give her a run out tomorrow morning with our main dog , thanks for the advice

 

[CopperBeech]

No problem, good luck! To be fair I don’t have a huge amount of experience in that area, most of my young dogs want to eat sheep to start with

I’ll give her a run out tomorrow morning with our main dog , thanks for the advice

 

[Wood field]

No problem, good luck! To be fair I don’t have a huge amount of experience in that area, most of my young dogs want to eat sheep to start with

Better that than being to shy ! I like my dogs to “ move stubborn sheep “ they wouldn’t like it in trials but I need them to work in bye and on moorland

 

[CopperBeech]

Better that than being to shy ! I like my dogs to “ move stubborn sheep “ they wouldn’t like it in trials but I need them to work in bye and on moorland

Oh mine aren’t shy

 

[Dry Rot]

Work for a young working dog (of any working breed/discipline) should be a privilege, not a duty. Jealousy will often get a dog going. Chain him up where he can see others work and lots of activity with sheep. Too much work will quickly sour a young one. It's very tempting to say, "Just five minutes more" when you really should have called a halt ten minutes ago! Make the tasks simple so the dog can understand.

 

[gwi1890]

I personally if she isn’t all too keen or disinterested at times would just leave here for a bit, she’s only 12 months? Take her for walks be her mate then try again in a couple of month see if she’s more interested.

 

[Purli R]

He’s very laid back … like the dog
To be fair she sees the other dogs as boss rather than us if that makes sense, I wonder about running her with our dog to see if she speeds up a bit.
I’ve a video of her first time round some hoggs before she went for schooling, but it will make me look a real tit

Dont worry about that! Plenty of tits on here!

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Dont worry about that! Plenty of tits on here!

Well it does take one to know one…

but yes, don’t worry! Anyone who says their dogs haven’t made them look a right tit is lying!!

put my young one around 200 lambs this evening, nothing taxing, just bunch and drive to the gate at far end of field. Running around with her tail right up in the air, not cleaning her outrun at all and having to be sent back repeatedly for leaving 6/8 at the ends.

 

[Wood field]

Well it does take one to know one…

but yes, don’t worry! Anyone who says their dogs haven’t made them look a right tit is lying!!

It’s usually worse when someone is watching!
I am sure the dogs think to themselves “ let’s make him look a proper pillock “

 

[Anymulewilldo]

It’s usually worse when someone is watching!
I am sure the dogs think to themselves “ let’s make him look a proper pillock “

I had a couple filming me on their phones this morning. Thankfully I was using Old faithful. Very steady, overweight. They thought how sweet it was that the last lamb turned in the gateway and pegged it back to the far end of the field. Had they not been there the dog would have been chastised for being fat and useless but you can’t do that when a camera is there.

 

[Wood field]

I had a couple filming me on their phones this morning. Thankfully I was using Old faithful. Very steady, overweight. They thought how sweet it was that the last lamb turned in the gateway and pegged it back to the far end of the field. Had they not been there the dog would have been chastised for being fat and useless but you can’t do that when a camera is there.

I am glad it’s not just me !

 

[Anymulewilldo]

I am glad it’s not just me !

Nope, she was a hell of a dog in her day but nowadays she takes life steady. And some days I’m pretty sure she gets half way around the field, forgets what she set off for, stops and rolls in something, has a pee. Then remembers what she’s doing and fetches the sheep That is really embarrassing when there’s folk watching!
In fairness the young one is usually bang on, 20 months old and coming on powerful. But today was definitely a “brain fart” kind of day

 

[Wood field]

Mrs just took dogs out for a walk before they get fed, lazy collie slipped under a gate and was round a hundred ewes and lambs.
Did she run in and bite any ? Said i
No she just herded them up … that’ll do , she must have some interest and mrs said she lay down when told ( the dog )
But mrs was to busy stopping the others joining in to try to “work the dog”