# Sheep dog training



## DHumph

With so many border collie owners on the forum, someone out there must have done some sheep dog training?!

Ever since I got Jessie, I've always wanted to take her to a beginners herding course to see how she would cope with sheep and if she's up for the task!

Now with the addition to my herding family! (Skye my kelpie), I am even more eager to give this a try. 

Jessie is great at agility, but herding is a different kettle of fish so I'd love to give her a go at it!

Has anyone out there done anything like this before?


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## speug

I'd love to give it a go but I'm a bit scared of the possible consequences. 

If he doesn't have the self control or instincts to herd rather than chase it could cause us no end of problems since we live beside a farm with sheep. If he does have the instincts, what do we do next as we don't have room for any sheep and he'd need to practice.


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## Oenoke

I'd love to take my dogs, but I feel I'm jinxed never to go. 3 times I've arranged to go and 3 times it's been cancelled for different reasons!


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## DHumph

I've just enquired about a herding assessment day next weekend, basically to see how the dog reacts to the sheep etc... To see I'd she'll actually be able to herd and what have you.

Also the person I got Skye my kelpie from does herding and trials training and said that she would offer training for them. First steps would be to familiarise with the sheep and learn the basic commands.

I can't wait to let them loose on some sheep!



Oenoke said:


> I'd love to take my dogs, but I feel I'm jinxed never to go. 3 times I've arranged to go and 3 times it's been cancelled for different reasons!


Out of interest where was you planning on doing it?


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## Oenoke

DHumph said:


> Out of interest where was you planning on doing it?


The 1st time was about 8 years ago and was just a local shepherd, who left the job before I went. The 2nd time was about 4 or 5 years ago, my friend was going to Sarah Jenkins and I was going to go with him the next time he took his dog, but Sarah's marriage broke up and she lost the land. Then this March I'd booked to go to Downsview Park to a Sheepdog day for agility dogs, but it got cancelled because people dropped out (a couple were reserves for agility at Crufts and they got called there), I was offered to go to a half hour training with Robert Putnam, but as I live over an hours drive away I didn't.


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## PennyGC

I've taken a few of mine for sessions - great fun and wish I'd more time and access to sheep! Jed was funny - he's from a farm and his parents both sheepdogs, but I guess may have left it too long and he 'hid' behind me and wouldn't come out to play.... Oswy wanted to play with the sheepdog... got told 'go away', wanted to play with the sheep who nearly mowed him down so he fled, and wouldn't come back! Lol... his sire worked sheep on a big estate all his life and grand pa was international supreme champions twice! but Ma was scared and Oswy hasn't a clue  Ski - my agility/obedience bred dog was a complete natural! He knew what to do and those sheep were going to do what he wanted them to do! Shepherd was well impressed and so was I! Haven't tried the others, but would perhaps one day like to get a few sheep and give it more of a 'go'


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## DHumph

All being well, I think I'm going to go to a herding assessment day, on Saturday which is being run by Barbara Sykes, who to my knowledge is quite well known in the border collie world!


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## hutch6

DHumph said:


> All being well, I think I'm going to go to a herding assessment day, on Saturday which is being run by Barbara Sykes, who to my knowledge is quite well known in the border collie world!


She's just down the road from me (literally). I asked her a year or so ago about it and she stated "If you are not going to be working the dog and it is just to see how they get on I would strongly recommend you do not enter it for any sheep herding as it will stir up instincts that may prove undesirable. You are alllowing it to herd sheep one day and the next time it sees sheep it may not understand it can't herd those sheep".

I guess she must need the cash now or she has seen the error of her statement.

I hope to get up to Derek Scrimgour's place this year or the next as I have read his books and his techiques suit me down to the ground to the point I have used them to train Dillon to the commands using frisbees.


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## DHumph

Yeah she has mentioned that " the fact that a dog needs to be trained on a regular basis or not at all when it comes to sheep"

But this is more of a taster to see how the dog reacts to the sheep and if it could work them. Whilst also having a go at working a fully trained dog to get a good feel of it!


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## DHumph

Did the sheep dog assessment day with Jessie today down at mainline.border collie centre with Barbara Sykes and absolutely loved it!

I got first hand experience with working a fully trained dog, and also let Jessie loose on the sheep! In a.controlled manner of course! She was introduced to them slowly, with the sheep in a pen and Jessie outside, and by the end of the day we had her loose with the sheep beginning to work them!

It was great to see she has that instinct and with plenty of training could make a great working dog!

I would recommend it to anyone who wants to see if their collie has the instinct and wants to train there collie to work sheep but don't know how to start.

It was a fantastic day and hope it's the beginning of plenty of training!


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## Burrowzig

I've been intending to try this with Kite, but now she's 2 1/2, is it too late? What ages were your dogs when they were tried?


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## DHumph

No, it's not too late!

Jessie is 14 months, and Skye is 14 Weeks but she hasn't done it yet, I think i'm going to wait till she is about 6 months before I take her.

On the day there was a few other dogs ranging from 18 months to nearly 3.


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## Workinglarry

I have been reading the messages and I can understand the frusration of wanting to find out if your collie will work sheep. I have had a few collies and ran a farm and also I ran a small training class for people who didn't have the facilities. One or two of their dogs were quite good and there was few of them that were no good. I understand the urge to find out if your dog will work sheep but I think it would be very foolish to do this if you haven't got some sheep of your own to work on a regular basis. It is very hard to find fields and to buy half a dozen sheep to work on. This takes a lot of dedication and you really want to work your dog to trialling standards. After a long break when my collies died of old age, I have recently bought a young dog and I am now in the same position as what you people are in but unfortunately I haven't been able to find any fields for a small number of sheep. Most of the fields are taken up by horses in my area. Hope this is of some help to you in deciding whether to put your dog on sheep or not. Personally speaking I would keep to flyball and agility and keep the dog as active as possible.


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## Moobli

I am married to a farm manager/head shepherd and we live on a hill farm in Scotland. All our collies are working sheepdogs and work sheep for a living every day - lucky dogs 

Basically I agree with whoever said that it is not a wise move to take your border collie to sheep if you are not intending to put in a lot of time and effort training them to become a working sheepdog - for work or trials. Most working bred border collies have some inherent instinct to work sheep - however, is it fair to awaken these deep-seated instincts if you aren't intending to continue the training of the dog and to give it regular work? I personally don't think so. We all know that dogs can be legally shot for worrying livestock and it is also a well known fact that the worst sheep worriers are untrained border collies. Just something to think about.

I am very pleased you enjoyed your day with Barbara Sykes - it sounds as though both you and your dog had fun. Are you going to take it any further?

A few working pics for the sheepdog fans


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## lozzibear

Great pics Moobli, I particularly like the last one!


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## Twiggy

Fabulous photos of collies doing what they've been bred to do.

My sister used to compete with one of her bitches and won a couple of trials but as you rightly say, unless you're very dedicated and have the facilities, it's a no no.

My sister was lucky as not only did she have the trainer just down the road, she also had a friend nearby who trialled and could use her sheep. Even then the sheep become 'over-dogged' and more or less put themselves in the pen.


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## Moobli

Thanks peeps


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## Workinglarry

Moobli, I enjoyed the pics especially the one with the pup and lamb. I would love another collie but at the moment I am desperately trying to sort out the one I have now. She needs a lot of work and since I haven't got the sheep that I use to have I am keeping the dog active by entering her into agility classes but I would rather be working sheep any day of the week. I feel that you are so lucky to have all that beautiful space to work your dogs. You never know one day I may be able to get some sheep to fulfil myself and my dog again. Larry the Lamb


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## Moobli

Thanks Larry. I agree, one of the greatest sights is watching a collie work sheep. I hope you are able to get back doing it again one day


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