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The doghouse

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Original poster

Dog & Sheep Solutions?

139 replies

Baabaabaddog · 31/03/2023 23:22

Late teen DS has just called me, this evening he was walking the dog in the dark, basically she ran away and chased some sheep.
Son says when he got to her she was chasing a lamb round in circles, playing how she does with dogs. When it laid down, she laid down next to it and licked it.
I’m relieved that she didn’t go to attack it, however I’ve also been involved in livestock / farming / countryside living so am fully aware of the damage this can still do.

I’ve been training her by walking through sheep regularly, and going back and forth past them multiple times so desensitisation. I correct any pulling or interest etc, but not really praising her or doing anything to get her attention other than walking on.
The other thing I do is sit and stay with her near sheep in fields, and stand back, with a long line (very securely!) on.

I wanted to ask for suggestions of what else you would do now?
I know full well she will now be super high alert and this will have put my hours and hours of training backwards!
BTW she’s a Doberman and can spot something moving from half a mile away and she can sniff out any animal in undergrowth.

I have access to a sheep farm. I was thinking of putting her in a pen with quite a few sheep and lambs? On a long line, sit and stay and then walking round. Even feeding her in there. Then back out in the fields and get them to run past her?

Thanks for any advice.

OP posts:
Original poster
Baabaabaddog · 31/03/2023 23:24

This part was to explain she has a super high prey or chase drive and is excellent at it so I now have to work really hard to stop it happening again.

‘BTW she’s a Doberman and can spot something moving from half a mile away and she can sniff out any animal in undergrowth.’

OP posts:
Notegoat · 31/03/2023 23:25

This has to be a troll post.

Original poster
Baabaabaddog · 31/03/2023 23:27

Notegoat · 31/03/2023 23:25

This has to be a troll post.

Why??

OP posts:
Original poster
Baabaabaddog · 31/03/2023 23:28

I’m not.
Ive user name changed but mumsnet will able to see I’m a long term poster.

OP posts:
Radiodread · 31/03/2023 23:29

Because if you let your dog odd where there are sheep, you can cause abortions, and you dog is likely to be shot by the farmer.

Notegoat · 31/03/2023 23:29

Unless you want your dog shot or sheep killed you keep them on lead. Full stop.

Radiodread · 31/03/2023 23:29

*off not odd

SnarkyBag · 31/03/2023 23:30

Are you fucking mental?

Original poster
Baabaabaddog · 31/03/2023 23:32

As I said I have access to a sheep farm, and farmer!!
Have any of you actually been on a working sheep farm? The sheep are used to there being dogs around. I’ve done it with the sheep dogs on the farm.

The whole point is that you have a 100% reliable dog all of the time that will never chase sheep. It’s what any professionally trained dog should be capable of doing.

OP posts:
coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 31/03/2023 23:33

You keep her on a bloody lead if there's even a remote chance of her accessing sheep. It's not hard.

She could have been shot dead tonight.

KateFeather · 31/03/2023 23:34

I hope this is nonsensical. Keep your dog away from sheep. My dog is trained around livestock and works around sheep and chickens every day on one particular farm, but if never let her loose around sheep whilst out walking, particularly now when they are lambing.

MandyMotherOfBrian · 31/03/2023 23:34

Notegoat · 31/03/2023 23:25

This has to be a troll post.

Ditto. Reported.

Clymene · 31/03/2023 23:35

But she's not a sheep dog. Why is she off lead around sheep? Confused

SnarkyBag · 31/03/2023 23:35

well any professional dog trainer would probably tell some pleb not to send their teen off to walk the dog off lead in a sheep field until it was actually 100% reliable. Muppet

MandyMotherOfBrian · 31/03/2023 23:36

MandyMotherOfBrian · 31/03/2023 23:34

Ditto. Reported.

Show quote history

And I suggest everyone else does the same instead of responding

Notegoat · 31/03/2023 23:36

Your dog isn’t a sheep dog. Unless you live on a sheep farm it doesn’t need to be 100% reliable around sheep. It needs to be away from sheep.

GrazingSheep · 31/03/2023 23:36

You fucking idiot

GrazingSheep · 31/03/2023 23:37

Why did your fucking idiot son not have the dog on a lead?

GHxx · 31/03/2023 23:37

We have pet sheep and my dogs have never really been around them but it’s a constant worry every time they’re off lead or I take them in a field, just in case they see a sheep 3 fields away or one has escaped! I think they probably wouldn’t know what to do with themselves if they actually caught up with a sheep and luckily as they’re pets they can be really quite forward and would probably headbutt a dog. I’m not sure I’m ever going to have a solution to it though other than just continuing to be extremely careful and have them on leads if they’re anywhere near them. I would love it if they could be friends though! We used to have two (VERY forward) goats and my last dog was petrified of anything that looked like a goat/sheep as the two of them would think it was a game to chase any dog they saw or hide and jump out on them etc but it worked out well as he’d never consider going after a sheep

Original poster
Baabaabaddog · 31/03/2023 23:39

I didn’t think I needed to state but of course I’ve had a serious word with DS!

However that’s irrelevant, I now need to go back to basics with her and get her 100% bomb proof against chasing sheep.
I'm fortunate to have access to a working sheep farm, and yes she’s fine with the chickens and cows and ignores them because I’ve desensitised her.
And yes she is also kept on a lead!
I love how people are so up in arms - has no one’s child ever fucked up and allowed something stupid to happen?
That’s not the point.
Im asking that people that understand how to get your dog to not react to something in any situation, on or off the lead.
My other dog is a collie and I can have her off lead 100% of the time wherever I go, anytime.
So this is the standard I work towards with my dogs - but I’ve never had one with such a strong prey drive.

OP posts:
Original poster
Baabaabaddog · 31/03/2023 23:41

Notegoat · 31/03/2023 23:36

Your dog isn’t a sheep dog. Unless you live on a sheep farm it doesn’t need to be 100% reliable around sheep. It needs to be away from sheep.

I live in a working farm cottage!

OP posts:
villainousbroodmare · 31/03/2023 23:44

I bought two ewes from a local farmer to teach my dog when he was about 10mo. They were older ewes, fearless and would stand their ground and run at him or stamp their feet if he came too close. He's quite a sensitive dog with minimal predatory instinct, had run around (rather than chased) sheep once prior. Because we live in a rural area and I wanted him to be very stockproof, I was prepared to go to those lengths to teach him. It worked perfectly (and I got four lambs out of it which I sold back to the farmer).
Your idea might work but you absolutely need to make sure that the sheep are in no way stressed, and that there is 100% control from your side. I purchased my ewes so that I was fully responsible for my plan.

Notegoat · 31/03/2023 23:44

On the off chance that this is genuine, if your dog goes near sheep and they become distressed a farmer can shoot it. What you described, your dog chasing a lamb, would be enough for a farmer to legally shoot your dog.

Original poster
Baabaabaddog · 31/03/2023 23:44

GHxx · 31/03/2023 23:37

We have pet sheep and my dogs have never really been around them but it’s a constant worry every time they’re off lead or I take them in a field, just in case they see a sheep 3 fields away or one has escaped! I think they probably wouldn’t know what to do with themselves if they actually caught up with a sheep and luckily as they’re pets they can be really quite forward and would probably headbutt a dog. I’m not sure I’m ever going to have a solution to it though other than just continuing to be extremely careful and have them on leads if they’re anywhere near them. I would love it if they could be friends though! We used to have two (VERY forward) goats and my last dog was petrified of anything that looked like a goat/sheep as the two of them would think it was a game to chase any dog they saw or hide and jump out on them etc but it worked out well as he’d never consider going after a sheep

Thank you for your reply.

When she was younger she’d go for gun dog training sessions and they had pet sheep and goats which helped loads with training as they approached her and came up and butted.

Yes, I’d rather sort the problem out and make sure it never happens again than always be worrying about it somehow happening again.

OP posts:
Original poster
Baabaabaddog · 31/03/2023 23:46

villainousbroodmare · 31/03/2023 23:44

I bought two ewes from a local farmer to teach my dog when he was about 10mo. They were older ewes, fearless and would stand their ground and run at him or stamp their feet if he came too close. He's quite a sensitive dog with minimal predatory instinct, had run around (rather than chased) sheep once prior. Because we live in a rural area and I wanted him to be very stockproof, I was prepared to go to those lengths to teach him. It worked perfectly (and I got four lambs out of it which I sold back to the farmer).
Your idea might work but you absolutely need to make sure that the sheep are in no way stressed, and that there is 100% control from your side. I purchased my ewes so that I was fully responsible for my plan.

Thank you for the advice.

Yes I would only do it with the farmer present and he knows which ones are the feisty brave ones, and of course the ones that have been had reared too and they’re always more confident.

OP posts:
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