Border collie thread

[Beekissed]

Do any of you use your BCs for herding? Were they instinctual at this or did they require extensive training?

I have a BC/lab mix and I think he would be excellent for herding if I could only unlock the way to teach him. I have sheep and he loves to run and play with them. He is fast as lightning and he has the "eye" for herding but I have no idea how to get him to round up the sheep and bring them to a certain point. He is extraordinarily easy to train and catches on quicker than any dog I've ever had. He is a little too high strung to master "stay" but he obeys several other traditional commands.

Any pointers? I have read the books about training herd dogs and they seem very complicated and would require a big round pen and such, which I do not have. I just need him to do some simple herding moves like moving the sheep from one place into the next.

My little brown border collie:

 

[noahsgeese]

What are your border collies named?

 

[Terri O]

It is not so hard to do but you should attend a stock dog clinic with a good clinician. They can "try" your dog on dog experienced sheep and determine if he is a good candidate for a herder. HTH--Terri O

 

[lishah2000]

My boy Bingo. He is a rescue with baggage, but taught me a lot and made me fall in love with the breed.

Sadly he is sick with a heart condition, but has done better than I or the vet ever expected. We both thought he wasn't going to make it through the month of January, but he still has many more good days, than bad.

His prey drive is to strong to be out with the birds, but he does a good job of watching over things from the dog yard and inside the house and alerts to dangers out in the yard. If he was younger and healthier he probably could have learned to be a good flock protector.