Stella's Social Club

[debs_flock]

lazyday, love your avatar, I have three border collies.

Deb

 

[lazyday]

Thank you, I have 2 BC but only one ( which is my avatar ) is a herder that is why I bought chickens and she is the best little herder.

 

[debs_flock]

I have done a bit of herding training, but mostly just go with their instinctual behavior. We do have sheep and I always take a dog with me into the pasture. The ram will NOT come near me if I have one of the dogs along.

Deb

 

[lazyday]

Maybe you can help with a question that I have. She was rescued by a BC rescue group that had rescued her from a kill shelter. The paper that came with her had stated that the owner relinquished her to the kill shelter because she had been dumped on his property. I didn't question this until I noticed her behavior when I took her for a walk when we had come to a group of mules and she would get in a herding stance. I still wasn't sure until one day I said to her look back and she responded in this direction. When I bought chickens for her she took to them and really knows how to work them. So here is the question do they normally need to be trained or do they just have an instinct. I hate to think I adopted some ones dog that they have no clue what happened to her.

 

[debs_flock]

A lot of their behavior is instinctual. The BC stare, the ability to circle (when you go for a herding instinct test, they put an untrained dog in with 3 sheep and expect the dog to naturally circle them, along with a few other tests).

If she is truly trained, you could try a few of the standard commands;

Way to Me - circle counter clockwise
Come By (or Go By) - circle clockwise
Walk Up - approach the stock
That'll Do - stop what you are doing!

See if she responds to any of the normal commands.

Deb

 

[lazyday]

Thank you, I will give this a try.

 

[drumstick diva]

I'm subscribing - really interested in knowing how this turns out.

 

[mlm Mike]

Maybe you can help with a question that I have. She was rescued by a BC rescue group that had rescued her from a kill shelter. The paper that came with her had stated that the owner relinquished her to the kill shelter because she had been dumped on his property. I didn't question this until I noticed her behavior when I took her for a walk when we had come to a group of mules and she would get in a herding stance. I still wasn't sure until one day I said to her look back and she responded in this direction. When I bought chickens for her she took to them and really knows how to work them. So here is the question do they normally need to be trained or do they just have an instinct. I hate to think I adopted some ones dog that they have no clue what happened to her.

They have to have a herding instinct, then herding commands are taught. You control the dog, the dog controls the flock/herd. Here is a picture of our Icelandic Sheepdog puppy at 9 weeks doing her thing.

 

[mlm Mike]

A lot of their behavior is instinctual. The BC stare, the ability to circle (when you go for a herding instinct test, they put an untrained dog in with 3 sheep and expect the dog to naturally circle them, along with a few other tests).

If she is truly trained, you could try a few of the standard commands;

Way to Me - circle counter clockwise
Come By (or Go By) - circle clockwise
Walk Up - approach the stock
That'll Do - stop what you are doing!

See if she responds to any of the normal commands.

Deb

If it doesn't know these commands, or seems unsure, try throwing a ball/toy and using: get it, bring it, give it. Those are early herding puppy commands.

 

[drumstick diva]

mimddh how large do the icelandic dogs get?