The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: captainhastings on October 01, 2014, 11:13:13 pm
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Bit of a long shot but does any one in carmarthenshire/pembs have any rams in a shed or small paddock I could introduce my 6 month old pup to for steadying under strict control obviously
I would be happy to pay a few quid for the inconvenience. I have a few local farms but all there rams are out at the moment
Much appreciated
Terry
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Why do you need to put a 6 month old puppy in with rams?
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Not to get a battering or any thing but they would stand there ground and maybe intimidate him a bit. He is walked daily through sheep on a lead but has chased twice a few weeks ago so I am keen to get it addressed. He is a lurcher
But I will keep walking him daily regardless sure we will get there
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Think you're asking for trouble a ram will easily kill a puppy. Stick it on a long line and train it out in the fields rather than putting it in a confined space and risk it getting hurt.
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I've heard of but never seen this approach actually used to prevent a dog from worrying. However, I'm with Twizzel on this, especially with a 6 mnth old pup. I wouldn't put any pup in a confined area with even my Soay ewes. Think they could seriously injure a pup, or pup might 'turn on' the sheep, or pup will lose trust in you, or lose confidence in general or many other negative scenarios. Not sure that you would be able to manage or control the situation effectively enough to achieve what you are hoping for.
At 6 mnths pup is still very young and immature and in general their obedience level is not high or consistent at that age. Think I would concentrate on that and use a long line when in with sheep.
I can well understand your need to prevent chasing/worrying. There are others on here that will probably be able to help you with that ..... my retrievers don't tend to have the drive/desire to chase so not had to deal with that problem very much whereas your lurcher is probably wired to be 'keen'. Think Plums and her dog completed some lessons on this .... maybe she will be around soon.
Good luck with it.
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Broken all my running dogs to sheep without the need to put them in a pen with them.
Did it through boredom and control.
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Any of my ewes or ram lambs would happily kill a pup. If you keep the dog on a lead around livestock and train it to immediately come when called you'd be setting both of you up for a pleasant life together.
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My Spaniel has been around livestock from day 1 when we got her at 8 weeks old. She caught a chicken when she was about 6 months old, I laid into her quite severely (bellowed NO at her, strong eye contact and held her by the scruff under her neck as I said no. Picked her up, shut her in a dark stable for half an hour and she's never touched a chicken since.
She is very livestock safe after learning cows are not very friendly and not to go near them. She chased a calf in the field once and was shut in the truck after a stern telling off- never did it again. She will now happily bumble around the sheds in winter watching where she's going and getting out of the way if needs be. They need to know boundaries so put your puppy on a long line and the minute it goes to chase livestock give it a stern telling off. It will come to ignore stock but it does take time and persistence and consistent training. Good luck :)
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Thanks for the pointers every one yes it will be a last resort. At the moment daily visits to the sheep for an hour and playing with his toys in the field and walking to heel etc all on a lead or long line.
Tonight went extremely well throw a ball towards a couple of sheep and he belts after the ball and the sheep think his coming there way so start to trot and a perfect target but every time he blanked them and went for the ball. Only did that as a tester to see where i am at. Wouldn't make a habit of that as I don't want to disturb sheep too much. But I think with time I can crack this :thumbsup:
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Captain - are these your sheep?
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Captain - are these your sheep?
no but I have full permission a very helpful farmer known each other since I was kid
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Out of interest, do you intend to work the lurcher?
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You know your dog and I dont, but Id be concerned that throwing the ball towards the sheep - who then move is actually encouraging the 'chase' instict in your dog. This ball chasing is likely to highten his excitement around sheep. Id be more inclined to just walk very relaxed around the sheep - great distance at first.
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Out of interest, do you intend to work the lurcher?
Yes I do intend to work him so thats why I am spending the time to stock train to be reliable
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You know your dog and I dont, but Id be concerned that throwing the ball towards the sheep - who then move is actually encouraging the 'chase' instict in your dog. This ball chasing is likely to highten his excitement around sheep. Id be more inclined to just walk very relaxed around the sheep - great distance at first.
Cheers js I understand your point but he is actually very cool and calm around the sheep and we just carry on about our business as if they are not there be that walking to heel playing with his rope toy or tonight a ball. But I did tempt him deliberately tonight just to see how we are going and results were good. So with luck as said in a previous post over time he will just be bored stiff of them running or not and they will just be a back ground noise to him at least thats the plan
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Captain. Good idea to get on it early then. You tend to find that once they start running other game, they often need a good refresher course on stock.
Mind you, no two dogs are the same, of my current two running dogs, one was hellish to break to stock, and just wanted to tackle everything he met from a pup, the other half ran at a sheep once, I raised my voice and she came straight back and has never since (touch wood) ever looked at one.
I live in sheep country, and to chase sheep is a sure fire way for a dog to get shot. I just get the dog out around them as much as possible, from 8 weeks and just work on them becoming part of the back ground and of no interest to the dog.
Sometimes I still have my heart in my mouth, when the daft wooly buggers jump out of a gorse bush on the hill, when the dogs are after something else.
What cross out of interest?
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His Mother is a collie greyhound,Father is a Wheaton bull grey hound
and yes I had my two incidents once his drive kicked in about 5 months. He marks rabbits to ground a treat ferreting all ready :) can't fault him works like a 2 year so over the moon in that aspect
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Haha i'm not surprised he's high drive, with a dose of wheaton. Sounds like a good mix, I like a good collie/bull x.
My young bitch is collie/whip/grey x collie/grey/sal/grey/bull/whip and has been a pleasure to train. In comparison, I could have strangled the whippet many times during his first couple of years.
Glad he's working well for you, if this hot and dry weather ever buggers off it'll be game on :thumbsup:
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basically it seems a good working lurcher to lurcher is the way to go I think.
Never seen a wheaten or known much about them just been reading this interesting article
http://irishwheaten.com/?p=89 (http://irishwheaten.com/?p=89)
He certainly hunts like a terrier using his nose non stop all most hound like when he hits a line amazing for a pup his age but is brainy devil too and fast so should be bang on
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Aye, a good lurcher to lurcher bred animal, with a focus on performance rather than looks is the way forward.
However, my whippet is a big lad, and he excels at ferreting, and is one of the best dogs I've ever witnessed for hunting ability. If there is game around, he'll find it, rise it and usually catch it.
I've spent a bit of time around wheatens and they are great dogs. However, not for the faint hearted, they can often be extremely dog aggressive, and dry driven. Bit of a handful at times. They were originally bred as a strong dog, for drawing quarry after a dig, and for working badger (pre ban in 1970's).
Before the more recent ban, wheaten x greys were a very popular vermin dog for hunting fox day and night.