Anyone had their dog go after sheep?


I ask as I keep visualising (premonition) my 18wk old dog going for them. With much livestock in the local area I am somewhat concerned that my dog will go for them one day.

She has been off-lead for about 2 weeks and generally is responsive to recall. However she knows that sheep are in the fields as her sniffer goes into to overdrive whilst walking alongside the hedgerows.

I really dont want her in those fields with livestock as the local farmer is known to be 'trigger happy' .

Anyone know of any proven techniques to prevent the inate response of a dog chasing livestock? Obvsiously reenforced recall and maturity help, she is only 18weeks old.

I'm not sure how acceptable this is now...but when our first family dogs were pups, the 'thing' to do was put them in a field with a ram, then soon learnt after a few bumps not to chase sheep. And neither of them ever went near a sheep. They are in long enough for the ram to teach them, but not long enough to do any harm to the pups. (Oh and just for the record, this wasn't done by me, I was only about 1/2 years at the time, but my parents have told me this was a common way to train dogs against sheep. I haven't had to train any since then.)

Maybe you could speak to the farmer as ask if he knows any techniques? I hope you can work something out, I know some trigger happy ones around me too, thankfully, my current dogs aren't sheep chasers.

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Photography

Good advice, and made me chuckle. Ram & Dog

Will try and have a word with the farmer is I get a chance! Usually speeding in his 4x4.

Hope my Ridgeback will not be a 'chaser' either.

There not referred to as herding dogs but are known to assist in rounding up livestock in South Africa.

Finn will chase almost anything that moves and I did have an incident on a croft where he was very happy springing at all the sheep - Ive not repeated the visit , now older all I can say is that if I let him chase on first sight rather than calling him off then hes much harder to get back. If you ask them to stay, heel or come before they start to run they (mine is) are a lot more controllable.
I can call Finn off birds, squirrels, cats (regular animals) even during/after the chase - im not sure what he wants to do with them but after running across a road ive made a bit of a point of leave commands and general recall which although hes still keen to get back to does have him stay close by.

Some of them work in the UK too

My big lad, now nine years old, is really useful on the farm, and we only moved here 4 years ago so he didn't start til he was five. He's great at helping to move the sheep and the cows. He was invaluable at the weekend when we had to move sheep about. One of my bitches tries to help but gets a bit excited. But she will run from side to side behind them, following movements of my arms - and she's 8. There have been times when we wouldn't have got the cows into the barn without them.

The only perfect prevention in my experience is keeping your dog on the lead when near the livestock

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Jo, Nelly, Bhu and Molly
Some people talk alot.................and say nowt

Definitely keep the dog on a lead. My GSD chased a sheep years ago & caught it, & I have never forgot it. It was my fault, he went through a stile in front of me & a flock of sheep were the other side of the stile. It was a walk I have done many times & never ever had sheep been in there before. There was no sign up either, the stile was very high up & I couldn't see the other side, because of the drop the other side. The sheep scattered & Zak went after them. He targeted 1 & actually got hold of it's fleece, luckily he did not injure it, luckier still that the farmer was not about He is normally obedient, but instinct took over, the thrill of the chase etc. Only a couple of years ago my terrier took off over the North Yorkshire Moors. We were being sensible, the sheep were approx a mile away. She doesn't bother about my chickens or goats, but the sheep she decided to chase were literally a dot on the horizon. She didn't even know what she was chasing, but did she run. I thought that we would be coming home without her! It was only the very thick heather that stopped her going any further. I think that I have been lucky on the 2 occasions that mine have chased sheep, you might not be so lucky.

I have also heard the ram theory, might be an idea if the farmer can be persuaded & the ram isn't too big

The problem is defining/gauging what is near? I may walk alongside I field that has sheep adjacent. The dog can smell them and I worry that come a gap in the hedgerow, it's party time for her!! eek:

Nice to hear from a R.Ridgeback owner on the forums. At times I have the illusion that there are few owners on the forum.

Did you have an issue with jumping up at people when your dogs were puppies? It's probably the only trait I am having an issue with. PM me as to not take the topic off course! Thanks.