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Location: UK
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 709
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Originally Posted by
hectorsmum
you beat me to it!
keep a bag of treats with you and treat every time you see sheep. keep a good distance at first and gradually get nearer treating all the time.its never too late.
my 2 dont bother with any animals as they have been socialised since puppyhood.
today we came across 2 sheep out of the field (how they got out is a mystery
) my 2 were told to heal off lead and both looked but not a reaction from either
i was soooo pleased, especially with Bonnie being a collie
Yes some dogs can be desensitised in this way, but in my experince, even though they may be calm at this time, in this place, with these sheep (essentially a preconcocted training environment) that is no guarnantee that they will remain like this if they come across one sheep alone or indeed a runnign sheep or flock, or worse still a flock that i already being chased by another dog!
Remember even trained sheepdogs can go "wild" when they are used in an unfamiliar place or on unfamiliar breeds of sheep!
The risk is so great to the sheep and thei unborn lambs of pregnant, that in my view the only really safe way of keeping dogs from harming sheep and unborn lambs is to keep them on lead, and if it is a big dog, using a halti or something similar.