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Laurabehjet
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08-05-2013, 09:26 PM

Training my sheepdog to be a sheepdog...?

My lovely little collie is 5 months old now, she's from working farm parents.

We didn't buy her to be a working dog, we just wanted a puppy and saw a farm advertising puppies for £150 so we got her

Since getting her I've ummed and aahed about training her up as a sheepdog and trying her at some working trials.

She tries to herd cars, giving them the eye, chasing, crouching down the lot so I'm assuming the drive is there fairly strong.

How do I go about it?
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Fivedogpam
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09-05-2013, 04:20 PM
I just googled 'sheepdog trainers' and found several, depending on where you live. The International Sheepdog Society would be a good place to start. It's not something I've ever done with my border collies (agility's my thing) but I have friends who have had a go and enjoyed it.

Good luck!
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Kanie
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09-05-2013, 06:25 PM
Tim Longton at Quernmore (near Lancaster) does training and there is accomodation for people too, at Shepherd's Barn, so you could combine it with a holiday in the lovely Forest of Bowland

There are a few trainers now that offer courses and lessons to owners who just want to see what their collies can do and maybe take it from there.

I think Barbara Sykes, Katy Cropper and Derek Scrimegeour do lessons too - not sure without Googling them. Also Bill Bell at Earby, near Colne (Lancashire again) was thinking of taking pupils a few years ago...

Good luck - I think it's brilliant when people want to harness their dogs' natural instincts rather than see them as a negative
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JoedeeUK
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09-05-2013, 07:29 PM
Do you have daily access to sheep ? If not I wouldn't even consider starting your pup on sheep, once a pup gets the idea of sheep herding it will be wrong not to allow him to do some work everyday.

I have trained one of my ISDS dogs on sheep when I had unlimited daily access to sheep & a very experienced shepherd to guide me on a daily basis too. He was a very successful trialling & work dog, when I had to move back up north I lost my access to sheep & had to retrain him for another activity.

My current 3 adult working bred BCs have never been allowed to see sheep in a working situation with me even though I know they have the ability to be excellent workers(albeit Meg is a tad too keen & is a gripper-which is why she was rehomed from the farm she lived on)

Why not consider another activity such as obedience, rally-o, flyball, agility etc all of which will satisfy any dog's need to learn & be stretched mentally, doesn't have to be too serious
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cava14una
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09-05-2013, 08:56 PM
I got my working Beardie from a farm where his parents both worked sheep. I wondered about trying him with sheep but took advice from a shepherd I knew who said exactly the same as Dyane not to dabble as it could lead to problems.

He did agility obedience and flyball instead
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Kanie
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10-05-2013, 10:03 AM
Yes, sensible advice if you weren't seriously considering keeping it up, although many competitors in sheepdog trials today are not farmers.

Could you find a local farmer where you could work your dog regularly? What about the breeder?

Depending on where you live and how much legwork you are prepared to do and your working hours, it might actually be easier to set something up like this than finding a 'sport' class to travel to (and if these activities don't float your boat - you won't enjoy them)

Where I used to live, I had plenty of offers from local farmers to come and work my dog. I knew I wanted to move away, so I chose a different outlet for his energy instead, but had I stayed in the area, he would have had plenty of work.

Talk to a few trainers and see what you think. Be realistic about the time you can commit and how much you really want to do it.
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