Thanks for all the ideas! There are some really good ones here and I'll probably try them all! The course sounds great, but I can't afford it - one to consider for the future though.

I agree. A chap we know ans is now a good friend, wanted to see if Skye would herd, and he mentioned...never with the rams though. For the reasons of above. He said the dogs have to be really skilled and know what they are doing to herd the Ram

Spike sounds just like our boy. How about keeping the horses lunge on just so you can catch him if he tries to get in the fields. I would keep your boy safe as better on a long lead than shot.

If you can't aford an E-collar, keep you dog on a line and keep him alive, if a ram don't get him then the farmer will, better safe than sorry

I have twice had the marvellous task of trying to train two farm-born collies to ignore sheep!

I used to put the dog on his lead, then take him across the road from the house (to where the sheep were), and, if he made the slightest move towards them, he got a slap across the bum, and "NOT YOUR BUSINESS!". Now, both dogs will "respect" fence lines (some of the fences round here are in a terrible state). Nevertheless, they stay on leads, so that not only are they under control, they can be SEEN to be under control.

There is one farmer down the other end of the island who ALWAYS shoots dogs on his land, as a "matter of principle". I never take the TZBCs anywhere near that farm, leads or not.

When we got Kali, I said to Mrs. S that not only were we responsible for him, we were responsible TO him, in that we had an obligation to Kali not to let him get into trouble that could end up in a bumful of buckshot, or worse!

I found a great park yesterday that I had forgotten about, right in the town centre so no sheep!! Spike (and Blaze) had a great time off lead, running around free and playing with all the other dogs. I'll definitely be going there alot more often.

Keep it on a lead!

I got to this comment and didn't read the rest..

Unless you want it shot by a farmer..

Why buy a breed that has known prey drive when you live around sheep and cows and then let it off a lead!!!

Of course I don't want him shot!!! That's why I DO keep him on lead around livestock.

Although many NIs have a high prey drive, there are also very many who are absolutely fine around all kinds of livestock and so it is possible to train them to NOT chase.

The training session with the e-collar went extremely well indeed and I now know that with an e-collar I CAN walk Spike off lead near livestock with no problem. It would be nice to be able to do this regularly as there are so many lovely walks around here where he could have a whale of a time, if only I was sure he wouldn't try to get through the livestock fences.

Since I know it's possible to do this with an e-collar and there were so many here who voted to ban them, I thought those people might have some alternative ideas to be able to do the same thing withOUT an e-collar.

AND you might have one with a very high prey drive that you can't train him out of..mayeb the ones without the high prey drive were born without it and some aren't.. so you will get some that are fine and some that aren't..thats the problem!

I would never put an e collar on my dog for any reason.. if you can't train it with simple obedience training then I would suggest ONLY free running in enclosed ares without livestock..

Plain and simple..

my dogs have a high prey drive..I knew this before I got them because I researched about them for years.. so I just deal with it.. they don't get near livestock without being on a lead.. They don't get off lead unless its in an enclosed area with a 6ft high fence..

I am glad you are asking and there has been some good advice here about how you can train him
and I am sure if you take the time you will be able to train him

I have to say that the e-collar didnt really work if it only works when it is on
shows you have a smart dog and he knows the shock only happens when the coller is on so he does not need to behaive when it is off

It is so possible to fix without resorting to punishing methods
It is IMHO cruel to punish a dog for doing the thing that is natural to it, it is up to us as the 'smart' ones to try and figure out how to tell the dog that that is not what you want

its fantastic that you have got somewhere else to walk him
I would just keep him away from sheep as much as you can till you have done some foundation work
and when he is near sheep keep him on a really short lead and treat treat treat for the slightest moment of not paying attention to the sheep