Excellent!
Often it's the type of toy that can make a huge difference too. My dog prefers akong on a rope to anything else. She likes the erratic bounce and also that she can shake it!

Terriers may prefer squeaky toys which can be thrown through leaves and dogs which chase aircraft or birds may prefer frisbee type toys!

To do a full behavioural type programme, you'd need to really see a behaviourist and also to keep the dog away from the sight and scent of the sheep for a while which is very hard to do in your situation. I'm sure however that it will be helpful and will give you more control

Interestingly, he shows no interest in the sheep while he's in our back garden, even though they're just the other side of the fence. But take him round to the other side of the field and he's VERY interested! Same field, same sheep but he's only interested when he's NOT in the garden!!??

Just to update - I have decided to buy an e-collar after all. I'll let you know how I get on with it.

Poor dog....

So you don't have the money for training...but do have the money for an ecollar.
Are you hoping for a cheaper quick fix I wonder.
Poor dog.

I re-read through this thread last week and thought ....''God I am so glad that is not me'', as SO many people are opposed to e-collars (myself included)

Then you put this up...... now me I wouldn't of.... knowing how much it would of pained me with all the answers I got the first time round.

Obviously it didn't pain you...................but it sure will that poor dog.

Sorry I am in dis-belief
Quick-fix the problem...

http://www.apbc.org.uk/resources/APB...nsultation.pdf

Check out form Page 7 on (not pleasant reading be warned) for several reasons why buying and using an ecollar would be a really bad idea.

If there is one thing that p*sses me off more than anything its people who buy dogs with prey drive (or specific traits) and then try to train them out of it..It's part of who and what the dog is..its part of the breed...If you are that selfish that the breed traits don't fit with your fairytale lifestyle that you have to zap them to change them why the hell did you buy that type of dog.,.Oh I forgot..cos they look good!!!!

Me?? I bought my dogs knowing their traits and work with them rather than against them!!

I don't think there is anything fairytale about your dog getting shot . . .

IMO if an e-collar and training with it means the difference between a dog not chasing livestock and a dog chasing livestock then i would go with it. Until you have know the cold hard pit of fear in you belly when you are trying to find your dog, who has escaped, been let out ect . . and heard a gun go off in the distance then you don't know what you would do to keep your dog alive and safe. . .

When I lived in wales with Selkie I was in a very similar situation. Selkie loves sheep. Where I lived I was surrounded by them, we had to walk on a lead for miles to get to a field that didn't have sheep directly adjacent so she could have some off lead time. Along one side of the field was a canal and on the other side of that were sheep, but Selkie hates the water and would not cross. But then one day something awful happened. I looked up to see Selkie in the middle of the sheep! Someone had laid boards across the canal! I hadn't seen them, but Selkie had! Worse still, the farmer was in the field!!! I ran over the boards and over to the farmer, he had his crook in one hand and his gun in the other. I cried to him and explained the situation with the boards. Selkie wouldn't listen to me she was leaping and running up and down. All clearly play, but I felt sure he was going to shoot her. He handed me his crook, told me to catch her, he couldn't tell her apart from the sheep to get a good shot at her anyway, he said. One of the sheep fell over and Selkie stopped running. She gently approached and nuzzled the sheep to get it to stand up, I took my chance and grabbed her. I was so scared, and so angry, I was not a good Mummy. I am ashamed to say I yelled at her and hit her. The farmer actually told me to leave her, she didn't know any better.

I gave him my details told him I'd pay for any sheep he lost or lambs they aborted. He said it was his kids that had left the boards over the canal and he would make them pay.

After that, I never walked Selkie in that field or near sheep again. I drove 40 mins to the coast and walked her along the beach, or 30 mins to a sheep free mountain. I never let her off the lead anywhere I don't know well.

Point is I drove her elsewhere! I didn't try to train her out of her sheep love (only sheep, not cows, or ponys or even goats, she has been off the lead with chickens and doesn't give them a second look). I just changed where I walked her. There has to be somewhere livestock free near to you. You may need to drive her out to it, maybe off lead will have to be a weekend treat.

I have to agree with the e collar sceptics... There is always another way.