Working dogs

I love living the life I live - married to a shepherd, working my dogs on the sheep, and living in a beautiful, wild and remote place.

However, there are downsides.

Occasionally my husband has to sell on some of his working dogs. This can be because he has run on a pup or three, and then only keeps the best for working, or he has an older dog that is finding the high heather-clad hills up here too hard going, and so need a lowland working home in order to be able to continue to work, and he also sometimes part-trains sheepdogs and then sells them on to other working homes. I am pleased he always makes sure they go to people he knows personally, or through friends, therefore making sure the homes are kind and the dogs will be well looked after.

It is very difficult for me though, as I always believed that a dog is for life ... and my own personal dogs are. But then I just play at being a shepherd (just helping out) and so if my dogs don't make the best workers it doesn't really matter to me, as my livelihood isn't depending on it.

We currently have three dogs that will need to be found good working homes - and it makes me so sad

We would never sell dogs at dog sales though, as you never know where they are going then - and might go through four or five hands before settling down.

Just pondering on this tonight for some reason!

i would be the same . it must be hard to see them ,move on to a new home

I think it is very hard. The whole concept of working dogs is a hard one if you ponder it too much or for too long. WE love our pet dogs, but so many dogs have a working life to lead that is an important one, their lives are not quite as cosseted and cosy as the life of a pet, but they do generally seem to adapt to it pretty well.
It is an issue I ponder a lot. You can't have the pups here and not really. I don't know how I feel about it at the moment so I can't offer anything useful at all. Truly don't know my stance or thoughts on the whole working dog thing at all.
Having said that they are also a necessity in so many ways, so don't feel bad as there is very little you can do about it, unless you want to end up with 50 odd dogs that is!

I think I'd find it hard too. But then like yourself I don't depend on my dogs to help with my livelyhood, and I know when I was small and my Granparents had working dogs, they were there to do a days work as efficiently as possible.
Like your OH my Granparents would have to re-home such dogs that were not finding things as easy as others, sometimes even swopping with other farmer friends. Somehow I always thought that the dogs didn't seem to be as effected as ''pet dogs'' as they were happy as long as they were working.....wherever that may be. I used to worry over them though....even though my granparents seemed quite happy with the situation

Ahh, I think you've just answered my query on your other post.

Yes, I can imagine it is hard for you, but as others have said, there is a difference between working dogs and pets.

You could keep the dogs that can't work, but where they would be happier carrying on with a working life, ultimately it is in their best interest to find them a new home.

And I think YS makes a very good point how it is easier for a working dog to adapt (where they are still working) than for a pet dog.

I think its so sad Its heartbreaking how many (not YOURs but other Ex sheep dogs) end up in rescue. Surely a dog is for life working or not IMO they arent Cars to sell on cos the newer model is out, Could you not keep them yourself kirsty? show him a better way?

I just think how long will the NEXT home keep them for & the next????? breaks my heart

Not sure what you mean by the concept of working dogs or the whole working dog thing at all? Really interested to discuss this further. I love to see a dog doing a good job of work and enjoying that life, being respected and cared for by its handler/owner. I have seen how some of these sheepdogs absolutely live for work, and to deprive them of that would be wrong IMO. However, it is the selling them on that upsets me and you are right, in that we would end up with far too many dogs if some weren't sold, and then what sort of life would they have? I guess you have sort of similar dilemmas in that you raise a pup for 12 months and then it goes on to a working home of sorts.

I think you are right YS, in that the dogs actually don't seem to be particularly affected, so long as they are getting out to work. We keep in touch with all the people who get dogs from us, and visit them when we can, and even though they are always pleased to see us, they are quite happy with their new working homes. I think the thing is that the new home has to be a good one, where you know and trust the shepherd/farmer. We always say that if the dog doesn't work out for them, to bring him/her back to us.

I do look at it in this way Hali - it is kinder to the dog to find it a good working home where it is capable of doing the work and being someone's main dog, rather than sitting out here in a kennel, getting one run a day with the other dogs That is probably much less easy to stomach than finding that dog a new home.

My own dog, Rip, was owned by a shepherd and worked daily until the shepherd suddenly died. I then bought him as a part-trained dog and he fitted into my life as though I had had him since he was a pup. The key, for me, is that the new home is one where the dog will be appreciated and respected.

I am sure there are many collies that don't make the grade as a sheepdog that end up in rescue That is terrible, but a good sheepdog is in high demand and is very much appreciated and cherished in most homes. You will always get bad apples in all walks of life unfortunately.

I would love to keep them all Mish, but unfortunately I have four dogs of my own to exercise, train and work, as well as looking after a home and a 9 month old baby. I simply wouldn't have the time to take on more dogs at the moment. Do you think these dogs would be happier in a new (and vetted) working home, or staying with us but living on a kennel with just one run a day?