Sheep!

[budgie123 163]

Hi caravan monster my dog lamped with no issues until one night he missed a rabbit with possibly 10 others in the beam which had happened before but this night he just lost his head and went totally deaf to whistle or voice.

I tried retracing all the training but most of that involved having a lead or long line which the dog new and he behaved.

As soon as there was no lead or long line he defied all commands.

I was advised to use the whistle as soon as he did not respond use the shock collar instantly repeat the whistle and with 2 uses of the collar the problem stopped and he reverted back to obeying the whistle every time.

The dog was a 1st cross bedi greyhound and not particularly head strong.

As already said after 2/3 years the same issue reoccurred but I only used the collar once and problem stopped.

Every dog will have a level of tolerance and finding the level to gain a reaction and break the dogs focus is required.

None of this frying the dog.

If you go on u tube and search forced retrieve there is some excellent American videos of professional trainers using collars and they explain things really well a lot better than I can.

I am not sure where all the political debate went about banning the collars but pac are still selling them.

I have had my unit for over 10 years with little issues and the customer service from them to resolve or repair problems has been second to none.

With the attitude you have and obvious commitment to the dog I am sure you will get there good luck.

 

 

 

[Caravan Monster 323]

Thanks budgie, watched a load of those videos and they all followed the same ideas about finding the lowest level of the collar to break focus, then cessation of the shock as reinforcement of a correct behaviour that the dog has already learned. Not using it as a big stick to whack the dog, the distress of which can cause unintended behaviours.

[Retsdon 64]

It's too bad that you don't know a tame farmer because the best way to cure a young dog of an unwanted interest in sheep is to drop him into a small, strong-sided pen with a big old Suffolk ram. The whole lesson will take less than a minute, and when you've finally taken pity on the dog and fished him out of there he'll never so much as look sideways at another sheep again.

Edited February 10, 2019 by Retsdon

[MIK 4,756]

On 28/01/2019 at 09:51, Born Hunter said:

Something special about your first doodle. Up their with your first deer in terms of meaning I think.

 

On 01/02/2019 at 13:17, Pirate 9000 said:

You are right it needs sorting asap ,don't walk him in fields with sheep that will run away, speak to one of your farmers and take him to sheep in shed preferably sheep that are used to dogs, it's no fun for a pup when they stand there ground.if that don't sort him a small shed with a couple of ram's will definitely put him in is place.

I have to disagree you want the sheep to be running from the dog ....and that’s an old wives tail about putting a young dog in with some tupps 

[Retsdon 64]

10 hours ago, MIK said:

and that’s an old wives tail about putting a young dog in with some tupps 

Tried it yourself? Actually it works very well. But there are a couple of points. It's not some random tups in a field, it's a single tup in a pen - and the tup needs to be mature, big, and of a moody disposition (that's why I suggested a Suffolk). Also the pen should be small and have corners (so not a round pen). What happens is that the tup will immediately back himself into a corner so the dog can't get behind him, and then launch his attacks from there. As I said, in less than a minute the tup will be chasing the dog around the pen. 

It's a gimmick that  works very well. But like most tricks it needs to be performed properly. Just showing the dog a packet of tups in a field will almost certainly finish with the dog chasing the sheep, because given a choice sheep (of any sex) in a group will naturally flock up and move away from even the weakest strange dog. Rather, the tup needs to be alone with nowhere to go and with a solid defensive position to back him up. You're basically denying the tup a flight option, leaving him no choice but to fight and trusting him to win - which he will. And a pen about 9 to 12 foot is about right to make him want the dog out of there quick sharp. 

Like most everything in life, it's all in the set-up.

Edited February 10, 2019 by Retsdon

[RTurlough 160]

Honestly, if he looks at sheep bring the lead down across his ass.  He will remember that feeling his ass being warm.

 

Edited February 27, 2019 by RTurlough

[RTurlough 160]

On 03/02/2019 at 09:21, the lamping ferreter said:

Lesson 1 with the horse whip this morning and a long ish lead 1st sheep he whent to run I smacked him then kept walking to wards the flock 2nd sheep he pulled to go a little bit smacked him then he looked at one run and stuck his ears up so smacked him after that he didn't wanna walk near the flock so I praised him up and carried on calling him toward me and stroaking hum loads for the rest of the walk so he didn't get scared of me no saying it's cured but will continue to walk him round the sheep alot more and hopfully the stick don't have to come back out 

Just read your posts after I had posted.  Sounds like it went well! Good job.

[MIK 4,756]

8 hours ago, Retsdon said:

Tried it yourself? Actually it works very well. But there are a couple of points. It's not some random tups in a field, it's a single tup in a pen - and the tup needs to be mature, big, and of a moody disposition (that's why I suggested a Suffolk). Also the pen should be small and have corners (so not a round pen). What happens is that the tup will immediately back himself into a corner so the dog can't get behind him, and then launch his attacks from there. As I said, in less than a minute the tup will be chasing the dog around the pen. 

It's a gimmick that  works very well. But like most tricks it needs to be performed properly. Just showing the dog a packet of tups in a field will almost certainly finish with the dog chasing the sheep, because given a choice sheep (of any sex) in a group will naturally flock up and move away from even the weakest strange dog. Rather, the tup needs to be alone with nowhere to go and with a solid defensive position to back him up. You're basically denying the tup a flight option, leaving him no choice but to fight and trusting him to win - which he will. And a pen about 9 to 12 foot is about right to make him want the dog out of there quick sharp. 

Like most everything in life, it's all in the set-up.

There are better ways of breaking dogs to sheep the last thing you want is a dog to be nervous or scared of sheep ...and the type of dog s I keep whether it’s lurchers terrier or gun dog it can turn a dog the other way