Stock breaking a pup

[mccroryart 0]

I walk my 4 mth old whippet pup along a coastal path (sea on one side and sheep wire on other) to get him used to a bit of free running and recall. He stops dead in his tracks and sits down when he sees sheep in the field not sure what to make of them. Given half a chance I’m sure he’d love to run after them and may do just that when his confidence grows. I also have him jumping 2ft barriers at home so the fence wont contain him much longer. At the moment I sort of growl at him a tell him to leave it – what is the best way to introduce a pup to stock if I want to prevent problems happening in the 1st place. I was thinking of taking him round a few pens so he is surrounded by the sheep to scare him a bit. What do you think or is it enough that he simply meets stock regularly at this stage or should I be actually doing something else?

 

Eamonn

[richard25 0]

I think you on the right track allready mate, with your plans & if you know anyone that will let you walk your dog around there pens etc that would be great & just try & keep a good eye on his posture and if he looks like his making any bad moves toward to the sheep give him a quick correction.

 

What i would do is take him for a real long walk first to really drain his energy out then take him right by the sheep and just keep walk alongside the pen then eventually just sit down for a minute with your backs towards the pen & see if the sheep invistigate & if they do your dog will get there scent & just try & do this a couple of times until there all relaxed around eachother then let your dog have a look then just slowly progress until you got him of leash around them.

 

Bottom line if that dont work as a last resort i would use a e collar as you dont want to let this problem progress.

 

Good luck mate