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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2016 12:46:11 GMT -5
My beloved sheepdogs ... Skye, 7 in coming April Shiloh ... just turned 6 in October Troy, the baby ... and the only one that shows any promise on sheep! Out of my OH's sheepdog, Meg. Just turned 1 in October. (Was in an RTA at 5m old, so he has a shaved leg and is on exercise restriction in this photo - thankfully he is fine now, a little bionic with a plate in his leg, but fine) Does anyone else have sheepdogs? I'm obsessed with them lol, if I had the time, I would be rescuing sheepdogs with behavioural problems (of which there are many!) and helping them to fit into the world.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2016 2:08:56 GMT -5
They're gorgeous! So photogenic as well. I have a (non working) border collie called Lucy, however she doesn't live with me. ;n; This is a super old photo when she came to visit me. She's going on 11 yearsold this year.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2016 4:51:04 GMT -5
She's gorgeous!
Two of mine aren't working. I did try training Skye as she can't resist dropping into a sheep-stalk and trying her hand around the far, but she's no sheepdog. She enjoys it but doesn't help much lol! Shiloh is a super special character, I wonder now, if it is something to do with high white, a lot of his siblings are also a bit special. I always describe him as on a spectrum, I adore him but he has been a challenge.
Troy is a typical sheepdog, loves the quad, has sheep sense and loves his work. Still learning, but he shows promise so far!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2016 5:45:14 GMT -5
When I got Lucy, she was retired, but that didn't stop her from herding my shih tzu rofl! I always loved sheep dogs, all breeds look simply stunning and they're so intelligent.
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Post by Klarissa on Jan 3, 2016 8:59:11 GMT -5
I have a Mini Aussie, non-working (but don't tell her that!) She is a part-time farm dog, as we go out to my families farm weekly. It is amazing what she simply just knows, from being a sheepdog. Her recall is on point - perfect 100% of the time. That's when she even wanders away from my husband's side! She knows how to walk beside the tractor & will sit when the tractor stops moving. She tries to herd the horses, but they don't take her seriously, lol. My parents are getting goats & sheep in the spring, I'm really excited to see her herd. When we go kayaking we have to let her swim beside us for the first 10 minutes or so (we have a 6ft line, because she loves water like nothing I've ever seen. She always tries to herd our kayaks, lol. She will be 10 years young in June. She LOVES balls. And she likes rolling in muddles. She looks great in purple And she is my only dog that isn't black, or poodle (even the wee one is part poo) I could talk about her all day, lol
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2016 10:22:33 GMT -5
What a stunner! I've always loved aussies, but they're uncommon over here in the UK. Shiloh is a bobtailed welsh sheepdog and that's as close as I get!
Love the poodles too - wonderful dogs and so intelligent!
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Post by Sherry on Jan 3, 2016 12:40:51 GMT -5
Beautiful animals all the way around
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Post by anunnaki on Jan 4, 2016 13:13:26 GMT -5
Vicki-Ann, The area you live in makes me melt! It looks like something out of a movie to me! I live in the desert in Texas and I dream of moving somewhere like that!! What a wonderful place to not only live but to raise your stunning pups! I've had a couple of sheepdogs in my life and one killed a neighboring ranchers sheep and we had to get rid of it. The other was a terror I tried training it but I was ignorant and young and gave it to a family that had some land. So not much luck there, however, as an adult I do not get rid of pets and I currently have a black lab and a white German shepherd (she is super smart). I wish I had known someone like you who could have helped me with the wild sheepdog Alice. I like your idea of rescuing and rehabilitating them. They certainly are beautiful smart dogs.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2016 14:36:49 GMT -5
It is beautiful here in Wales, the only downside is all the rain! Especially at the moment! But when the sun shines it's stunning. My animals have a lovely view as our farm is on the side of a hill on the turn of a valley so we can see for miles on a clear day.
Sheepdogs can be a big challenge behaviourally .. but then all dogs can, they just seem to crop up more often in sheepdogs! The number of people that used to stop me when I lived in London and ask how I taught my collies to wait, sit and down at a distance and even how I got them to recall ... I couldn't count. I have always been big into animal behaviour and Shiloh was sent to me to teach me more. He has killed livestock and used to have a baskerville muzzle as he was so fear aggressive towards strangers and children. After much work, he now knows his safe place is by my side, and I can take him anywhere, he trusts me and when I tell him heel he knows he is safe by my leg and falls right in beside me. Heel is his 'job' and he is in work mode when I ask that of him, which means he is not in reacting mode. Skye wouldn't recall until she was over a year old, she would recall perfect on a flexi lead and then as soon as that was removed she knew and would run off for hours! With lots of time (and tearing my hair out!) she now does recall, but she does still go further than the others on walks, but at that whistle she always comes back (might be waiting a minute or two for her to cover the distance but I know she is on her way lol!). And Troy is not plain-sailing. It has been hard to get him to do as he is told. Too soft and he laughs as he runs rings around me, too harsh a command and he turns round to leave. Our training consists of many 'Come on now Troy, good boy' and then a bit of a head stroke and re-connection and then back to it. They are thinkers, which means they can be hard to convince that doing as they are asked truly is of benefit to them. It makes it all the more rewarding when you get there though!
All dogs are different and this is what makes them wonderful! I am fascinated by animal behaviour - eventually I may even get some qualifications in behaviour as I would love to help dogs and owners learn to live together and enjoy each other.
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Post by anunnaki on Jan 4, 2016 15:39:48 GMT -5
I just wrote a reply and my internet crashed on me so this one will be short and sweet. I really appreciate you sharing all of that and I find it fascinating how you train your dogs. I myself have learned a few things from Cesar Millan, he seems to be the best dog trainer in the US. I have a long way to go before my dogs are actually trained hah. Living in the desert I love the rain granted we don't see much of it here. I can show you my backyard here in West Texas during the fall... There is a bit of grass but it is mostly sand and mesquite trees (small trees with huge thorns). The white dog is Adalwolfa or Ada for short and the black dog in the old man coat is Bullet. They are best friends with the three alpacas that live on the lot behind us
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2016 16:10:27 GMT -5
Oh what it would be to hardly ever have any rain. I guess then we probably wouldn't have sheep though as there wouldn't be enough grass ....
Your dogs are gorgeous! I used to watch a lot of Caesar Milan, but I found that dominating my dogs only made them more anxious, so now we do bonding, bribery and a bit of a harshness in the voice when needed. Although he does appear to have had a lot of success in helping dogs.
I think dogs need to be dogs, I feel sorry for the ones that are expected to be robots. I have helped one or two fearful dogs that I have seen as clients and I love that warm feeling when I explain to people how certain things may make their dog feel and how that relates to the unwanted behaviour they see ... and they understand. I am sure their dog has a warm feeling too when they realise their owners will keep them safe and they don't need to worry any more.
I tend to get all the behavioural issue dogs put down for me at work, and I love it!
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Post by anunnaki on Jan 4, 2016 16:20:35 GMT -5
I like your training style and I completely agree that dogs just need to be dogs. Ada just ran her nail across the window screen to remind me it was feeding time :face: . I went out and fed her and then when I came back by the window she was still eating. I just realized she was eating the other dogs food again and growled him away. No wonder she is getting fat lol I have been having problems with her showing aggression when she eats and I have tried some things to get her to stop. I don't even know if I am doing the right thing, she is the alpha dog, that I can't change.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2016 16:38:36 GMT -5
My dogs will have a handbags at dawn session from time to time. As my dogs learnt 'leave' at a young age I can use that to make them quit it. I have to stand and watch while my dogs eat otherwise it would be all out war. Shiloh inhales his and then goes to see who he can challenge for theirs! But if I'm watching he won't bother because he knows I will tell him no. At the moment Troy and the other two are still all vying to decide who gets their way... it's just natural and what dogs do ... and what ferrets do ... and even what people do if we take a step back to see our own interactions
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Post by anunnaki on Jan 4, 2016 16:46:36 GMT -5
Haha dogs are so funny! I often have to stand watch too so she doesn't steal food, I'm lucky she listens to me at all! I figured it was just natural as well and I don't want to upset her alpha position. However, I don't let her be mean to the old man and I did feed him off to the side as she finished off his bowl of food. She makes me laugh she is so bossy and tough but when she is alone in the dark she is so scared and jumpy One time a little dog got into our yard and she tried hiding behind a folding chair next to the door and peed all over herself. When I sent my hubby out to see what was causing her to be so scared we found the little lap dog just as happy as can be running around the house. lol
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