Grazing Sheep on Hill Near Golf Course

[TEC]

Josie and I recently completed another grazing stint while our coach/mentor was away on the trial circuit, and running at the USBCHA Finals. We took his sheep from corral to graze on alternating days, giving my dog needed time to rest and recuperate between sessions. Pleasant end of summer weather. Not a drop of rain, and even the morning hours were comfortable. The view from hill, Lake Coeur d’Alene & Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Mountains in the distance, is a beautiful panorama. I am sure there are forum members who work their border collies more in two days that I did in two weeks, yet for us grazing and exercising my friend’s sheep are some things we look forward to, and have enjoyed for several years.

 

The steep grassy hill above the corral is unfenced, and therefore kept us busy; on our toes. I carried whistle, folding chair, umbrella, SPF sunscreen, water and cellular phone/camera. This season rarely did we remain in one location for more than few minutes. Other years green spots kept the sheep content for longer periods. This time feed was uniformly sparse and dry. Sheep moved hurriedly about, heads down grazing, as if searching for something better. For the most part, I let them find what they liked, unless they wanted to move for no good reason from a decent grazing spot to less desirable. Our patience had limits. Sheep were fed a hay ration upon return to the corral, so they got their fill.

 

A neighboring golf course and driving range kept things interesting. We found keeping sheep away from greener golf pastures was no trivial task. Having Josie’s intrepid assistance, I am claiming success on that issue. Thankfully she held pressure on the proper flanks, sometimes having to peel her charges away when they tarried near fairways and greens, and before a single blade of golf grass was disturbed . She did very good job on that score.

 

A golf cart path extends for some distance across our hill. Imagine the audacity to build there ? You have to overlook that the golf course owns the land. The surrounding area is somewhat of a poster-child for gentrification of farmland. Talk about cattleman-sheepman wars, well, especially on weekends I was shepherd and part-time traffic cop . Fortunately, all went smoothly. Indeed, the golfers were really very considerate/understanding. Many of them nonchalantly whizzed right by, but several seemed genuinely interested in the dog and sheep. They stopped to courteously ask for mini-demonstrations, smiling and having nice things to say. A fine young man, a golf course maintenance worker, said he had been meaning for some time to contact the owner about acquiring a border collie for him and his wife. Will he follow-up his show of interest?

 

Having been in education, thought I would pass along my own lessons learned, or confirmed from previous seasons. See below¹.

 

After a brief warm-up, Josie accomplished in fine fashion virtually everything asked. Very pIeased. A mental list of skills was obtained, both handler’s and dog’s, to polish over the upcoming fall and winter months. I find that varied practical work on a challenging hill, as well as training and occasional competition, is capable of exposing work that leaves room for improvement.

 

Below is a photo highlighting dry, warm conditions. Click to enlarge. Google automatically enhanced it with a vintage tint/feel and finger-worn frame. Had the option to revert to original, but rather like the look.

How'd she get that ear, anyway?

Must have come from her dam, CJ, or...

God had a whimsical day.

Tranquil pool for cool break, some distance from grazing hill.

[Explorer David Thompson (1770-1857) forded Beaver Creek here, June 14, 1811, on old Kullyspell Trail.] -- TEC

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¹§ Sheep

* All other things being equal (when does that truly ever happen?), they went uphill rather than down, I suspect from an instinct that better graze and cooler temps will be found higher up. Not sure if that instinct was always correct in this case.

* They were extremely hesitant to move down a steep slope covered in tall grass – about waist high in places. I believe even sure-footed sheep wanted to know they had something solid underfoot. Descending a nearby less vegetated slope of the same grade was no problem.

* For one night the two rams were unintentionally kept in separate pens. When they met next morning enthusiastic head-butting ensued, I assume to reaffirm the pecking order, in case there were any doubts after having been separated. Once moving among the flock, they presented no difficulties.

* Sheep and dog were distracted and nervous on windy days, evidently due to vegetation rustling around and wind noise in their ears. I think wind effects ability to hear, which in turn impacts the predator-prey instincts in animals.

§ Sheepdog

* It was hard, hot work, therefore kept my dog steadily hydrated. Never waiting until Josie showed signs of excessive thirst/fatigue, we did not have a problem.

* When my positional pressure and verbal correction were needed to reinforce a lie-down, rather than a standing stop (in tall grass I usually wanted a stand), I had to release pressure to get belly-on-the-ground down. Otherwise, she frustratingly remained standing and still, smile on her face, eyes on the sheep. That was becoming a huge issue for me, until I understood what she wanted. Yes, I am here to confirm that for my dog pressure and release were not mere empty words.

* Josie may have known all the basic moves, yet when she came to more fully realize that she was working for me, under a reasonable implied contract with obligations on both sides that respected her instincts and ability to read sheep, she began to take her work to a higher level. Involved realizations/modifications on my part, as well. (Subject of my recent post in another thread)

§ Handler – suggestions:

* Open your senses and mind. Observe. Try to find themes and connections. A veteran shepherd/trainer once told me that much of a handler’s best work is done seated in a folding chair -- eye on sheep, dog at side -- thinking about his/her day.

* Take advantage of opportunities to train that sheep/dog/field present.

* Look for ways to communicate to your assistant that his/her instincts and ability to read sheep are respected, and that you strive to incorporate an understanding of your dog’s unique characteristics into your asks.

[teresaserrano]

Thanks for such a wonderfull post

[gcv-border]

Yes, Thank you. It sounds like a great experience.

[Maxi]

TEC, it sounds as if you and Josie had an amazing time, enjoyable and educational at the same time. I can imagine the effort and mind games that you and she had to do in order to keep the flock off a lush green golf course

I too (until recently) have always thought that sheep preferred to be uphill. An old friend who was still shepherding in his mid 70’s (and had started when he was 15) told me how in the old days, they used to walk the tops of the hills in the morning to drive the sheep down and then in the afternoon walk along the river at the bottom to push the flock back for the night.

However, for some reason my own Hebridean sheep prefer the lower part of my land (My own stock graze on a steep hillside). Even when I drive them up hill to what I consider will be fresher pastures or take them over to a recently fallen tree branch (Hebridean’s definitely prefer brash to grass!), they relatively quickly meander back to their favoured spot . I don’t know if this is because the grazing is generally sweeter here, whether they consider this area more sheltered or because my flock originate from a farm that is situated in a lowland, wetland area.

Like you, I find that the weather effects their behaviour and when the wind is up, the sheep, dogs (& probably me) get more anxious and skittish. I remember one afternoon when I was farm-sitting for someone else. The weather was fair, the wind was down and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. Despite this, all the dispersed sheep which had been grazing on the hill top, gradually flocked together and then steadily followed an old ewe down the hill and round the brow. Initially I couldn’t work out what had happened and there was no evidence of any walkers or stray dogs when I scanned the hillside with binoculars. However, several hours later, a heavy storm blew in. I can only presume that the sheep had detected an alteration in the weather pattern (perhaps electrostatic in the air) before any change was apparent to me and had sensibly followed the old ewe to a sheltered area (sheep definitely are not stupid ) .

When it comes to driving sheep (downhill or on the flat), again like you I find that this is much easier if the ground is not too overgrown with tall grasses or bracken. When working in overgrown conditions, my more inexperienced dog tends to pull tighter on her flanks and focus on the stock she can see rather than consider all the position of all the flock (my older dog is more used to working sheep on this kind of terrain and so knows to hold back more).

 

I also tend to keep my dogs on their feet when working in long grass. If one of my dog’s lies down, then I can’t see her and so have to rely on the sheeps’ body language to tell me where she is!

However, unlike you I don’t necessarily think that the difficulty of driving sheep through long grass is because they are unsure of their footing on the uneven ground. My thoughts are as follows.

 

Sheep definitely prefer routes they know. These are inevitably grazed or else flattened into paths (with the long grass at the sides almost acting as a physical barrier). When driving sheep, one or two specific ewes in a flock will often take the lead and the others like to follow her.

 

I believe that when driving sheep through tall grass/bracken, the sheep think they could be being pushed into a trap. if you push the stock at this point, they will split and lose sight of each other & of the lead sheep, which again makes them more uncertain.

 

I therefore consider working in these kind of situations is more akin to working sheep at a pen mouth (rather than driving a flock across grazed ground). So instead of pushing them more, I find the opposite is true and it is better to hold my dog back. This releases pressure on the stock and gives them time to consider their options and work their own way through the tall grass.

 

Obviously this is just my own interpretation of these kind of circumstances. YMMV.

You give excellent advice when you say "Open your senses and mind. Observe. Try to find themes and connections. …. Look for ways to communicate to your assistant that his/her instincts and ability to read sheep are respected, and that you strive to incorporate an understanding of your dog’s unique characteristics into your asks.”

[CMP]

Great read

[TEC]

However, unlike you I don’t necessarily think that the difficulty of driving sheep through long grass is because they are unsure of their footing on the uneven ground. My thoughts are as follows.

 

Sheep definitely prefer routes they know. These are inevitably grazed or else flattened into paths (with the long grass at the sides almost acting as a physical barrier). When driving sheep, one or two specific ewes in a flock will often take the lead and the others like to follow her.

 

I believe that when driving sheep through tall grass/bracken, the sheep think they could be being pushed into a trap. if you push the stock at this point, they will split and lose sight of each other & of the lead sheep, which again makes them more uncertain.

 

I therefore consider working in these kind of situations is more akin to working sheep at a pen mouth (rather than driving a flock across grazed ground). So instead of pushing them more, I find the opposite is true and it is better to hold my dog back. This releases pressure on the stock and gives them time to consider their options and work their own way through the tall grass.

Your analysis may very well be correct. I was trying to save a few steps, not taking their usual route, and the vegetation was high. Further, it was at the end of the day returning to the corral, and Josie was pushing the large group closely. She was much too close when they bunched up, making them even more hesitant to move from a gravel road downhill steeply into the tall grass. I didn't have the energy at that time of day to properly train, and require my dog to get back, in order to release some of her pressure. We just moved down the road to an area with less vegetation. I think you are right-on. I'll try getting her to back-off next time that situation arises, and see how it goes.

 

I came to fully realize sheeps' nervousness in tall vegetation, when I sent Josie to gather a small bunch out of shoulder high grass. I do not recall why they were there in the first place...we didn't push them into it. She located them, and on my command pushed toward a nearby mowed area to continue the fetch. A couple sheep initially popped out into the open, and when the third sheep abruptly appeared the other two visibly startled for a moment, apparently thinking the ewe was a predator or perhaps my dog. It surprised me, and I remember understanding at the time how much stress/nervousness they carry around. -- Thank you, TEC

[Maxi]

I was trying to save a few steps, not taking their usual route, and the vegetation was high. Further, it was at the end of the day returning to the corral, and Josie was pushing the large group closely. She was much too close when they bunched up, making them even more hesitant to move from a gravel road downhill steeply into the tall grass. I didn't have the energy at that time of day to properly train, and require my dog to get back,

In the past, I would have done exactly the same as you. Now, if at all possible I tend to fetch and drive sheep along routes they know even if the way appears longer in distance and I have to redirect my dog to do this. I find It is often a much more efficient & faster way to get the job done.

I came to fully realize sheeps' nervousness in tall vegetation, when I sent Josie to gather a small bunch out of shoulder high grass. I do not recall why they were there in the first place...we didn't push them into it. She located them, and on my command pushed them toward a nearby mowed area to continue the fetch.

Sheep will often meander into long grass to graze on the lower growing vegetation (no pressure from behind, so they dont think it is a trap). They usually will be in small groups, and often one will stand as sentry while the others put their heads down. However, if they are all hungry, feel secure, or the sentry is inexperienced, then she too will also put her head down. So in long rustling grass, the group may not be aware of the dog until he is quite close. If the dog pushes at this point, they will panic and split as a means of protection. I guess this is what happened to you.

 

One thing that may help is to keep a very close eye on the sheep. As soon as one shows even the smallest sign that she has sensed the dog (e.g a raised head and/or twitched ear), insist on a stop - eiither stand or lie down. If possible your dog also needs to be able to control her own energy, so that they do not instantly consider that her presence is a threat. This may give the ewes enough time to realise that your dog is there and to be prepared to move off at a more sedate pace.

 

What you are trying to avoid is that panicked snort & stamp from one ewe telling the others to flee. If this happens, they will probably scatter before they have time to think. However I appreciate that this is not always possible to control this, especially with a dog that is not used to working in these conditions.

 

Another thing that can help in this situation is to "warn" the ewes by giving a whistle in advance of sending your dog, The sheep will quickly learn that this sound means that a dog is going to appear and will often start to flock together before he arrives to gather and lift them. Some shepherds have a specific whistle to do this. However, I tend to use my recall whistle (my dogs are used to being beside me as I recall others at the end of a play session, so this does not seem to unduly confuse them).

She located them, and on my command pushed them toward a nearby mowed area to continue the fetch. A couple sheep initially popped out into the open, and when the third sheep abruptly appeared the other two visibly startled for a moment, apparently thinking the ewe was a predator or perhaps my dog. It surprised me, and I remember understanding at the time how much stress/nervousness they carry around.

If given the chance, some sheep learn to hide in long grass or behind rocks and then will often try to double back in order to avoid being gatherered (a good survival strategy if separated & you don't think you can outrun the predator)

 

A single ewe is on its own being driven or fetched by a dog is much more nervous & stressed than two or more together. She will hold her head high with her ears back and eyes wide plus will move or jump stiffly in a panicked fashion perhaps with blowing nostrils & heaving sides. She may also be panting if she has been pushed very hard.. Personaly I dont think the other sheep consider her to be a potential predator. Rather it would be like a frightened woman running into a room as she screams that a murderer with very sharp knives is chasing her !...So to me, it's not at all surprising that the others get alarmed by this.

 

Obviously this is just my interpretation based on situations that I have been in that seem to be similar to the events you describe. My speculations could be completely wrong.

 

I also realise that it is easy to write these suggestions down, the events on the ground can be very different and what one moment seems to be a managed situation, can quickly turn into something much more chaotic especially if the handler or dog makes en error of judgement or if the dog does not respond promptly to an urgent command....Most insight I have into sheep behaviour has been learnt from making my own mistakes.

 

[TEC]

Maxi -- I really like your suggestion to give sheep in thick vegetation a heads-up that a dog is on the way, allowing them an opportunity to flock together. I have begun to use my flank whistle, from time to time, to send Josie, just to reinforce her sides, so that should work well to warn them.

 

Your description of dog and sheep being quite close until they surprised one another is exactly what I saw. Is it a big ask, to have a dog stop still, when it smells/hears/knows the sheep are mere feet away, but she cannot yet see them? I think Josie at her level of training this year would take a stand command in tall grass at my first sign the sheep took notice of her presence. Hope the opportunity to try arises soon. I have a good feeling about it.

 

The visual image of a lone woman chased by a knife-wielding madman will not soon fade from my memory. I agree, a single sheep who may have never actually made eye contact with the animal rustling around in the grass near her, would likely be in a similar state of mind. It works for me. Anything that mitigates that scenario is worth striving toward.

 

I appreciate being able to discuss practical work. You would not believe how infrequently my dog and I train on fundamentals, and the same goes for farm work. Proportionately less time discussing them. You, no doubt, are moving stock for practical purposes on your farm, and getting it done on a regular basis. I think it is good to reflect once in a while on some of the reasons behind Border Collie stockdog training, SDTs, breeding and such. I want to believe they are to have smart, fit, instinctive dogs on the farm, and owners/handlers who know how to move/sort their stock. I am now endeavoring to close the gap between having many of the sheepdog fundamentals in hand, and the strategies/maneuvers/knowledge to apply them in widely varying practical farm circumstances. I see the transition from learning the basics in a training scenario to work on the farm as a little like the professional who graduates after years of mostly classroom education, and now has to apply his/her knowledge to stressed people who often are in dire situations. Practice skill-sets are needed to be successful -- shepherding, stockmanship. In any event, thank you again for your insights and discussion. -- TEC

[Maxi]

TEC - I'm no expert. When I started training my first sheepdog just under a decade ago, I was using an obedience-based approach. However, having grown up in a city, I had no stock-sense at all and so was really struggling. I stood in the wrong position and even worse, I asked my dog to stop and push the sheep at the wrong point (the balance point as you know is not always 12 o'clock!).

Because of my inability to read sheep or my dog properly, I couldn't predict how they would respond and so was always having to react to an event after it had happened and then made masses of mistakes as I tried to sort it out. Not surprisingly, I kept fighting with my dog. His instinct was telling him the right thing to do, but I wasn’t smart enough to listen to him. I was an idiot.

I realised that if I was going to improve, I needed to speed up my response time and the only way I would do this was to develop some sheep sense - people who grow up around stock and who get this instinctively just don't realise how lucky they are.

Fortunately, in exchange for doing a range of chores, a tenant farmer/sheepdog trainer with a life-time’s experience took me under his wing. I’ve also been given the opportunity to farm-sit for folk when they are away, as well as help different farmers and small holders with their flocks. All this has meant that I’ve been privileged to work with a number of different sheep breeds on a range of terrains using different farming practices.

 

Over time I have managed to gain some insight into sheep and dog behaviour. I think I have finally learnt to see and listen to both the sheep and my dogs. Everything is much less stressful, I can now normally predict the consequence of my actions and as a result we are all much happier.

 

My comments and suggestions in the previous posts have been based on situations which I have found myself that seem to be similar to the one that you describe. However, I still have a lot to learn and I freely admit that my interpretation of what is happening may be completely wrong.

[Maxi]

sorry ..I didn't respond to your query before

 

Your description of dog and sheep being quite close until they surprised one another is exactly what I saw. Is it a big ask, to have a dog stop still, when it smells/hears/knows the sheep are mere feet away, but she cannot yet see them?

 

I don't think this should be very different than asking for a stop/steady at the top of any outrun. You are really asking her to control her energy so that she portrays one of solid, steady, calm authority as she lifts the sheep. Though in some situations it may be equivalent to asking the dog to stop short before she feels she has made proper contact with her stock.

 

In either scenario, you should be able to practice this in an open field... but obviously you also don't want to get her into a habit of stopping short.

 

If you want to wait till you have sheep in long grass, then I would suggest trying to set up the situation so that you are as close to the sheep as possible so that you can use your body language to can help her understand what you are asking.

 

At the end of the day, the important thing is that your dog needs to trust you and she needs to believe that you are asking her to slow/steady for a reason that makes sense to her.

[TEC]

At the end of the day, the important thing is that your dog needs to trust you and she needs to believe that you are asking her to slow/steady for a reason that makes sense to her.

Agreed.

 

Maxi, parts of our backgrounds have rough similarities. I left a rural/farm life at an early age with my parents to become citified. I won't detail everything learned on the farm, but it didn't have much connection with sheep or even dogs. Mostly horses and cattle. Sheep were a big part of the economy in Eastern Oregon at the time, and I have recollections of an uncle proudly showing-off his new dog, something he called a Border Collie. Pulling over to the shoulder of the road, rudimentary shepherding instruction included such memories as, "OK, look at the field and sheep and tell me where you would stand to best manage them". My recollection is vague on the answer given . I now have my first border collie who is nine, and we have been training since maybe one year old. Fortunate to have had good instructors, I found an excellent coach/mentor a few years ago. We practice and assist on his farm as often as I am able to break away. Hey, I completely identify with the learning process involved in reading stock and dogs. I heard over and over, "Watch your sheep", "You've got to read them", as if their intentions are things a person is born knowing. They somehow forgot that it is a learned skill, and a few verbal clues would have been helpful. Having picked-up some ability to read sheep, I still have a long way to go. I now better understand those trainers, as I know how difficult it is to put sheep sense into adequate words. I have found it to be hands-on, OJT education for the most part. Your experience has been widely varied and seems ideal to gain shepherding knowledge/skills. I'm impressed.

 

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Shoulder high grass (to an average standing person) may not soon happen again on the field where we practice. That was summer 2013, and there must have been something about precipitation/weather that was unusual and very good for lanky grasses. Perhaps it was not sufficiently grazed.

 

As you say, practicing a good lift and stop (or steady) at the top in normal conditions is a way to begin shaping a consistent stop/steady in tall grass, where vision is severely impaired for dog, handler and stock. You might imagine, there were spots in the field last year in which I had to guess the sheep's location by watching for moving channels of waving grass. Not the entire field, but parts of it. Dog's location was often gauged by reaction of sheep. I'll bet the bracken and brush in your country can make for some challenging gathers. Last year I was satisfied if somehow my dog got around behind them, and fetched most into the open on the first pass, and the remainder with a lookback. I used to stand on a ridge overlooking the OLF almost as if the field was a map laid-out in front of me, having to force myself to remember that the dog is literally down in the "thick of it", using all her senses to find invisible-to-me paths to the sheep. As you know, there's an incredible amount going on at that level.

 

I am with you on aspiring toward getting sheep in tall/thick vegetation to flock together on the outrun or upon dog's arrival in the vicinity, followed by stops as needed and finished with a gentle/unstressed fetch of the entire bunch. That's excellent stockmanship, and I want to be there. I believe I can sell my dog on the needed stops and flank commands at the lift by helping her understand that from my vantage point I can guide her to the flock (assuming I can locate most of it).

 

A stop is a beautiful thing. We have worked hard this year, and I am pleased with her progress. I had almost concluded that Josie should best be run via keeping her moving/flowing on her feet, using occasional steadies, and a few solid downs reserved for close-in work. My understanding is that some top handlers and dogs purposefully run in a similar manner, but unlike them, the reason I had nearly settled for that strategy was that she wouldn't stop. Our team is not yet ready to run in that way. A more solid down/stop made driving better, and life became easier in every respect.

 

Thanks for your advice and suggestions. They are appreciated. -- TEC