dulcilama

From the dark ages here....what's with wands? We use wooden crooks or Alu crooks here in the UK. For training and keeping cattle at bay a piece of alkathane water pipe does the job. To turn up at a trial with pink fibreglass...don't think I could find a smilie to describe the scene...

Good news. I have used a little cornflour in the drinking water to good effect here with pups that have the runs. Not sure what you call it out West...

...and not to trust your non-biologist OH to hack off the sample. We had Cu/Co/Mn issues a few years back and lost lambs over two seasons. So, it was agreed to test some liver from the last year's lambs which was in the deepfreeze. Only he hacked off a piece of heart from a bag of offal. Luckily it was intercepted before the vet sent it to the lab!

Or is it that some lines just run to better condition?

Great photo Snorri. You are right about working collies...when I got Fly (her fifth home by the age of three) she had never been in a house, never had children to deal with, was inadequately socialised (shed bred puppy by triallist)and was extremely nervous of most things. My youngest was not quite three and pretty good with animals but likes to control them to the point of snapping on leads etc..At no point did Fly ever growl or snap at her. She will never be a family pet as she doesn't play with toys etc...but she comes in the house happily enough, eats indoors, rests in the day indoors, and I work her on my sheep. Without that I'm not sure what safe outlet she would have found for her mind. I am trying agility with her on a friend's fullsize course - she will do a few jumps and the dog walk pretty well...but only because the five-bar gate back to the car up the track is the far side of the last jump! OP, this is an extreme case - I had an entire background for this dog and I got her to work my sheep

Certainly some good ideas...it's always hard for us with non-commercial flocks to be objective. Touchwood I haven't had a prolapsed ewe yet...but it'll happen and no I wouldn't risk it again. Have to say I now no longer name any lamb until it goes to the tup in it's second year. Hope you find her a home.

Hi, and welcome onboard. Assuming you've read the boards as there's loads of info on BCs on here and you know you've the time and space for these guys...it really is a new family member and they're always at least a step ahead of you too... In the next couple of days most people are going to say rescue...many excellent older pups (6 months plus) end up there because people didn't do their homework right, and, after all, a small pup's only small such a short time and needs someone at home all the time. Many of these guys have basic training etc. Think about it..

Seconded, and worse. Since my bitch went back to work after her pups she's forgotten what flanks are and hammers straight up the middle of the field. Great example.

My BC bitch (aged 4) has been trained to herd sheep since she was a puppy (mostly not by me). She doesn't do toys full stop, won't mouth and will only tug (grip) a particularly stubborn sheep and then only the way she was taught. I don't want to train my pup to enjoy tugging as I guess that could mess up sheep work. But is it OK to teach a herding dog retrieving? My older dog won't do that in any form either. Presumably neither is needed to do agility work with a herding BC?

Thanks for that, Kris.

Flippin' heck...I already am...Been looking at the Clean Run magazine subscription - any good?

I'm reading through Ruth Hobday's at the moment. Published in the US, transpires she only lives a half hour from here and runs classes stil. Yay! We are beginners though.

That's good news...I've nowhere remotely level here that's outa sight of sheep, mine or someone else's. An agility course is next year's project.

Thanks Rebecca ...Fly arrives tomorrow. Trisha, Wales

Hi all...new around here. My first purebred BC arrives next week. She is just three and was trained here in Wales from ten months to two and a half but is considered unsuited to trial work as she is a bit timid. No matter, her breeding's good and we have our own sheep and some land including a hill valley. But, how long is it going to take her to learn to respond to my commmands. She is supposed to respond to whistle - will it matter if my whistle sounds different to her? Also due to her new shepherd leaving her behind when she left in December, she hasn't worked sheep since (tho' they have 700 for her to watch!), so how much will she remember and how much back to basics will I need to do before I loose her on my undogged sheep? On good authority she IS a powerful dog with a good eye - just leery of strangers. Thanks!