denice

Coat and ear set makes NO DIFFERENCE to personality. Its like saying people with red hair are smarter. I will add to Liz's post and say behaviors have a "training"/raising component along with genetics. Look for parents who's personality and disposition suit you and get a pup from that cross.

SARE - Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education

Wish you could see stockdogs in action? Ever wonder if a stockdog would be a good addition to your operation? Do you have a dog but wish you could communicate better and accomplish chores easier? Need someone to not only train the dog but train you as well…This is your opportunity The Success with Stockdogs workshops will include demonstrations of dogs helping with chores – watching gates, gathering stock, moving stock off of feed bunks, loading trailers…There will be demonstrations of the training process using young dogs that are just beginning on stock to fully trained dogs used daily. Discussion will help you see where the dogs are right and wrong so you can spot where your dogs need help. Then we will demonstrate techniques to correct the places that are wrong. Lastly those of you with dogs can choose to work with the clinician and your dog learning new skills and improving your skill set. COST - 70.00 daily fee to work dogs with the clinician and 30.00 for auditing SARE is covering the majority of costs. DATES - Three Day Workshop held NOV 14, 15, 16, 2017 tentative spring dates April 6, 7, 8 2018 LOCATION - Switzerland CO Indiana More info Denice Rackley at www.clearfieldstockdogs.com Clearfield Stockdogs facebook page/ Success with Stockdogs group page denice.r@lycos.com These workshops are specifically designed to help producers learn about stockdogs - if you sell working dogs to farmers/ranchers or know of those who would benefit from this opportunity please inform them.

I will relate my recent experience briefly, if you would like details you can contact me. Sold a bc pup to a middle aged couple. Had dogs in the past, this would be their first bc, wanted an active dog to go places do things with, kids grown off to college...fenced yard, worked from home...Picked a middle of the litter quiet pup that was confident for them. Picked her up at 8 wks old in mid Feb. Heard from them in mid April, pup was growling at them and would not let them have a bone she was chewing on. Come to find out when I called there were other issues - pulling on a leash, barking at strangers, possessive of food and toys. The usual puppy stuff that if you nip it in the bud first time it doesn't develop into more. I had the parents, had litter mates, no issues. I chalked it up to allowing the pup to get away with lots of little things that lead to this point. Told them she was acting as if she was equal to the people treating them as if they were litter mates and just being a bossy girl that needed more structure and to understand her role in the family ect. Said bring her down and I will work with her and you, easy to fix. Had a stockdog clinic coming up perfect since lots of people and dogs she did not know. They said they would work on it and understood they had been letting her get away with behaviors trying to appease her rather than correct the wrong stuff. Heard from them a year later ready to give me back the dog. Tried group obedience classes was asked not to return because dog was lounging and barking at people and dogs. Tried animal behaviorist, drugs, bite their vet, couldn't kennel her or have anyone watch her because she was so bad. Fine bring her back. They decided to try one more time, leave her with me for 10 days while on vaccine. Great. Dog came for boot camp. I had 10 days to teach her a whole new set of skills or she was going to loose her home. they show up, she is ok but looking at me like she was going to put me to the test, I expected that. On a leash owner walks her around the yard with me walking with them. She growls letting me know she wanted me gone, sorry not leaving. She didn't know what to think then, always worked in the past. Owner would take her home, cross to the side of the street...she always got her way. Owner 'corrected' with a lie down - not a correction at all in her eyes since she continually repeated the action. . He went to the car so I was walking her, she was doing fine still trying to get a read on me. He walked up to us and she lounged and snarled at me while I was holding the leash. Told me two things - his presence gave her permission to be a jerk and she could be nice when he was not around. I had a bath towel in my hand for her crate, I flipped that in between us, leash corrected and verbally corrected Hard. Totally unacceptable behavior and I was going to let her know that crap does not fly here. She thought I was going to come unglued, she backed up so I advanced continuing to scold, she backed up more and turned her head away. She gave- telling me she understood her error and said she was sorry. That is what I wanted. She understood she was wrong, I was not going to put up with that and she said she was sorry GIVING ME RESPECT. Dogs have to give you trust and respect, you can not take it or make them give it. In the 10 days she was here never repeated that behavior, even when he picked her up. We worked on leash manners, going in and out of a crate when asked, laying quietly in the house, even took her on two outings. Never lounged at anyone, even a crowed vet office narrow hallway, did grumble once which I corrected. No drugs, no treats, I just let her know what is expected of her and corrected the behaviors I did not want. She needed someone she could not scare, or buffalo. Someone who had clear rules and structure and could explain it clearly to her. I meant what I said and said what I meant. I really believe when dogs tend to be a bit timid, fearful, fear aggressive... if we step up confidently like LIFE is not a big deal they see and feel that. They relax because we take that leadership role. When we are careful, cautious it makes them worry. They feel us worried and must think 'gosh what has them worried now I am really concerned' If you have never been whitewater rafting would you feel better with someone who says - Now be very careful, watch so step, go slow - walking slow, watching all around, nervously OR Hey you will love this, here are a few things we will do, I will be right here if you need anything, ok lets go, walks out there gets in the raft like he owns the world?? If we are worried about what the dog will do with people walking up we almost ensure the dog will react because we are worried. The dog feels those emotions. Ever notice nervous uptight people have nervous dogs? Confident people tend to have quiet confident dogs. If your dog has you worried it is totally understandable but you need to find someone who is kind, consistent and confident to work with him. Are they ever going to be a super confident dog that does not worry, probably not but they learn by example that most things in life are no big deal.

Exclusively was the wrong word maybe, I meant that using bottle lambs for a period may influence her feel, cast ect since they tend to be less reactive. I would mix it up - bottle lambs one day, different sheep another. Yes mixing the group will create a 'new different group' that may indeed split but at the correct stage of training this experience is good as well. My sheep are do not tend to be flighty being NCC, but mixing dog broke lambs and non broke lambs and some bottle lambs can make the group more stable or more reactive depending on the mix. I keep katahdins around simply for another experience for the dogs. Mixing different breeds/ dispositions in a small space that a young dog can succeed I feel is a good thing. So the group of sheep worked is not exclusively one type/ disposition. I find a few lighter sheep in the group lighten up the whole group, more heavy sheep slow the group down. Obviously it will not teach your young dog good lessons if she / he can not be successful. Only you know your dog, your sheep, your situation so you have to do what works best. With my young dogs I know what areas they excel and where there are more challenges so I try to work on the things that are challenging early. Exposing them to ways to deal with challenges then they more accept them and do not worry. For example the grandfather to the pups is uncomfortable in tight places with sheep. I expose all the pups early to working in a small space with appropriate stock then later it becomes easier for them. They say "OH I remember this, we did it before, no problem" My criteria for the sheep and space we work in is that the pup is able to be successful if they are thinking and working appropriately. If not I need to adjust. I want a continual increase in confidence. Doesn't mean they don't do things inappropriate or that I don't correct I do. That is how they learn but I want them to be successful

You might try a couple bottle lambs with other lambs and see how the group reacts then. Might meet in the middle - calm the flighty sheep, add more feel to the group of bottle lambs. I am not saying not use them but I would not use them exclusively.