Bite

[gvmama]

I have a 4 yr. old bitch that will go to head (nose bite), but won't bite a heel (I have never put her on cattle) If I move her quickly on sheep or need to push sheep quickly, she will zip into the lead sheep for a nip on the nose which sends everyone in opposite directions. She will nip a sheep on the nose that is staring her off...no problem. The sire has a ton of sheep sense, but lacks power. He will turn his head if confronted. He will grip if necessary if I am close by, but if in a field, it's RT time if he is confronted. He is my first dog and from lovely lines.

 

Now I have a daughter of theirs that is 15 mos. She will bite a heel (in a heatbeat), but not a nose. LOL This pup will not turn her head if confronted (Yea), but will stop dead in her tracks. I have been very careful to try not to over power her on the different ranch sheep I put her on. This pup gives 100% and tries so hard to please. She doesn't have a lot of push, but is eager to do everything correctly. If a sheep breaks she will go to the head. She is praised for that.

 

Today, when she stopped when confronted by some yearling lambs, I just kept walking with her until they turned. I prasied her for walking on. Occasionally when a group of goats and sheep are in a pen together I encourage her to nip through the fence at a nose or two. She will growl and carry on jumping in and out. I praise her for that, too. She will walk up to a ewe with a lamb (outside of the fence)....and do a little jump at the fence.

 

Exercises? Just keep on doing what I am doing while waiting and watching her grow up? Thanks. Suzanne

[Guest carol campion]

I have a 4 yr. old bitch that will go to head (nose bite), but won't bite a heel (I have never put her on cattle) If I move her quickly on sheep or need to push sheep quickly, she will zip into the lead sheep for a nip on the nose which sends everyone in opposite directions. She will nip a sheep on the nose that is staring her off...no problem. The sire has a ton of sheep sense, but lacks power. He will turn his head if confronted. He will grip if necessary if I am close by, but if in a field, it's RT time if he is confronted. He is my first dog and from lovely lines.

 

Now I have a daughter of theirs that is 15 mos. She will bite a heel (in a heatbeat), but not a nose. LOL This pup will not turn her head if confronted (Yea), but will stop dead in her tracks. I have been very careful to try not to over power her on the different ranch sheep I put her on. This pup gives 100% and tries so hard to please. She doesn't have a lot of push, but is eager to do everything correctly. If a sheep breaks she will go to the head. She is praised for that.

 

Today, when she stopped when confronted by some yearling lambs, I just kept walking with her until they turned. I prasied her for walking on. Occasionally when a group of goats and sheep are in a pen together I encourage her to nip through the fence at a nose or two. She will growl and carry on jumping in and out. I praise her for that, too. She will walk up to a ewe with a lamb (outside of the fence)....and do a little jump at the fence.

 

Exercises? Just keep on doing what I am doing while waiting and watching her grow up? Thanks. Suzanne

 

Me personally, I am more interested in seeing them walk in than in biting. I think you have to be careful not to teach them that any time a sheep looks at them that they should bite. At a trial I recently judged, many dogs dd that as thir first choice when confronted rather than walking forward. They were disqualified.

 

I think you should put a command to the nip and then work to turn it on and off while also building her confidence to just walk forward. Start this forward motion when she is further off the sheep so she has room to walk into them and they have room to move off. Many times sheep stall when the dog is just too close. Then the sheep can tell if the dog has what it takes. Whereas if you get her to work further back, she will be more wiling to keep walking and then the sheep will feel her directness coming forward. Rather than a dog that is too close that they can then say "OK. What are you going to do about it?"

 

Carol