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Old Dog: New Tricks


Cyberdog
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Sorry for the story/babble. I've been trying to write about this coherently without much success.

 

 

I bought my dog, Rocket, when she was 8 weeks old from a rancher in the middle of nowhere central Idaho. She cost 25 bucks, and has no pedigree. I enjoyed dog training, and my mother gave me permission to get another border collie (the family already had an aussie mix) if we named her Rocket. This was in 2004, my senior year of high school. We had family dogs, but Rocket is really my first dog. I bought her and paid all her bills. At the time, I was looking for a healthy hiking buddy that I could teach some cool tricks on the side. A tough little ranch dog seemed to fit the bill.

 

This year, Rocket is 8 years old and I'm 25- I feel like we're getting old. Now that I have a little extra income I wanted to do something for her. I found a local stock dog club online, and noticed that had training days. I packed up Rocket, and 35 dollars worth of club dues, and went to my first training day. I had no idea if she would even be interested in sheep, and I was really nervous. One thing that makes a dog a good hiking buddy is listening off leash and NOT chasing things with hooves. Rocket is a great hiking buddy. The club president cautiously took my money. I think, while he wanted to see what an old dog would do, he was a little concerned I was throwing my money away.

After a few of the others ran their dogs, they put 3 young sheep in a small round-pen. I took Rocket in, with the club president, and she proceeded to take a massive shit in the middle of the roundpen. Apparently, this whole thing was just as hard or her nerves as mine. I shoveled away her panicked mess. "If she doesn't do anything don't get discouraged. Keeping bringing her back" I didn't think too much about it. It didn't seem fair to have any expectations on the dog. He got the sheep moving and started making a quiet shhhhhhhhushing sound. Rocket's ears perked and she moved toward the sheep. "Good Girl!" I said, and she came and sat in from of my feet. It would have made any obedience judge proud. We tried ."again with the same results. "She stops, when I talk to her. I'm going to stay quiet" We started again; things were not looking promising. Finally, her ears perked up again. "Don't say a thing!" he said, intensely staring at the dog. She went for it, circling behind the sheep quietly pushing them towards Keith. She was happy to go between the sheep and the fence, and he started to push her to circle in the opposite direction.

 

Since then we have been working a few times a month. Every session she improves. We are working on keeping her farther off stock and getting her confidence up. Both our inexperience leads to stupid mistakes and grips. But we're both learning.

 

At the end of the day, there's no point to us learning to herd sheep. I have no farm of my own, even though I'd like one. She doesn't get enough practice for us to trial, and she's spayed. The only reasons I can think of to keep doing this, is to give her a chance to do what she was meant to. It seems unfair, like clipping a pet bird's wings, to never let her work stock. As much obedience and agility as we do; its just not the same. I grew up in rural areas, and I feel like traditional farm work, and the people who know how to do it, are on the decline. Learning to work stock with a working dog, is also an act of cultural preservation. Who knows, in 100 years there might not be very many people who know how to do this kind of thing.

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The only reasons I can think of to keep doing this, is to give her a chance to do what she was meant to. It seems unfair, like clipping a pet bird's wings, to never let her work stock. As much obedience and agility as we do; its just not the same. I grew up in rural areas, and I feel like traditional farm work, and the people who know how to do it, are on the decline. Learning to work stock with a working dog, is also an act of cultural preservation. Who knows, in 100 years there might not be very many people who know how to do this kind of thing.

 

You are right that ATV's, helicopters, including electric cattle prods, and other technologies are beginning to encroach on traditional ways of handling/managing stock. It's too bad. Where's the skilled stockmanship in hovering a helicopter over a herd of cattle or sheep to move them about? Or cattle prodding them through a gate? A trained herding dog moves stock in a gentle/paced manner, such that they don't become unnecessarily stressed, lose weight, and get injured being pushed too hurriedly through rough terrain. I suppose owners of big operations argue the economics, and that stock will not become overly stressed. IMO, the videos of helicopter herding, for instance, don't completely support that position.

 

Using my dog in the field on stock is as much for me as for my dog. Something about the craft/skill/art of allowing a dog's instincts, guided by a handler, to influence a third animal has a certain beauty. Seeing my dog successfully accomplish a tricky/difficult herding task, with few or no commands, keeps me coming back. Not sure I would have the same enthusiasm for riding a noisy ATV, or tinkering to get it started on a cold morning.

 

I agree there is a lot to be said for continuing traditional farming methods. Herding dogs seem to me to be a perfect fit for family farm/ranches. I like seeing them used in conjunction with ATV's, and even helicopters. In New Zealand dogs and herders are helicoptered to the tops of mountains/ridges, and dropped-off to drive scattered packets of sheep down to the valley -- nice blend of old and new.

 

Stick with it. Handling will become even more fun as time goes on. I like your instructor advising to remain quiet. You had already realized. That's one of the hardest things for us humans. Herding breed dogs instinctively know in raw form how to move stock, thus keeping quiet will often get best long-term results. Sometimes for short periods, rapid-fire commanded runs look pretty to the unknowledgeable, nevertheless letting a border collie learn balance, for example, on its own, using minimal commands (temporarily accepting blemishes/warts), will produce a better overall dog...one you can depend on when things get tough. -- Kind regards, TEC

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Cyberdog i got a kick out you say you are getting old at 25. Keep working with your dog and both of you will grow and form a bond that other folks that do not own BC don't understand. I work my two BC every day with the three sheep i purchased. We go on outruns, go though gates and we pen the sheep. We have a great time. Sometimes their performance is great and sometimes not so good. But at the end of day we had fun. Tomorrow we will do it again.

 

I am blessed having the opportunity to work with these wonderful dogs over the years. Each dog has his/her own personality and they bring delight and meaning to my life.

 

At your age you will have the opportunity to have more BC's in the future.

 

Note: you are not old at 25, i feel young at 80

 

bill virginia

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