Fairness

[Donald McCaig]

Dear Sheepdoggers,

 

In Animal Happiness my friend Vicki Hearne raised a powerful objection against Peter Singer and proto-utilitarian animal rights theorists when she wrote ; (My paraphrase), “Animals can’t have rights in Singer's sense because nothing can have a right who cannot understand what a right might be."

 

This spring I recalled this when Patrick Shannahan said, offhandedly. that commands must be “fair”. Fairness in the dog’s eyes, not the humans. A handler might think it perfectly fair, for instance, to send an inexperienced dog for sheep he cannot see. The young dog’s subsequent bewilderment and panic is evidence that some dumb human has offered an impractical and unfair command.

 

At a recent sheepdog trial I watched novice handlers insisting on difficult, impeccable obedience off the field. I’m sure, if asked they would have offered some variant of “I want him obedient all the time” or “As he is when not working, he is when working.”

 

I don't think so.

 

That’s probably because Fly would have bit anyone who insisted on such behavior. Fly knows her rights. (Uncommon in sheepdogs. When most sheepdog’s rights are transgressed, they flee or sulk or panic.) As every owner from the trainer who started her has told me, “She has too much eye and a wee temperment problem.” That’s sheepdogger code for “If she doesn’t like what you’re asking her to do, she’ll bite your ass.”

 

Unfortunately, a wee temperment problem is kin to “heart” and the difference between a top sheepdog and a great one is heart.

 

Fly believes she has certain rights and injustice is swiftly corrected. She bit a handler who won the Scottish National, she bit Beverly Lambert’s husband, she bit my wife Anne and she bit me.

 

Fly believed she had a right to her own den and after she decided a place was her den she wouldn’t come out until she was good and ready. A time or two at trials she decided another handler’s camper was her den so I bought an animal control catch pole. Once the loop settled over her neck she came right out.

 

Rightly or wrongly Fly thought she had a right to her own refuge. Easy to think she was simply fearful but she showed no other signs of timidity. After I’d had her for a while, she learned to suffer fools (more-or-less) gladly. When oogy-boogy people made over her in motel halls and book signings,” she’d backsnap. As the intrusion ended and the oogy-boogy withdrew, Fly snapped the air. None of the silly people Fly spared noticed her teeth clicking but I did.

 

These days she’ll come out of her den even when she doesn’t want to and if I have to manhandle her, she’ll bare her teeth but doesn’t bite me.

 

For several years, she hated sheepdog trials but she loves them now and resists being taken away from the action. She won't come to be leashed and when I come near, she bares her teeth before hiding her collar by rolling on her back. In cities/ferries/airline terminals/restaurants/ she’s fine being leashed but at sheepdog trials, forget it. Seeing this, my friends kindly muffle their snickers.

 

Before Fly’s turn, she ignores sheep, other dogs, other humans and lays her head in my lap for non-stop reassurance. Can’t say I care for it, but if it helps her . . .

 

Last Sunday at the Johnson trial after we stepped onto the field Fly promptly ran ahead, maybe sixty feet to the handlers’ post while I waited by the fence. They were changing sheep so I called her back. Nope. Didn’t budge. No recall. No “that’ll do here”. Nope. Fly had come out to trial sheep and THAT WAS THAT.

 

Some open handler. Can’t even call his dog. But I don’t fuss. What Fly wants is fair. We aren’t out here to practice off-stock obedience.

 

Johnson's sheep are dog savvy Kathadins. If the dog isn’t right they’ll break back to the letout or the exhaust and a good many have made it.

 

After some minutes, Fly rejoins me: “Whassup Boss?” and when our sheep come out we can walk to the post just like a real open handler and his dog. Yesterday Fly ran right. Today she wants to run left so okay. She overruns to cover letout pressure and doesn’t listen on the fetch until they miss the panels, “Don’t bother me Boss. I’m busy.”

Okay.

 

But once she’s established control, she listens around the course to the pen where one young white ewe balks in the gateway. They’ve been easy penners but I’m An Easy-Pen-Paranoid so Fly is in the right place to prevent Whitey’s escape.

 

These sheep are kneeknockers with no respect for humans. Just one dog split them yesterday and none thus far today.

 

Which was where things got interesting.

 

Whitey slips away but not so far and Fly tucks her in. Fly takes a good position ahead of their shoulders, not too far but not putting pressure on them.

 

First digression: Sheepwork is NOT about Dogs, it’s about Sheep. While a shepherd/handler can get most work done while paying attention to his dog, he cannot get exquisite work done without entire attention on the sheep. Without that focus he won’t read the cues that enable fine work.

 

Second digression: When you’re trying to split a 4 sheep flocklet 2 & 2, one of the truly obvious tricks - using Whitey as a draw - almost always fails. Sheep decide who they feel safe with. Mary.Martha and Ellen have a bond but Whitey??? “Dears, what ewe in her right mind would ever trust that gal? Bless her heart!”

 

When one’s first attempt at a split produces 1/3 instead of 2/2 subsequent attempts will almost always produce 1/3 again. And though it seems obvious that a single sheep should draw a companion from the three, it don’t work that way. Whitey, outside the flocklet is sending nervous signals like “maybe its dangerous out here” while Mary, Martha and Ellen are telling each other “Stick together girls. It’ll be over soon as the buzzer sounds.”

 

I’ve seen dozens of failed attempts to encourage that second sheep to join Whitey and watched Bill Berhow do it exactly once. Once. Rule of thumb is “regroup, shift the escape artist to the back of the flocklet and try to split 2/2.”

 

I felt wonderful. I had no idea what Fly was doing. I didn’t need to know. Fly and I were attempting to split sheep and Fly’s attention, and mine were completely on the sheep.

 

We let Whitey wander off a second time and she hesitated, maybe twenty feet from the flocklet. It was very quiet. None of the sheep felt threatened. Martha, the third sheep. was considering joining Whitey so I put my hand in the second sheep’s face who stopped still. Almost inadvertently Martha took a step forward, opening an eighteen inch gap between Martha and her fellows. I called Fly in.

 

A charging dog often causes Martha, Mary and Ellen to join Sally. Any dog indecision will either regroup them or regroup three and chase Whitey so far away she’ll lose whatever bond she had with the others and bolt for the tall timber.

 

The dog must not remember its genetic gathering instincts to regather all four (which happens often and isn't as ricky to the dog.)

 

 

To succeed the dog must know, absolutely know its job. Full-tilt, it runs in the faces of fleeing sheep who might run it over. It cannot hesitate or lose faith. Heart. It must change 1/3 to 2/2 like a knife.

 

Fly did and it was a big moment for us. To team with a dog, you have to be fair.

 

Donald McCaig

 

 

 

 

[GentleLake]

Great story, Donald! You must have been very proud of Fly at that moment.

 

roxanne

[CMP]

Wonderful essay. Thank you.

 

Yes, I have noticed a very large difference between the expectations of some weekend warriors and stockpeople who do it for a living. Our dogs, some of them, are truly difficult. Very few of them would even come close to passing muster on the average person's idea of "obedience" and some of them are fairly ... um ... brusque. Others, of course, are Pollyannas who think all things are wonderful and will sit on a thumbtack for as long as you ask them to.

 

It always seems like a trust issue to me. No different than managing a large business where you have to find the right people and then let them do their jobs - accepting imperfection in their manner or personality so long as the job gets done to your satisfaction. You need to trust your dog and, frankly, you are in charge of how much you can do that by way of training and development.

 

I was watching some people play with their dog at a dog park the other day - I had taken my recuperating puppy to watch the antics from the back of the truck (for her, watching is the next best thing) and they were getting mad at it because it was not playing "properly". Wouldn't bring the ball back or give the ball up or whatever. It got serious with leashes being yanked out and time outs under trees being attempted and so on.

 

All I could think was "how bloody unfair to that dog" that it was not permitted to *play* on its own terms.

 

Sometimes, I have caught myself attempting to get a behaviour out of a dog that is simply unjust.

 

The dog's eyes tell you the story.

 

I have a thing, therefore, that I do with all my puppies - which is to teach them the "we're okay" hand hold. Just a paw touch. It's understanding and forgiveness. I ask for it from them when I am seeking forgiveness (a too-harsh reprimand out of place, inapporpriate frustration, etc.) and they ask for it when they've nipped at me or run off to smell a dead raccoon. Sometimes they give it willingly - sometimes they make me pay and are not ready to forgive me on the first ask. Same with me. Sometimes it takes a few paws offered for me to take it and say "yeah, yeah, ya jerk".

 

I think lots of people are afraid to be wrong, afraid to recognize unfairness and make it right because it feels like they are being submissive to a dog or upending the pack order or whatever.

 

My experience is that allowing for your own unfairness, apologizing for it in whatever way is mutually understood and not worrying about who the boss is or is not, makes everyone happy.

 

I believe dogs should have options and that we must endeavour to make sure that in our efforts to have the "perfect companion" we do not remove from them their own rights.

 

I have a dog that won't go in a crate. I am a crate user, but this old 110 pound Berner will NOT go in one. The trade off, which SHE invented, is she will stay on her bed from the time I say "goodnight" until the time I say "goodmorning" and her stay is, literally, 100%. Seemed fair to me.

 

Anyway - as usual I digress and follow tangents - but ... yeah.

[Maxi]

I completely agree with you. My story about fairness with my dog is as follows.

The other day I was helping another smallholder gather her small mixed-breed flock of 15 ewes plus their lambs that included a heavy slow greyface Dartmoor, a bolshy Jacobs and a flighty Shetland. Apart from their different temperaments, it also didn’t help that none of the sheep were used to being worked by a dog (rather they were used to being chased by the owner’s dog “ because she knew it wasn’t going to hurt them”).

So my poor Jess had to put on sufficient pressure to move the Dartmoor, calmly but firmly stand-up to the Jacobs each time she considered confronting my dog, while at the same time being quick enough to turn the Shetland and her lambs every time they considered making a dash away from the others.

Despite these issues, Jess gathered the flock together, and then slowly and steadily she and I started to drive them towards the pens. However, I could see that we were coming up to a weak bit of fence so rather than risk one or more of the sheep breaking through, I asked Jess for a flank to drive them further into the field.

Instead of moving, my dog stood still.

I glanced over and saw Jess’ tongue quickly flick up the side of her mouth. I translated this to mean “ I hear you and I don’t want a confrontation, but I don’t think it’s sensible to move just now”.

 

I could have insisted that my dog take my command, but instead I looked at the situation again and realised that Jess was using her eye to hold the Shetland and her lambs from bolting. She clearly felt that if she moved there would be trouble. So I moved my position slightly to block the troublesome Shetland's flightpath better.

 

When I asked for a flank again, this time Jess was happy to respond to my request. We negotiated past the derelict fence and after a bit of persuasion got the lambs and ewes into the pens.

It’s times like this that make me proud of my dog. Others may see her refusal to always respond to my commands as difficult, stubborn or just "not obedient enough". But to me, we are a team, I respect her judgement and I think I’d be crazy not to listen to her when she tells me that I'm about to make a mistake.

 

It's why I love working stock with her

[mum24dog]

Rather surprised that the person who frequently extols the virtues of the mannerly sheep dog so casually accepts a temperament flaw such as a tendency to bite humans on the grounds that it might be a great sheep dog.

 

Fly sounds rather like our dog. I don't make excuses for him on the grounds that he is very good at agility.

 

But what do I know? It may be the norm there.

[Donald McCaig]

Dear Ms. Mum 24,

Didn't know I had made excuses; I hadn't meant to. Fly is mannerly enough for New York City's 5th avenue at noon hour, universities, hotels, bookstores and libraries off leash and when in the UK despite provocations, she didn't bite one english person.

 

Donald McCaig

[GentleLake]

Deleted post.

[CMP]

For the record, we have two, three dogs who are not safe around humans. They will bite. They will bite anyone except those who have worked with them. Not willy nilly. Not out of the blue bite attacks, but they suffer no interference, even the well intentioned. If they are left alone they pose no danger.

 

To be honest, I am not sure what the farm breeding policy is on such dogs, but I know the working policy is very straight forward - if they do the job they are there to do, if they do it well, if their working credentials are very good, no one seems to care much.

 

One female wears a red collar to warn anyone not in the know that she bites.

 

Not one of these dogs has ever been intentionally mishandled, abused or subjected to harsh treatment in training or elsewhere. Some dogs are just a little mean or don't care much for humans or whatever.

 

But yeah, if they're good sheepdogs, they get to keep being sheepdogs.

 

Full on frontal excuse for bad behaviour - but I doubt we are the only farm that has an ill tempered working dog or two.

[KnottyClarence]

Just a quick question, do you know how many puppies were in Fly's litter? Some of the (off field) behaviors you describe remind me of my singleton, who, alas, has little interest in "on field" behaviors, except to nose grip a ram if I ask her. The rest of the time she goes her own way, and I've been blaming in part her lack of birth order. Just anecdotal, and, also kudos Mr McCaig, I really like your stories.

[Pippin's person]

CMP, are the working dogs on the farm primarily border collies?

[juliepoudrier]

CMP,

What happens if one of the dogs who bites, etc., needs care and handling? Say, for example, the dog is kicked and has a wound that needs tending to? Do you drug the dog so you can tend to it? Not tend to it?

 

I'm all for breeding for work, but I sure wouldn't be breeding from stock with that sort of temperament. That's just my opinion of course, but to me it's like an LGD that can't be handled. That's all well and good as long as the dog is doing its job and doesn't need to be handled. But when that need inevitably arises, what then?

 

J.

[CMP]

CMP, are the working dogs on the farm primarily border collies?

Yes. There are a few ACDs floating around and we use guard dogs - but the primary dog is BC.

[CMP]

CMP,

What happens if one of the dogs who bites, etc., needs care and handling? Say, for example, the dog is kicked and has a wound that needs tending to? Do you drug the dog so you can tend to it? Not tend to it?

 

I'm all for breeding for work, but I sure wouldn't be breeding from stock with that sort of temperament. That's just my opinion of course, but to me it's like an LGD that can't be handled. That's all well and good as long as the dog is doing its job and doesn't need to be handled. But when that need inevitably arises, what then?

 

J.

They drug it if no one is handy who can handle it. No dog on our farm would not be (a) accounted for every day and ( not treated for any sort of illness or injury. If times are lean, the vet's bill still sits on top of the pile - it is likely so for any farm.

 

I agree 100% on the breeding bit. I do not believe (I was not able to reach my brother for confirmation) that the dogs with extremely bad personalities are bred and it is likely the same pairing would not be used again. I *think*. That fits in with the overall philosophy around here.

 

A great deal of our farm is in a terrain that is nearly identical to the Scottish Highlands and many of our sheep graze on unfenced mountains and foothills. There are coyotes, wolves, mountain lions and bears. The guard dogs are another matter all together and they are handled with tranq guns, I assume.

[Sue R]

Thank you, Donald, for another insightful and eloquent post.

 

I've met Fly and enjoyed the meeting. I greeted her with her comfort zone in mind and she was nothing but polite and friendly but not overly friendly. We got along very well and when she worried that she'd lost you, she let me speak to her and relaxed just long enough for me to get your attention.

 

I think she's a particular dog who has been extremely fortunate to end up in your caring and thoughtful hands. And we are very lucky to be able to share her journey through your writings because there are many lessons to be learned there.

 

Again, thanks.

[Maralynn]

I do agree that dogs have a sense of fairness, right and wrong. But quite frankly, the idea of taking a dog off leash in a city, libraries and bookstores after she has bit numerous people and showed a willingness to bite people breaking her rules just seems, well, foolhardy.

[Sue R]

Apparently you haven't read all that much about the working sheepdog in the UK and Ireland. There have been a number of well-known dogs over the years that were either not very sociable or not socialized, and could be nippy. But their working virtues made them valuable enough that they kept their day jobs and their genetics were passed on, most likely being paired with individuals of the opposite sex with good temperaments.

 

This may not be surprising as historically, many of these working animals did not venture off the farm (hill farm or otherwise) except for the occasional trial or driving of sheep to the market. And in those circumstances, I am sure they were well-managed and also around people who understood them well enough to avoid issues.

 

I think people on both sides of the pond are much more likely in recent decades to breed away from these sorts of temperaments as the world of the working sheepdog has become much more expanded and not as farm-centric.

 

I've met Fly and she was very mannerly. From my understanding, her biting was very situation-specific (for instance, when cornered in a crate) - who knows how much of that was rooted in her very early days (maybe unwise and counterproductive handling) rather than perhaps in her inherent temperament? I don't know but I wonder.

 

Rather surprised that the person who frequently extols the virtues of the mannerly sheep dog so casually accepts a temperament flaw such as a tendency to bite humans on the grounds that it might be a great sheep dog.

 

Fly sounds rather like our dog. I don't make excuses for him on the grounds that he is very good at agility.

 

But what do I know? It may be the norm there.

[TEC]

Great story. Congrat's to you and Fly on getting the tough shed, and on her overall job.

 

Currently my dog and I are at a training impasse in the field. I haven't yet decided whether I am being unfair regarding my standard for a certain skill, or whether she believes that if she holds-out long enough, that I will give-up asking (alas, as I have been known to do). I realize they respond to consistency/persistence, yet as you so well pointed out, dogs also understand fairness.

 

Hey, Fly's drive (if I recall correctly) is back. Good going. -- Kind regards, TEC

[simba]

I was thinking about something like this on a walk recently- it was up high mountains and there were some pretty scary little passes which amounted to a rock or thin plank over a big drop.

 

Little Terrier walks quite happily over these because I asked her to, and she has faith that I know what I'm doing. Even when she's the one who has to go first. She also walked quietly past on-leash dogs who were so distressed at the sight of another dog they were literally screaming.

 

It's interesting. I had expected a 'hell no' once or twice, she's a dog who is willing to please but also can do a determined flop when you ask her to do something or go somewhere she doesn't want. For example I'm about to get the flop when I ask her to move from her warm bed to the bed she sleeps in at night.

 

Moving to the next room- flop and wag tail. Walking quietly over a thin plank under conditions that make the human want to close her eyes and hide- fine, let's go.

 

I do think trust is a huge part of dog training- not trust that you're not going to hurt the dog, trust that the human element knows what it's doing and can take its share of the responsibility. I just find it so weird the things that she is willing to obey for.

[Donald McCaig]

Dear Sheepdoggers,

 

Mr TEC wrote: "Hey, Fly's drive (if I recall correctly) is back. Good going."

 

Thanks. Yes it's back - and all the other bits too. Fly ran her first open trial at ten months. Of her six owners I am probably the least able trainer and handler. I am patient.

 

Donald McCaig