.png)
Kay and Carew both put in a good performance at Dean Farm
After the sheep gather was delayed by two days of really wet weather, we were rewarded with bright sunshine at Dean Farm today.
Kay and Carew worked very well together. In this picture they’re driving a flock of ewes towards the railway bridge on the drive to the farm. I was especially pleased with Kay because she’s been under-performing recently and I was getting concerned that she might not be well. I needn’t have worried. Kay brought the weaned lambs into the buildings by herself, and later helped Carew to gather two flocks of ewes.
This is what you get when you don’t pay full attention to your work! I was busy taking photographs of the various breeds of sheep in the flock, when I realised that some of them were escaping into the barn through a door that’s supposed to be securely shut.11
It’s possible for the sheep to escape back to their field through these buildings, so I was glad when Carew quickly brought them back!
Carew excels at working close to sheep. They’ve learned to respect her. Here two ewes are looking at her but not in an aggressive way. When we first started gathering at Dean Farm, the sheep were a real threat to Carew. In fact one ewe sneakily head-butted her from behind today when I called Carew out of the pen. Fortunately it was a glancing blow and no harm was done. The ewe wouldn’t have attempted it if Carew had been facing her!
I was particularly pleased to see Carew and Kay working well together in the handling pens. I noticed Kay was keen to stay as close as she could to Carew (just in case) but it was a big improvement on her work a few weeks ago, when she was reluctant to face the sheep at close quarters if they were stubborn. It’s possible that she was attacked by a sheep at some stage, but if she was, I didn’t see it.
With the lambs and the main flock dealt with, our final task was to find the thirty-five ewes that we had to separate from some cattle at the beginning of September.
The ewes appear to be accomplished escape artists and are proving difficult to keep in one field. When Carew had to bring them back to the farm from the cattle field they were very stubborn, so today I was pleased to have Kay on hand to help Carew out.
The two dogs handled the task with ease, so I took the opportunity to improve their work as a brace. If you want to work two dogs together it’s best to train them on different commands. Unfortunately, Kay and Carew work on very similar commands, except that Carew’s work is more refined so I can control her to some extent without Kay understanding what I mean.
In the absence of definitive commands though, if I want to be sure each dog knows which one I’m referring to, I find it’s best to say the dog’s name and then the command – such as “Kay, Lie down, Carew, Come-bye”. It works quite well, but unfortunately Kay works far more quickly than Carew, so I seem to be forever saying: “Kay Lie down, Carew Get-up”. We’re improving though.
The picture above (and the featured image at the top of the page) shows the thirty-five ewes turning defiantly towards the dogs when they found the gate they were being driven to was closed.
As you’ll see from the picture beneath it, they soon turned away when I gave the dogs the “Walk up” command. I think they’re both lovely pictures, showing Kay (left) and Carew working together well.
Online Sheep and Cattle Dog Training Tutorials
Clear, inexpensive, sheep and cattle dog training instruction
Join now! The price you pay will not increase while your membership is valid
Over 70 clearly explained, easy to follow sheep and cattle dog training videos for first time sheepdog trainers, farmers, and shepherds. Just £10 per month or £100 per year (choice of currencies for payment). Watch the preview here!
For French, Spanish or English SUBTITLES click “CC” on player.
For a very small monthly (or annual) subscription, watch many hours of expertly presented sheepdog training lessons. Not just theory – we show you what should happen, and what to do when things go wrong. Signup now. It’s easy to cancel payments at any time and you can continue to watch for the period you paid for.
Leave a Reply