People ask if sheep are clever? Perhaps not clever, exactly, but our sheep have become experts at avoiding pressure
Our sheepdog training course yesterday was a great demonstration of just how clever sheep can be. Many people believe sheep aren’t intelligent because, to us, they seem to do some very unwise thing. Anyone who has lived with sheep has a lot more respect for them.
Certainly, sheep can be unpredictable at times. It’s difficult to understand why they act the way they do, but the small bunch of training sheep we have at the moment have learned just how to avoid pressure from all but the smartest of dogs.
The early signs
It began a few weeks ago, when one of the sheep developed a knack of trotting smartly away from the remainder of the group whenever they were in a tight spot. There’s nothing unusual in that though. Watch any sheepdog trial and you’ll almost certainly see more than one errant sheep making a bid for freedom.
Usually it’s no more than a minor inconvenience for a well trained dog. The dog’s natural instinct tells it to keep the sheep together, and quite often it will immediately bring the lone sheep back to rejoin the bunch without waiting for a command.
“Now girls, GO!”
Our latest sheep have perfected an admirable new technique. Recently, the moment one sheep (often the same one) leaves one way, one or more of the remaining bunch immediately gallop off in the opposite direction!
It’s really quite clever. Most trainee dogs are defeated by it and even Kay, our most skilled herder, is sometimes too slow to keep them together. If the sheep go in opposite directions, you have to send the dog one way or the other to gather them. One or more of the sheep always has a better chance of running back to the rest of the flock.
On yesterday’s sheepdog training course, the first dog into the ring was very bouncy and aggressive around the sheep, and it upset them. As a result, the poor sheep were extremely reluctant to go back into the ring whenever they had the opportunity to get out into the open field. And who can blame them?
Kay was nothing short of heroic when it came to returning the sheep, but eventually she became exhausted so Bronwen, who was doubling as a trainee dog, and eventually Ezra, had to deputise for a weary Kay.
So don’t make the mistake of underestimating sheep. With self preservation always at the front of their minds, they might surprise you!
BORDER COLLIE SHEEPDOGS & FRIENDS – STILL OFF DUTY! (DVD)
WATCH THIS TRAILER!
Watch Pearl Glen, Mel and lots of the dogs you saw in our first DVD Border Collie Sheepdogs – Off Duty! PLUS MANY MORE! The DVD is available from our DVD Store – and we automatically ship the correct format for your country. More info.
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