Kay shows her daughter Jet how to get sheep out of a Spooky Black Hole!
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We often hear “my sheepdog won’t/can’t bring sheep out of a shed” so we had a strong response after we posted a picture of Jet looking anxious. Luckily Kay was on hand to demonstrate the right way to deal with a tight situation.
Jet was contemplating the prospect of bringing the sheep out from a dark shed. It’s not a pleasant task for a trainee dog. The dog is worried about being trapped inside the building; if the sheep should turn on it, there’s no escape.
What might a nervous dog do?
Often an inexperienced dog will attack the sheep closest to the entrance and, in the ensuing chaos, most of the sheep will usually come out. The task is repeated until all the sheep are out, and this is not good practice! It’s inefficient and it stresses the sheep, making any further handling of them all the more difficult.
In this video Jet’s mother, Kay, demonstrated how the job is done. Kay moves quietly and confidently between the sheep and the wall. The sheep leave with the minimum of stress.
Can a dog learn to be confident in tight places?
Definitely yes! It isn’t difficult to train your young dog to work quietly in this way, but it takes time and patience. Even a nervous dog will learn that working calmly and steadily gets the job done without panic, and is more enjoyable too.
If you have problems with an over-enthusiastic or less confident dog (and it’s easy to confuse the two) watch our Close Work, The Dog’s Confidence, and Eve at the Pen tutorials.
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