Pupdate – First Day of School
by B-Twin
The pups are now five months old. Gee whiz they grow fast! LOL
It seems like yesterday that they looked like this:
Pups - Day 1
Now I can barely get a picture of them they are so fast!
Was-a-puppy
Yesterday Brighid and Bramble had their first real sheepy-experience. I’ve been holding off because I didn’t think they were quite ready. Starting dogs on sheep is fraught with risks – mostly that the pups will have a negative experience (a dominant sheep, for instance, that charges at them). A dog that turns tail and runs every time a sheep stops and looks at it is not a useful sheepdog!
There is also the possible situation that a pup/dog may show the wrong sort of interest. This may include behaviour such as running at the sheep rather than circling the flock. A good sheepdog will always bring sheep to the handler. Therefore the dog needs to be on the opposite side of the flock to the handler, or on the flank.
Generally speaking you start pups on quiet sheep that won’t be too snarky about the dog being there. The pup has to win every battle early on to build its confidence.
So, in the morning I shifted a small mob of Merino ewes (with older lambs at foot) into our “house paddock”^. After they had gorged themselves on the fresh grass and were thinking about staggering out to sit under a shady tree for the rest of the day I walked down with Belle and the two pups. I kept Bramble on a short lead and I had Brighid on the long lead^^.
Belle did the primary gathering of the sheep (in shepherd terms: she “cast out” around them) and then as they waddled towards the exit I let Brighid have the freedom to trot off and explore. I was not disappointed when she quietly skirted around them at a safe distance, watching them intently all the while. Just as she was about to hit the end of the rope I called, “Stop!” and she did. It freaks me out a little as to how smart they really are. You can’t truly practise “stop” until they are in situ so to speak. I’ve tried to incorporate it in the lead training but it is a whole new ball game when they are 10 metres away from you and confronted with fascinating sheep.
We repeated this exercise a couple of times and then I called her back to me and switched leads on the pups. This time it was Bramble’s turn to be able to explore. I’ve had the feeling for a while that Bramble isn’t maturing as fast as Brighid. She has a short attention span, despite which she does learn things. However, I was again pleased with the lack of rushing at the sheep. Not quite the intensity of Brighid’s response but good nevertheless.
The sheep passed through the gateway and on the spur of the moment I sent Belle to head them off and hold them. Repositioning myself, I let Bramble go fully off the lead. She trotted calmly around the sheep until she got to the front of the mob (called “the point of balance”) and lay down.
I was gobsmacked. A good sheepdog is supposed to go to the point of balance, then wait before bringing the sheep to you. This little five month old pup had it nailed in one. And then she came when she was called.
I have hope… :)
So here is Bramble on the day she was born:
Bramble - Day 1
And this is her now:
Bramble - 5 months
Remember “Big Girl”?
Brighid
She always was big… :)
Brighid - 5 months
Motherhood agreed with Belle too – she’s finally gained some bulk! (But both pups will be bigger than her before long.)
Belle & Bramble
Because I had my hands full with the sheep exercise I had to video the pups later.
So here is 3 Border Collies buzzing past the camera.
And here is 3 Border Collies playing Wrestle-mania.
—-
^ called such because it is in the “garden” but it really is “paddock” still – it just hasn’t been fenced off!
^^ it’s about 10m long
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