A WOOL-PULLING YOUNG DOG

by Dr. Leroy Boyd

Ed.note: This article is one of a regular column in Ranch Dog Trainer Magazine called QUESTION AND ANSWER FORUM, in which different trainers respond to a reader question. Leroy Boyd's introduction reads "Dr. Boyd has been training, working and breeding Border Collies since 1978. Trial participation is limited to four or five trials each year. He has conducted clinics and started judging trials in 1990."

QUESTION: I'm just starting my second dog, an eager eight-month-old pup. She has a nice wide outrun and usually stays off the sheep, but four to five times during a five minute training session, she dives in and pulls a little wool. I can't seem to get through the sheep fast enough to drive her out -- the sheep tend to huddle near me when they see her coming and make a pretty solid barrier. She has a pretty good down, but only when she's in balance, not in mid-run. Any ideas? I don't want this to get to be a habit.

ANSWER: Pups are like children. Once, two three-year old children were engaged in a scuffle. Their mothers quickly separated them. One mother told her child they should not fight like that. The child said, "You show me how to fight. This the only way I know." You are working with a normal, intense, eight month old pup which is working the only way it knows.

When first introduced to livestock, pups will often bark and bite. They are a bit insecure, have plenty of desire but little technique. The bark disappears quickly. The bite lingers. In my opinion, you should never take the bite out of a pup. Gain control. When properly trained this type of dog will, when asked, walk into the face of stubborn sheep, cattle or swine and "spit" in their eye. Just dares them to resist. Well, maybe not spit, but they will move livestock effectively and efficiently.

Based on your description, I conclude you are working with too many sheep at one time, or the sheep are too dog broke, or you are an immobile trainer. Too many sheep could prevent you from passing through to redirect your pup. Sheep which stand around the trainer might be too dog broke. Very tame, slow moving sheep will be the ruination of many pups and young dogs and give their trainer a false sense of accomplishment.

When working slow moving sheep a pup never has to learn to really run, balance or work pressure points. The dog just plods along behind or if necessary bites, out of frustration, to encourage sheep movement. A dog trained on very slow moving sheep will be a disappointment on the trial field when free moving sheep are worked. After getting behind the sheep on the outrun, the dog will stay there and poke along in a fairly straight line all the way to the exhaust pen.

Even without command, the dog should flank around and turn the sheep to the handler. Natural instinct. Bring them to you. To me, many beginning trainers fail to achieve the necessary working relationship between applying or removing pressure on the dog or sheep while keeping trainer, sheep and dog in a constant, fluid and controlled motion. The trainer has to be sensitive, mobile, patient and in charge.

Have you been peeking in on one of my training sessions? You have accurately described the work of my pup, Joy. Before working, my dogs do the three R's. Run, Relax some and Relieve body wastes. In the presence of sheep, Joy is reluctant to come when called and down when asked. We enter the pasture where the sheep are. Voice commands are my only control over Joy. Hands in pockets. With a verbal hiss of `SHHHHHHHTT!', my excitement command, repeated as necessary, Joy is on her way around the sheep. She favors going out to the left. She is excited. Her speed excessive. Her key-hole outrun is tight. When she comes on the pressure point, I am in a position to prevent her from completing a circle. My movement is controlled and fluid. Blocked, Joy reverses directions and I back away, at a 45 to 90 degree angle, to remove pressure from the sheep.

STAY IN THE OPEN FIELD. With each change of direction or flank, Joy might take a nip as she passes the rear of the sheep. You can tell by the sheep's head movement when a pup is about to nip. Just before Joy's teeth close I have her ears full of 'AHHHH! GET BACK!' With a bite and hang-on, the utterance would be `NO! GET BACK!' Repeat as necessary.

Block her movement on the other flank. Ask her to get back. Up until now Joy is just flanking left and right, even going around a couple of times, just balancing on me as I move completely around the flock. Then I back up and ask her to WALK UP' or give a verbal, `SHHHHHTT!'

Should the sheep run past me, I back away from the sheep and let her flank to the pressure point. This maneuver is repeated until Joy has slowed down a bit, is relaxing and the sheep are under better control. Now, by getting between the sheep and Joy I can apply tremendous pressure for her to GET BACK off the sheep. The amount of pressure applied should fit the crime.

A couple of times around each way is enough. For the first time since we started working, I ask Joy to DOWN. I walk toward her until I am on her side of the sheep. Then, while walking away from her and the sheep, I ask her to come. Unless we have finished working, we walk a short distance and Joy is sent on a short outrun. With each new outrun, the direction is changed and the distance increased.

If Joy comes in too tight and takes a nip the 'AHHHHHH! GET BACK' is repeated. We would repeat the maneuver of putting pressure on for the dog to get back. With each training session the pup will gain confidence, relax and yield to pressure. Progress is being made. My goal would be to back the pup off the sheep a few inches each five to ten minute training session and reduce the number of bites by one each week. At this stage we are training a pup, not polishing a dog. Be patient. Minimize pressure. WORK the problems out.