Temperament Theory - Action Herding Behaviors

BOLD DOGS: Protect the livestock (I'm used to dealing primarily with sheep, so I'm going to use sheep as an example for all herding categories, but the attitude applies to all types of livestock) is the first and foremost priority. The Bold dog will go charging straight into the flock of sheep, barking and biting in a frenzy of activity while the sheep panic and flee. Don't take it personally as the Bold ignores your pleas for civilized behavior! A long-line and the strength and determination to use it are the minimum necessity for keeping your dog from harming the sheep.

Joy was a Border Collie I got in rescue when she was a senior citizen. There's no way I would normally spend my time training a senior citizen to herd sheep, but this gal had such a zest for making up for lost time that I really wanted to give her this opportunity. But there was a problem. From a young age, Joy didn't herd sheep - she tried to bite them into submission. So every time Joy saw sheep she'd run them down and try to pull them off their feet by biting and holding onto their necks. This nasty little habit is what got her stuck living mostly in a kennel run.

Here is Joy at her first herding lesson after she was relinquished to rescue. She has an expert instructor, Cole Hidy, and she's been set up to succeed by being in a round herding pen with slow sheep, she's on a long-line and is wearing a muzzle.

Joy not only went on a long-line, but we also muzzled her. I used the nylon mesh, quick-release type that allows a dog to open the mouth enough to pant (the dog can also open the mouth wide enough to give the sheep a nip with the front teeth). I never use basket-type muzzles on Border Collies. This type of muzzle just frustrates a Border Collie into being even more situation-aggressive once the muzzle is off.

The muzzle pushed Joy out of her extreme Bold habits toward sheep. She immediately knew that biting would no longer work. Essentially, the muzzle got Joy down towards the yellow circle where it was now possible to teach her other ways of controlling the sheep. It took several lessons to accomplish this, but she did learn how to herd without needing the muzzle or the long-line. Watching her on that day was one of the happiest days of my life. The only thing that marred my happiness was the realization that if someone had taken the time to try to figure this out earlier, Joy could have had a lifetime of being a cherished working Border Collie.

Here's Joy being her wonderful self. Just look at this face and you can see why she could make people want to please her!
Photo by Ruth Ettiger

Lisa's Oliver is another dog who went herding for the first time as a senior citizen. He got his first sheep experience at a Bob Vest herding clinic held at a BCSA national specialty in 1999. In addition to the long line, Bob used a leaf rake to teach Ollie that he did not have to leap on or into the middle of the sheep to control them. Ollie quickly learned to respect the rake and by the time the clinic was over was able to dispense with the long line.

Ollie at the Bob Vest clinic. Note the rake to the left of the picture. This shot was taken toward the end of the day,
when the line was no longer needed.

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BORDER COLLIE BEHAVIORS: A TEMPERAMENT THEORY Herding Behaviors - Action Dogs

by Val Maurer

BORDER COLLIE BEHAVIORS:
A TEMPERAMENT THEORY
Herding Behaviors - Action Dogs