Thread: Herding?
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Old 19-04-2010, 00:57   #14
Gypsy Wolf
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Florida & Minnesota U.S.
Posts: 252
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Well, I am really spoiled when it comes to Herding - my Malinois, Zorro, has only had a handful of lessons (it is 2 hours away and expensive) and is ready to earn his PT title (I worked him yesterday too, he hadn't seen sheep in over a year and a half and even back then he had only about 6 sessions with sheep). Zorro knows what he is doing from Mother Nature - I am just an idiot with a stick! Seriously, Zorro makes me look good!
On the flipside, Luna works like a typical GSD, in my instructor's opinion - and very much like my GSD Kiri. She is a little predatory and bossy with the sheep and will require a firm hand and excellent timing. My instructor usually works my GSD for me, as she has way more experience than I do and she likes a hard dog, so it may end up that she works Luna for me too.
I think it will depend on how frequently I can get to work on stock while Luna is still puppy enough for me to mold - otherwise she will require a more experienced hand.
I like herding but it isn't easy with a dog like Luna. My instructor teases me and calls Zorro "Prince Charming" and "Gentleman Jack" and certainly encourages me to continue on - it will just take longer and more work with Luna than it has with Zorro. And Luna has her won ideas about what we should be doing - she isn't the type of dog that will "lie down" on command if she thinks she should be moving the stock. Zorro is obedient enough so that I have time to "catch up" to his sheep smarts, but Luna will not give me that - she will do things HER way. So I have to learn faster and figure out how to reward her with sheep or remove them from her when she does something wrong. She will take every opportunity to get what she wants, to heck with me. I predict a few shredded tails, and lower legs before I am quick enough to compensate...
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