No news on the stockdog front, really, but my roommate moved out and the backyard is a lot more clear to use as actual training stuff. I tried making an actual pen, but the chickens were surprised to run into the expen barrier I set up and flew up instead of moving off it. Oh well, just got to teach them it’s there. Definitely learning a lot of stock management with just the chickens.
So I let Fury out while I was putting laundry out to dry just to mess with the chickens and decided to let Rippa do it.
The game is just letting her move them around the yard and me saying “yes” when she balances herself and “no” when she gets too excited. It was pretty fun.
I know I did this kind of stuff with sheep when I was taking lessons but it feels different when it’s your dog and your stock and no one is going to get hurt, even when a certain dog tackles a chicken who then goes into submission, because I know that causes certain dog to back off.
Rips got them stuck up on that table, though – and for some reason it never occurred to her to jump up on the table to get them off. Oh well.
I have a chicken question. I tried herding my mom's chickens with my border collie and while she does great, tons of self control, the chickens don't stay together. It's a group of 8, and she can move them a bit but then they scatter in groups of two or three. Do your chickens keep together?
ReplyDeleteI guess I should add that they don't scatter in panic. It's all very calm, she's driving them for a few steps and then they simply split up. I'm trying to figure out if it's a chicken thing, not keeping in a flock.
ReplyDeleteuf, since Kristin hasn't answered you yet, I'll take a stab at it. Two things could be going on. First, it is in part a "chicken thing." They don't group us as nicely as ducks. Second, even though your dog is calm, it could be putting to much pressure on the chickens which could cause them to split up. Even if your dog is walking but is pressuring the chickens they might split.
ReplyDeleteExactly the kind of answer I was looking for! Thanks a lot :)
ReplyDeleteSo, to ease the pressure, I should make her back off of them a bit?
Yes. I would try that. Animals can read a lot from each other that we mere humans miss : ) Your dog can learn to control the chickens, and keep them grouped, from a distance. That's not an easy thing to teach, especially if your dog is "hot to work." I struggle with that with my own dog.
ReplyDeleteYou could also put her on a line (long leash) maybe 15 feet and help show her she can control the chickens from a distance. But, you also have to be careful using a line if your dog is "hot to work." A line can create a whole different set of issues if it's not the right tool for the dog.