Train a dog to work

[Fleckvieh DPB]

i know ther are more cattlemen out there that know more bout the dog part than i do so i ask:

we have a goldenretrieverXbovier
Bovier i think thats how to spell it

any way
the dog is quite shy but has come a long way since we got her.
if we chase cattle we usualy call her if she is around.
at first she didnt know what she was doing so she probebly got confused when everyone tried to tell her what to do.
after that i took the lead and did the talking to the dog.

so ya im just wondering how to train her to do a good job of chasing cattle.


Its in her just needs practice i guess
where will she stand from me?

and also how could i get her to stay in the gate to keep the cattle in when when feeding etc

any help would be appriciated
thanx
al

 

[Campground Cattle]

Replace with Bordie Collie or ACD.

 

[Chuckie]

Agreeing with Campground Cattle, the livestock/herding dogs just come to it naturally, but do need training. I purchased a paper back book that is as easy to read and understand what it takes to get one started. A child old enough to read could train a dog by using it. The name of the book is "Training And Working Dogs For Quiet Confident Control of Stock." It is by Scott Lithgow. You can get it from Amazon books. I have a Blue Heeler female that I started out using this book. These dogs are so smart. She learned to sit instantly when she came to me just by hand signals. But I noticed that she wasn't doing as well with teaching her to go counter-clockwise or clockwise. I then begin to notice that she would sleep close to a running tractor, and wouldn't wake up. A friend came over while she was asleep by the door and knocked really hard... she never woke up. I now know that she is totally deaf. She cannot hear a shrill whistle! Grrrrrrrr! When they are small, it is hard to detect when they meet new people. The rest of what I want to write should go in another forum. In the book, he talks about dogs crossed with a herding dog can turn out to be a really good dog for cattle. I would love to train her all the way by using this book, but since she can't hear me...... (I drove 500 miles one way to get this dog. The lady I bought her from kept talking about how deaf heelers can learn by sign language. I found it odd that she kept talking about it!! Now I know the rest of the story!!) If I get another heeler, I will make sure it can hear, and then I will put the book to use.

 

[jt]

has anyone out there used the video The perfect stock dog by ben means?

if so, how good is it?

thanks

jt

 

[Hawk]

We don't use cow dogs anymore, but back when we did, our training consisted mainly of letting the new dog work with an experienced, older dog or two. It was really amazing how quickly a young dog would get the hang of penning cows just by following the example of a good "mentor" dog. We would still have to train him on some of the finer points, but he would get the basics from seeing how the other dogs did it. I know that the pure bred herding dogs can make great cow dogs, but our best dogs were usually mixed breeds. You just never knew how a particular dog was going to act until you put him face to face with cattle. A blue ribbon pedigree doesn't guarantee courage, disposition and cattle sense. Good luck to you, aren't dogs great!

 

[Jake]

we don't even have dogs on the place. The biggest problem with dogs is that if they are getting chased they always want to come hide behind you.... which isn't any fun

 

[MR3]

we don't even have dogs on the place. The biggest problem with dogs is that if they are getting chased they always want to come hide behind you.... which isn't any fun

Not trying to be funny here, but that can also be a bad thing in Grizzly bear country.

Rod

 

[Fleckvieh DPB]

thanx for the replys

bovier is a cattle dog and you can tell she has the blood in her.

after a couple of routien chases (same place to same place) she gets the hang of it

al