Holding

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Holding

Postby Pam Wolf on Mon Dec 10, 2012 12:58 am

Ok, I'm wokring with someone who has a dog that won't hold pressure, just simply avoids it. The dog can be put around the sheep(doesn't really have a feel for them and is a bit loose eyed), drives, we are working on better flanks, but this dog simply won't hold a group against pressure, they split around him. He can be commanded if there is enough time/space, but the owner isn't a great handler, any suggestions for getting a dog to hold pressure on the head? He will push from behind and likes to catch the eye of the sheep but doesn't seem to want to go clean to the head.
Pam Wolf
 
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Re: Holding

Postby dannyboy on Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:39 am

With dogs like this I like to go back to holding on a fence with lambs, and gradually move it out to bigger areas. I also find it very important to not be in the dog's head- that is correcting him/her when they are trying to cover a split off. Many times these dogs are uncomfortable with handler pressure too, and that serves to exacerbate the issue. The thing is to get him to enjoy holding/controlling them, and make it very easy to do so, and then ask a bit more in the fields.
dannyboy
 
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Re: Holding

Postby Pam Wolf on Tue Dec 11, 2012 2:11 pm

He can't/won't hold off a feeder unless their butts are to him, no confidence on the heads whatsoever. he has a very poor sense of gathering/grouping. Driving is not a problem, holding on the heads against pressure is. i've done some fenceline shedding and it is helping. And started working him on the ducks (he couldn't/wouldn't hold them on the heads at first!

Balance is poor but improving with lots of walkabout. I have to be vigilant or he simply walks up to me instead of working the sheep

no big problems in corners, but has to be commanded or will just by pass the stock in a corner-he really avoids pressure.

problem with shedding is he really doesn't try to hold if sheep split around him or simply doesn't go clean to prevent them from going past him, but it is improving, just very frustrating :roll:


He's tense all the time, but MUCH better than he was in that regard, has a lot of pressure issues, but if commanded will get nicely into corners etc, thing is I'm trying to wean him off commanding all the time. He just slides off the pressure from the stock (yes, even ducks) unless given a command. Thanks for the suggestions willing to try anything
Pam Wolf
 
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Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2012 10:10 pm


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