Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: border collie pups as herd protectors

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Elizabeth Pike" <pike AT always-online.com>
  • To: "market farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: border collie pups as herd protectors
  • Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2000 06:38:10 -0500

Shelley: "You may already know that the herding instinct is a human modification of the prey drive. Basically what happens is in herding is that we train the herd-dog to "fetch" the flock, or "prey" to ourselves, the alpha "dog". In dog culture the alpha dog does the killing and assigns roles to the lesser dogs. We stop it at the point where we pen the flock. "
 
Yes, I knew this, that's why I suspected the advice we received.  I know puppies play rough enough to kill chicks, even unintentionally.  That's why I wanted to check it out further for myself before blythely putting one in with chicks.  We've had a couple of other dogs that just "loved" chicks to death-literally.  My gut instinct is that those salivation glands still work when easy-to-catch livestock is around & alpha dog isn't!  (He goes in the woods beside our house & herds home the one remaining chicken we have-I find him with his big ole paws draped over her back, trying to get her to play.  And she has squatted, thinking he's a big ole, ugly looking rooster-she doesn't know any better!)  He's not been a barker, which disappoints me, since I must train a dog to do all sorts of tricks to entertain company-animals must earn their keep, right?!  Teaching him to speak has been impossible until I discovered he prefers "singing" with the Dixie Chicks!  We'll go riding in my truck & he sings away.
 
When did you start your dog's formal training?  I've been advised, by border collie/herding dog professional, not to start until he's  a year old, and in the meantime-do not ever let him mouth the "herd" (us or whatever animals we may have around.)
 
Liz
Morningstar Gardens
Pollocksville, NC




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page