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Subject: Market Farming
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- 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 |
-
Re: border collie pups as herd protectors,
Elizabeth Pike, 01/31/2000
- <Possible follow-up(s)>
- Re: border collie pups as herd protectors, Sojourner, 01/31/2000
- Re: border collie pups as herd protectors, Shelley Pasco, 01/31/2000
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