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SHEEP-fed-barely-sprouting-fodders, page : 66
Puppy inoculations:
Puppies should have been treated for hookworm and round worms when they were 3 weeks old. They should have received their first inoculations for several highly contagious diseases including canine distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis, coronavirus, hepatitis and a variety of respiratory diseases. The inoculation given for these diseases before the puppy leaves the breeder is just the first in a series of inoculations that need to be given at 3 – 4 week intervals until the puppy is 17 weeks old and full immunity is reached. Once the puppy has reached 16 weeks, have it inoculated for rabies.
Puppy training:
To start, a puppy should be taught how basic behavior, that is to come when it is called, walk on a leash, and lie down on command. Most well-bred herding dogs begin to show interest to work sheep as early as 8 weeks to 12 months, but it is important not to leave the puppy unsupervised with the sheep. The puppy could hurt the sheep or vice versa if left unsupervised.
The ideal age to start formal training is between 10 and 12 months, this is because the first instinct they show is to get ahead of the flock and turn back the escaping sheep, before this time it is difficult for a puppy to run fast enough to catch the sheep! Dogs that begin training before they can outrun sheep, will quickly learn to chase them - you do not want that – rather than try to turn them back to the shepherd.
Once training is underway and it begins to work the sheep, one of the first things is that he should be encouraged to keep them in a group. The sheep need to learn to respect the dog and move away from it. Once the dog has learned to hold the group together, then it is possible to begin to back away from the sheep with the dog on the opposite side of the sheep. Then, the dog should be encouraged to walk up to the sheep and move them toward the handler – this technique is called "fetching" or "wearing".
The young dog, should quietly and not to fast learn move the sheep with a purpose. The dog should be taught to stop and walk up on command.
It is important not to expect too much from your young dog at the beginning of training. Give him time to gain confidence in his ability before expecting him to move difficult sheep. Patience is the keyword and will more than pay for itself in the end and you will have a dog that can walk up to any sheep and be confident that the sheep will move away.
If your herding dog has been bred from good stock, it should be able to learn lessons quickly, and by the time it is 12 or 13 months it should already be a useful helper – but remember he is still
Puppies should have been treated for hookworm and round worms when they were 3 weeks old. They should have received their first inoculations for several highly contagious diseases including canine distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis, coronavirus, hepatitis and a variety of respiratory diseases. The inoculation given for these diseases before the puppy leaves the breeder is just the first in a series of inoculations that need to be given at 3 – 4 week intervals until the puppy is 17 weeks old and full immunity is reached. Once the puppy has reached 16 weeks, have it inoculated for rabies.
Puppy training:
To start, a puppy should be taught how basic behavior, that is to come when it is called, walk on a leash, and lie down on command. Most well-bred herding dogs begin to show interest to work sheep as early as 8 weeks to 12 months, but it is important not to leave the puppy unsupervised with the sheep. The puppy could hurt the sheep or vice versa if left unsupervised.
The ideal age to start formal training is between 10 and 12 months, this is because the first instinct they show is to get ahead of the flock and turn back the escaping sheep, before this time it is difficult for a puppy to run fast enough to catch the sheep! Dogs that begin training before they can outrun sheep, will quickly learn to chase them - you do not want that – rather than try to turn them back to the shepherd.
Once training is underway and it begins to work the sheep, one of the first things is that he should be encouraged to keep them in a group. The sheep need to learn to respect the dog and move away from it. Once the dog has learned to hold the group together, then it is possible to begin to back away from the sheep with the dog on the opposite side of the sheep. Then, the dog should be encouraged to walk up to the sheep and move them toward the handler – this technique is called "fetching" or "wearing".
The young dog, should quietly and not to fast learn move the sheep with a purpose. The dog should be taught to stop and walk up on command.
It is important not to expect too much from your young dog at the beginning of training. Give him time to gain confidence in his ability before expecting him to move difficult sheep. Patience is the keyword and will more than pay for itself in the end and you will have a dog that can walk up to any sheep and be confident that the sheep will move away.
If your herding dog has been bred from good stock, it should be able to learn lessons quickly, and by the time it is 12 or 13 months it should already be a useful helper – but remember he is still