User Panel
User Panel
User Panel
|
Posted: 9/12/2014 1:50:51 PM EDT
[#1]
How many sheep and goats do you have? Do they have regular interactions with humans? Realize that the Border Collie was designed to handle flighty sheep who didn't have much contact with humans (put out into terrain too steep to farm for weeks on end) and liked to clump up together. Sheep keepers there needed a dog that could bring in sheep while taking commands from a long distance. If you are not practicing this, other herders might be a be a better fit. Your own citing of the ACD being a poor fit is the kind of thing I am talking about. They were created to handle unruly cattle, where nipping is often necessary.
read this In the USA we have herding breeds that haven't herded anything for 20+ generations, and then we have the Border Collie, Australian Shepherd, and Australian Cattle Dog...and that's where people think their choices end. In reality there are the distinctly American "English Shepherd" and the "Old Time Farm Shepherd" also known as the Old Scotch Collie. There is also a myriad of non-british European herding dogs many of which don't have AKC recognition. I have a soft spot for the Old Scotch Collie, and that would be my recommendation |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/12/2014 1:56:06 PM EDT
[#2]
Neighbor had a border collie, every time he had a party the dog tried to herd the guests.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/12/2014 10:35:36 PM EDT
[#3]
I only have 15 goats and 5 sheep. The goats come easily to a feed can rattle, but the sheep are wild and I can't put my hands on them. My needs are a dog that can help me gather the animals and push them in the pen. The ability to single out a sheep at my direction would be awesome as well. A breeder nearby has sent me some videos of his Kelpies and I think I'm gonna visit him this weekend.
Here is one of the breeder's dogs. 
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/12/2014 11:49:08 PM EDT
[#4]
honestly, breed isn't important if you have a local who has the same basic needs as you do, has dogs that fits that need, and is producing dogs.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/13/2014 8:04:10 AM EDT
[#5]
Those links you posted were pretty interesting. Especially the part about "ol shep". Dogs are amazing creatures and their abilities are extremely under-utilized in modern day.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/13/2014 5:12:05 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
honestly, breed isn't important if you have a local who has the same basic needs as you do, has dogs that fits that need, and is producing dogs. I'd absolutely agree with this. If you have someone local that is breeding dogs that do exactly what you need them to do, you are golden. It might be different if you were purchasing a puppy sight unseen from a breeder across the country, but why do that if you have a local option? |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/13/2014 8:38:18 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I only have 15 goats and 5 sheep. The goats come easily to a feed can rattle, but the sheep are wild and I can't put my hands on them. My needs are a dog that can help me gather the animals and push them in the pen. The ability to single out a sheep at my direction would be awesome as well. A breeder nearby has sent me some videos of his Kelpies and I think I'm gonna visit him this weekend. Here is one of the breeder's dogs.  http://youtu.be/oaek-XcprzQAwesome dog. And did you catch the LGD in the flock as well? Horses for courses! |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/13/2014 10:37:39 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Awesome dog. And did you catch the LGD in the flock as well? Horses for courses! Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I only have 15 goats and 5 sheep. The goats come easily to a feed can rattle, but the sheep are wild and I can't put my hands on them. My needs are a dog that can help me gather the animals and push them in the pen. The ability to single out a sheep at my direction would be awesome as well. A breeder nearby has sent me some videos of his Kelpies and I think I'm gonna visit him this weekend. Here is one of the breeder's dogs. http://youtu.be/oaek-XcprzQAwesome dog. And did you catch the LGD in the flock as well? Horses for courses! I actually didn't even see it, until my wife pointed it out. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/27/2014 2:01:03 PM EDT
[#9]
My family had a Border Collie when I was little, she would herd my brother and I into corners fairly often.
She was also amazingly intelligent. We had her trained to be off-leash and could direct her to run around an open field by yelling her name and pointing the direction we wanted her to run. We never had sheep or goats but I'm sure she would've handled them well if we did. I miss her.  
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/27/2014 3:43:41 PM EDT
[#10]
I've heard stories like that my whole life. Working dogs just want a job, if keeping an eye on the kids is all that's available, they'll do it, lol.
I'm trying to trade the breeder/trainer an AR for the puppy. Hopefully he will agree to the swap. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/27/2014 6:09:44 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I've heard stories like that my whole life. Working dogs just want a job, if keeping an eye on the kids is all that's available, they'll do it, lol. I'm trying to trade the breeder/trainer an AR for the puppy. Hopefully he will agree to the swap. The lodge I go to in SD used to have border collie as their primary bird dog. very good dog to shoot over, did a good job on point and or flushing. Damn thing could run all day and not get tired. |
|
|
Win a FREE Membership!
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.
