The first is of the sheep that I am currently using for training:
My sheep have names, so here goes:
Left back (rear end view) is Jasmine (10 months old), front closest is my 8 month old white dorper ram lamb (bottle reared), black lamb is Gabby, also 10 months old, and the other ewe is twin sister to Jasmine, known as Kimberley. Only Sheldon knows his name, the others are named purely for my own purpose.
These guys are all around the same size, and behave in a similar fashion, although Gabby is showing signs of wanting to do her own thing!
This is the square pen in the barn that I use for all sheep handling, and for training on wet days. The white sections are actually old chaff bags that I've stapled in place to cut the wind down. The floor is packed earth, sand and then hay. Approximately 5m x 5m it is big enough to work a small number of sheep in (no more than 5 or 6) but not too big that they can get too far away.
Outdoor training pen. Made up of:
10 star pickets,
5 mesh panels (6m x 1.1m)
A small mesh panel gate.
It is approximately 40ft across and is basically round.
The white tap is a visual aid for sheep, dog and handler
The gate is covered in wind mesh (see photo further down) to stop sheep from crashing into it
This photo just shows the actual wind mesh that we use. It runs down the open panel side of the barn pen. It does three things:
1. Stops the wind from howling through, especially good for lambs and lambing ewes,
2. Stops sheep from getting their feet caught in the mesh squares,
3. Makes the fence appear solid to the sheep, reducing the risk of them wanting to try and go through it.
The garden rake is the thing I was told to use as a training tool for my dog. Although it is great for blocking the dog, I found it too heavy, and uwieldy to use. Also, if you don't keep the flat side of the rake towards the dog, it is possible that they will hurt themselves if they crash into it. Although a good idea for some, it's not for me.
This is a training stick purchased from a saddlery store. I used it originally when breaking in horses (when getting them used to having their hind legs handled without putting myself in kicking range) and found it to be lightweight, easy to hold and with a good grip on it. The leather flapper at the end is perfect for threading a plastic bag through for effect. I now use this when training Jock. He is not afraid of it as I have never hit him with it, but he does know that if I swish it at him, he should pay attention. It's also handy for waving in front of the sheep to stop them (especially if it looks like they are going to run over me, again!).
No matter what training aid you use, if you use one, it should be a 'training aid' and not a form of punishment. Never use it to hit your dog or your sheep.
So, these are the things that help me with training my Jock. So far, they've done me well, and I will continue to use them (other than the garden rake, that is).
Within the next week, I will be removing the bag from the end of the training stick, as there has to come a time when I only use voice/whistle commands only to have Jock work for me. But that's in the future, and after I've watched Andy and Gill's DVD a few more times.
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