Sheep chaser

[Rachel]

Hi, I am rather lucky that my dogs wont chase sheep, due to the fact they have actually lived with pet lambs and older sheep. However a friend of mine when they go walking in the hills cant let her dogs off the lead ever because her Weims try to chase and kill sheep.
She has asked me some advice on how to stop a dog chasing sheep.

I can only say that anyone who has a puppy must take their dog into a field with sheep early on and let them off the lead because a puppy wont chase sheep that young, and getting them used to sheep early on is a very wise idea.

Any ideas that could help my friend would be appreciated?

Rachel

[tasha]

if its already killed a sheep then its unlikely to stop

[weima]

Ask a nice farmer if she can go in a field with sheep especiialy at this time of year.

I put one of my bitches in a pen with a ewe & her young but my bitch couldn't have cared less. Needless to say she was rehomed to someone who has no sheep near them!

I now take mine around sheep on their first walk at 10 weeks old as the sheep is bigger than them so clearly frightening. Works a treat for mine so far.

[marjolein]

Claire's advice is the best option I'd say. Be careful though, a ewe can kill your dog is she wants to. If this doesn't work either, the only option left imho is a e-collar. But never ever use this without the help of a very experienced person.

[weima]

I used an e-collar on the bitch I rehomed & it still didn't have any affect

Agree with Mar that these should only be used under supervision from an experienced person.

[marjolein]

Probably due to the quality of the e-collar.

[Rachel]

I should clarify, she said her dog has not killed a sheep but certainly would if left unattended. It makes walking a dog in the hills a real night mare and she would just love to let her dog off the lead. I will tell her of your suggestions. Do you think a e-collar is worth a try ? As the dog has not actually done anything yet its still at that stage where I think training could sort it out.

Once a dog has killed a sheep are they ever trust worthy again?

Rachel

[daniela]

When I was on holiday a couple of years back, I decided I would take Eden with me for a walk through the fields. We had to get by a cow field to get into the other fields. On our return trip we faced a line up of cows waiting for us at the gate (think River Dance but with menacing cows all mooing!)........my friend and I didn't know what to do, they looked so fierce and were not happy about us going across their field (understandably). I had visions of us being there until the wee hours and that we did, we waited patiently, and then had to tip toe around the edges of the field and then jump the gate at the other end. Never have I felt so threatened. I will never do that again. I can't believe I was so stupid. Eden was on a lead the whole time but you just have to be so careful around livestock.

[lizgundog]

Now you guys should come tracking with us in Australia. We have to track through sheep, cattle and Kangaroos at times. There's an old rule in Australia with dogs and sheep, once a sheep killer always a sheep killer - the dog needs rehousing in the city. it isn't the sheep the dog wants to eat, it's chase and bringing the sheep to the ground, most dogs don't eat the sheep they just go for the throat and kill the sheep then leave it to die. Also you shouldn't be too frightened of cattle, they spook really easily and run around in circles. You yell at cattle, over here we yell 'get hup' or something similar really loudly, and quite often plus do a lot of whistling, that's a method lot of farmers use when yarding cattle. I must admit I have been cornered by cattle when tracking - it does make finding the track a little interesting.
Liz

[weima]

lizgundog said:

There's an old rule in Australia with dogs and sheep, once a sheep killer always a sheep killer - the dog needs rehousing in the city. it isn't the sheep the dog wants to eat, it's chase and bringing the sheep to the ground, most dogs don't eat the sheep they just go for the throat and kill the sheep then leave it to die.

I agree with this. I do beleive that once a dog has killed a sheep, they will do it again. Also, it is the chase the dog goes after. I teach mine not to chase [or try to] by making them steady to neighbours cats!

Having had a friend on the phone only this last week telling me her dog has been shot because he had a sheep cornered, I would advise your friend to sort the situation. It must be a horrible thing to hear your dog being shot.........

I think an e-collar should be used as a last resort. Try to ask a farmer if you can use his sheep pens etc or if you have friends with 'pet' sheep, can they use these?

[Rachel]

Thank you for all your replies. I have spoken to my friend.

Daniella
I dont worry about Cattle, my dogs are usually scared stiff of Cattle. We were walking near Easedale tarn last year and their is a huge field of cows, and the sign BEWARE of the Bull and we had to walk on this small path and the cows suddenly started to come down, with the BULL. I was a bit un nerved, and stood to one side and let them past. The dogs were wide eyed and tried to run away. The bull was huge. Guess who was wearing a red jacket!!! he he. ME. I was more worried that they could stand on my toes than anything else. I think the most annoying animal that followed us on one walk was a pair of goats. The one kept chewing my jacket all the way on the walk. Would not leave me alone, it was cute though, but still annoying, plus a bit smelly ha ha. The dogs did not bother about that either, but then it was a LARGE white goat. However when we went to Devon and their were wild goats the dogs were a bit over curious with those. The horns on them though could of done some real damage if a dog went near, also they were right on the cliff tops. I have some great photos of the goats somewhere.
Has anyone come accross wild pigs in the UK, I keep hearing they have introduced boar into some woodlands in the UK. Does anyone know where abouts they are introduced ? Would it be the New Forest ?

See ya
Rachel

[daniela]

rachel said:

Thank you for all your replies. I have spoken to my friend.

Daniella
I dont worry about Cattle, my dogs are usually scared stiff of Cattle. We were walking near Easedale tarn last year and their is a huge field of cows, and the sign BEWARE of the Bull and we had to walk on this small path and the cows suddenly started to come down, with the BULL. I was a bit un nerved, and stood to one side and let them past. The dogs were wide eyed and tried to run away. The bull was huge. Guess who was wearing a red jacket!!! he he. ME. I was more worried that they could stand on my toes than anything else. I think the most annoying animal that followed us on one walk was a pair of goats. The one kept chewing my jacket all the way on the walk. Would not leave me alone, it was cute though, but still annoying, plus a bit smelly ha ha. The dogs did not bother about that either, but then it was a LARGE white goat. However when we went to Devon and their were wild goats the dogs were a bit over curious with those. The horns on them though could of done some real damage if a dog went near, also they were right on the cliff tops. I have some great photos of the goats somewhere.
Has anyone come accross wild pigs in the UK, I keep hearing they have introduced boar into some woodlands in the UK. Does anyone know where abouts they are introduced ? Would it be the New Forest ?

See ya
Rachel

LOL Rachel, maybe I have a fear of cattle because I am a towny?

As for wild boar, I have seen a few in East Sussex. In fact, one evening one ran out in front of us on the A21. I thought I was seeing things but apparently, there are many there.

[tasha]

there are loads and the little beggers are breeding.. yippee!!! I know its rare but they are original inhabitants and I'm pleased to see them back will mean that we have another option besides deer for stalking.

Daniela if you want some help with your fear of cattle your welcome to come with me to the isle of wight we have british short horns on the ground that are very friendly and good with dogs... plus its baby season and they are just sooooo cute!!

[syrinx]

Dogs sure don't have to kill a sheep by grabbing it. A friend of mine has two Basset Fauves (the only two in Australia, but they are having puppies soon) and the male when he was only young got into the next door paddock and chased their sheep. The lamb panicked and broke it's neck in the corner of the fence. In my experience, once a dog has worked out that those white things are fun to chase and don't attack them, they can't be broken of the habit. The rule here is that if a dog is found on a property with stock, the farmer is entitled to shoot the dog. It doesn't have to even be chasing them. Most people won't do this, but they can.

I did Agriculture and we had a pack of local dogs get into a paddock of ewes and lambs. They killed 53 of them directly, and every orphan died later as well. You cannot imagine what a dog can do to a sheep. We also had cattle there, and most were OK, but we had a big Limmosine cow who wasn't afraid of people at all. She would get into the yard, and turn around and stare you down. I can tell you, when she was there with her calf, I gave her a WIDE berth!!!! She really put the wind up me! We had another that would jump fences. I still remember all of us females gasping to see that udder go over the barbed wire fences!!
Wendy

[daniela]

tasha said:

there are loads and the little beggers are breeding.. yippee!!! I know its rare but they are original inhabitants and I'm pleased to see them back will mean that we have another option besides deer for stalking.

Daniela if you want some help with your fear of cattle your welcome to come with me to the isle of wight we have british short horns on the ground that are very friendly and good with dogs... plus its baby season and they are just sooooo cute!!

Thanks - how about when the festival is on? It's not so much a fear, normally it would not occur to me to be nervous of any animal but when I had no where to go but through their field, they could have done what they liked with me, I was just more worried about their reception to Eden.

[tasha]

oooo are you going??? theres a lot of hoo harr about it at the moment because of the organisers keeping 100 tickets back and selling them on ebay to the highest bidder... naughty man doign his own ticket touting

[daniela]

tasha said:

oooo are you going??? theres a lot of hoo harr about it at the moment because of the organisers keeping 100 tickets back and selling them on ebay to the highest bidder... naughty man doign his own ticket touting

Naaaaaaaaah, I love music and I like gigs and concerts but I am not very good with the masses and I definitely couldn't cope with the lack of privacy and the loos. My friend did V, which was only a couple of days and she took tablets to stop her from going to the toilet! Drastic but I could see her thinking! LOL ;D

[tasha]

blimey fancy not peeing for a couple of days... if you do go I have friends on the island you'd be welcome to use their loo and if I remember rightly they have a spare bed too... bring dog and you can have a go on the shoot, lots of birds about at the moment pairing up

[janetuk]

I would like to add my only 'sheep' story to this.

I took Merlin to Camber sands last winter, the sea was very very rough, and he found a drowned sheep on the beach. He took great interest in getting the smell of it, but made no attempt to bite or paw it. I wonder, now he is 2, if I introduce him to a live one would he be OK? Ofcourse I do live in London, so the only time we encounter any livestock is on our jaunts to the countryside. I sure as heck didnt expect to come across one on the beach.!

[mistymoo]

Cows with calves can be very aggressive, see below

Cows kill woman walking with dog
Independent, The (London), Jun 15, 2005
A woman has been trampled to death by a herd of cows with young calves while walking her dog in a field. Lorraine Richards, 66, of Nuneaton, died within two hours of an ambulance being called to the field near an industrial estate in Atherstone, Warwickshire. Her dog was not injured.