Guest Dogs Meet the Sheep

This dog is showing one of the typical reactions of a herding dog when it is introduced to sheep. You can read about other typical reactions in a discussion of instinct testing of German Shepherds.

It is showing an approach to the stock that is common in the tending breeds. Whereas a wide-casting dog will instinctively go round and round the group of sheep when it first encounters them, this dog is showing a tendency to patrol alongside the sheep, a definite sign of its family heritage as a tending dog.

At this point, the dog's owner can take the dog to different levels of capability, possibly to HGH!

A realistic option : with a knowledgeable trainer, the owner could "square him up" on the flock, by training this dog to turn back and watch the head of the lead sheep, by working alongside the group of sheep, not only from behind the flock, -- and thereby actually train the dog to control the movement of the sheep, not just press the sheep into movement. Then the owner has a dog that can take sheep along traffic roads, keep them out of nearby crops, and with a great degree of independent work, actually do most of the work without command from the herdsman. That is the working style of the tending dog from Germany -- the generic German Shepherd Dog.

No prescriptions for this particular dog -- the owner calls the option. Congratulations to our Guest Dog owner.

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