# Teach my dog not to herd?



## kcscott85 (May 3, 2009)

I know he's a ShepHERD and it's instinct to herd, but what's the best way to break it? He's 6 months old and chases our 4 year old lab around while she's trying to fetch her frisbees and nips at her heels and she HATES it!!


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Give him a ball or something he values to carry in his mouth...I have to do this with Onyx. She still will herd, but won't nip because of her ball or frisbee in her mouth. She knows she needs to have something in her mouth, and I remind her often!


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

Only one dog gets to fetch at a time in my household.


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## kcscott85 (May 3, 2009)

Well he doesn't want to fetch. Our lab (Sadie) is obsessive over frisbees...as soon as she's outside she grabs her frisbee and won't let go unless you're going to throw it for her. Sometimes Kaiser will grab a different frisbee or ball and walk around with it in his mouth but if you throw it for him, he just stands there and looks at it, then he goes back to chasing Sadie!


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## Northof60 (Feb 15, 2009)

I would like to know more about this too. Our Shepherd nips the heels of other dogs constantly. I talked a behaviourist and she said that Kiah has extremely strong herding instincts and one way to deal with it might be to get help from somebody that actually trains dogs to herd cattle. She felt that they teach the dog not to actually nip the legs. So if anybody here has a working Shepherd that has been trained not to nip, HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She also watched a video of Kiah playing with another Shepherd and said that they were doing really well together. It was normal Shepherd behaviour and they were not over the top at all. HOWEVER, other dogs might not react to this type of play in the same way another Shepherd would. And I have seen this first hand as we have a lab X over to play sometimes and Kiah often seems to scare him.

So again, if anybody here teaches Shepherds correct herding, I think there are at least two of us that could do with some help.


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

OK further tips and suggestions --

Take dogs out on a leash. Do obedience with each dog first (after toilet break). Then leash your GSD & play fetch with Sadie, then tether Sadie with her lead & play fetch with the GSD. If he doesn't fetch then go ahead and put it & him up if you want to play more with Sadie.

In my experience, a GSD is less likely to develop a fondness for a frisbee that is always there. Put up the frisbees when they are not "in use." You also want to have soft frisbees because the hard ones shatter.

Like most "dog thought" it sounds real simple once you get it figured out. It's the easy stuff that seems to elude me for a while.


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## kcscott85 (May 3, 2009)

Alright, I'm going to try the whole fetch at one time thing...Kaiser's just not really motivated by food or toys. But maybe with Sadie out of the picture, he'll give it a try. Sadie on the other hand, will do anything for a frisbee- she's the most obedient dog I've seen, on AND off leash. She can hold a down stay for more than 5 minutes (I'm sure longer, but I haven't tortured her with that yet), for the $0.99 toy! With the herding thing though, he doesn't just do it when she's trying to fetch- that's just when she gets most annoyed by it because fetching is a serious business for her. He does it all the time to her. She's getting really annoyed with him...


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

Sadie WILL, you understand, explain that at some point. She will explain it very effectively. He will then back off.


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## kcscott85 (May 3, 2009)

Haha! I'm waiting for that to happen...so far it's been a few growls- she's gonna blow her lid!


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## TxRider (Apr 15, 2009)

> Quote:I would like to know more about this too. Our Shepherd nips the heels of other dogs constantly. I talked a behaviourist and she said that Kiah has extremely strong herding instincts and one way to deal with it might be to get help from somebody that actually trains dogs to herd cattle. She felt that they teach the dog not to actually nip the legs. So if anybody here has a working Shepherd that has been trained not to nip, HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> She also watched a video of Kiah playing with another Shepherd and said that they were doing really well together. It was normal Shepherd behaviour and they were not over the top at all. HOWEVER, other dogs might not react to this type of play in the same way another Shepherd would. And I have seen this first hand as we have a lab X over to play sometimes and Kiah often seems to scare him.
> 
> ...


I've got the same issue.

I'm seriously thinking about taking her out to one of the local farms that do herding training and just learning to train her to herd right, and respond to me while doing so.

I'm hoping it'll also help provide a release for prey drive and help with control when she sees a cat or squirrel or such as well.


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## Northof60 (Feb 15, 2009)

I got some information from people who train dogs to herd sheep. They all said they can be trained to not herd and nip but it takes time. Having something in their mouths helps with the nupping but my dog will not carry anything around. So I had to do other things. Most information said to have the herder on a long rope and as soon as they start to herd or nip, stomp on the rope to stop them and say Away or something. That needs practice in the yard first. I have also had Kiah out with older Shepherds who know when to quit and they teach her too. We spend a couple of hours per day getting Kiah to retrieve which helps for the most part. She has a job...not herding but retreiving.


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## TxRider (Apr 15, 2009)

I've got the same problem.

I take Hope tot he dog park and she always wants to choose one dog to be her "sheep" and herd it all over the place whenever it moves.

She doesn't usually nip though, just comes close. But it's her favorite way to play.

On a good day she'll meet a dog that loves to run and be chased and it's great, other days she picks a dog that gets annoyed by it and doesn't seem to know her intent.

I'm thinking I'll just go to a sheep farm that trains and learn to train her in herding, I've never done it and it sounds interesting. Maybe then I can at least tell her which dog to herd and where to herd it, or get control over it somewhat, best case get her to stop when I tell her to.


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