Working Dogs on the Farm: Happy to Help

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If the dog insists upon wandering away from the sheep towards the house and children, keep it in a small escape-proof enclosure during the night and attempt to return the dog with the flock the next day. Once the dog has a strong bond with the flock, it may include peripheral areas in its scouting patrols, but on the whole, it will routinely remain with the sheep.

TRAINING

The guardian behavior of these dogs is largely instinctive, and influences on the pup only encourage the natural instincts to mature into effective work behavior. If a pup plays too much or is too aggressive, you must take corrective measures before this play behavior progresses towards rougher behavior. Like children, pups learn easily and quickly at an early age. Shake the pup briefly by the scruff of the neck and use the command "NO." This is an effective reprimand. A pup that is excessively playful towards lambs can be cured by the introduction of larger lambs, or yearlings, that will not tolerate the pup's playful behavior.

A brief period of isolation, where the pup is separated from the sheep but can still see them, will reinforce efforts to teach the pup appropriate behavior. Owners should also use the command "NO" when the dog behaves inappropriately — chasing sheep or jumping on people. Your guard dog must come on command. If you expect the dog to consistently respond to the command, be sure that the dog has a pleasant experience when it arrives.

The dog should be trained to walk on a leash, since at times it is necessary to lead the dog or tie it temporarily. The basic nature of the guard dog is independence, so additional training may he excessive. Eventually, the guard dog will work without human supervision.

When the dog reaches a certain level of maturity, it will begin to display protective and territorial behaviors towards predators, that threaten the flock. There is no standard age at which a guard dog matures. Several signs indicate that a dog is ready to assume the guarding role: male dogs, and often females, use raised leg urination rather than the squatting position; scent marking (urination and defecation) becomes more concentrated at the periphery of the pasture; barking at novel stimuli becomes more predictable and direction oriented; dogs are active more frequently and for longer periods of time; patrolling activities increase in frequency and duration; dogs become more interested in sheep than humans. These behavioral characteristics can be useful to gauge maturity, but the guard dog must be large enough to defend itself if confronted by indigenous predators.

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