Do you go herding?
We haven't tried but the interest is there especially since we have 3 cattle dogs.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Incorgiable on
-
We've considered trying it with our corgis. The youngest, Bella, really shows signs of being a great herder. She herds the other dogs every time we throw the ball. I know the horse people in this area love having corgis around their animals.
-
Permalink Reply by Nancy Geddes on
-
Hi, we are located in Virginia and yes, we have quite a contingent of corgis taking herding instruction - or should I say we have a whole bunch of humans taking herding instruction! While we are working with sheep and, occasionally poultry, we are now walking distances and driving our small flocks. There is actually a lot of good stuff about their original instincts and farm uses in the early British corgi literature. My Bear, Tasha and Linus enjoy the work and, most especially, the swim in Terri's lake afterwards!! With corgi high fives: Bear, Tasha and Linus
P.S. My goal is to AKC pre-trial herding test Bear (aged nine) this fall.
-
Permalink Reply by Beth on
-
I would love to try it and we were going to go to a herding aptitude test, but this past year it was too far from our house (the year before it was only an hour or two away, but Jack was too young).
I have heard that Corgis aren't as good on sheep because they can be a bit rough, and most of the people in this region who herd use Border Collies and sheep. Sheepherders were usually gathering dogs, while Corgis are more of a driving dog.
I was thinking of trying him on either that or tracking, which he also shows an aptitude for.
He definitely seems to have the instinct. When he was a puppy he used to run other dogs in large circles, and jump and nip at their shoulders if they would not turn. He also used to nip heels when he was a pup, but that was easy enough to stop.
-
Permalink Reply by Wendy Hixson on
-
While herding is an instinctive thing the dog still needs training and what not in regards to what you want them to do. My experience is with cattle dogs who can be very mouthy and or rough on sheep and cattle. Hence the big stick of shepherds, often not for the sheep, but the dog.
-
Permalink Reply by Elise Huffman on
-
This is a very late reply, years since you first posted this. Have you continued with herding? We're trying it and have been. Ranger loves it, so we keep going. He's great at certain aspects of it. He's passionate about it, and, because he is a drover and a corgi, tends to be too fast, too close and too "sharp." Just wondered if you continued with herding?
-
-
I do go to herding lessons with my corgi. It's a lot of fun and also frustrating. We sort of stay in the round pen while the border collies excel. It's hard for me, being green, to work with Ranger, who's a corgi. I've got my long stick and I'm always shouting "out! out! out!" I continue to do it, though I don't think we'll ever be able to compete because it is his favorite activity in the whole world.
I have a horse at a boarding facility and Ranger is allowed there, on leash, at the end of the day. So I walk my horse with him often. I take him off leash down by a creek there. My second goal, other than giving my dog an activity he truly loves, in herding, is getting him to have rules around the animals. I want him to be super well behaved at the horse barn.
I'd be interested to hear if anyone is having good results herding sheep with their corgi, whether anyone has a trainer that they love in Central/Northern California, any tips or tricks anyone may have.
Thanks and Happy Holidays, Elise and Ranger
-
Permalink Reply by Ivy on
-
So what I discovered with Ein is to keep moving with the sheep. When we stood still she wanted to pack the sheep around me, so she would keep getting closer. Working lighter sheep and even some lambs was great because she had to use her brain more and stay back to cover. He might be a little bored, so try some long gathers and movement with turns.
It takes some time to get them okay at the barn. I still have Ein on leash about 50 percent of the time. Work on a heel, a super good recall and a good stop. Herding helps with all that! Oh and some treats. The danger is that unlike sheep or even cattle, horses will go after a dog and they are quick. So it is unlikely your dog could hurt a horse, but the dog could get killed or badly hurt so quickly. Walking your dog and horse together helps. My horse Bonnie know "her" dog and puts up with Ein.
-
-
Yup love love love herding. We sheep herd in Washington. Corgis have a different style than border collie, they really like to work close to the animals. The biggest thing is to work on your stop commands. We use a sit, cause Ein hates to lie down! It took about a year, but she is much calmer - we can gather, move sheep and even run obstacles. Find someplace with lessons - so much is the handler knowing where to go and how to direct the dogs instinct. Oh, and invest in a good pair of rain pants. The oils from the sheep coats can get really stinky and you will get up close with them!
-
-
We do have a trainer. He's really good. He's not much of a talker though, so I have to do more learning by watching and I try to formulate good questions. We, unfortunately, only go every other week, rain, husband, work, and distance keep us from doing more. Hopefully this spring, when we can go mid-week and not just Saturday, we'll get a better handle on herding. Did you check out the blog postings about herding on www.rangerthecorgi.com? There are some photos of him doing really well, and some photos of him doing really really badly (that would be the competitive trial we went to.) At the end of the trial a woman came up and gave me a business card for a corgi support group. : )
Rescue Store
Stay Connected
FDA Recall
Canadian Food Inspection Agency Recall
Groups
We support...
Badge
© 2024 Created by Sam Tsang.
Powered by
