Dutch Shepherd Forum

I am looking into herding lessons for Sadie. She really needs to do something. Lately her herding seems to becoming more pronounced. She circles like crazy now. She has been getting pissy with Thalie, when I let them out, if Thalie is first, Thalie will turn back to get Sadie, If Sadie is first, she will turn back to get Thalie. I do regular OB with her and more when the weather was better. She may just be bored now. With the snow we do some inside stuff but its not as much fun as the outside stuff. I found someone fairly close, I dont know anything about herding trainers so I would be shooting blind. I know enough about trainers and training in general to get a feel for their personality and so on. But as far as how to teach herding, I dont know anything. Thalie may like it to.

Herding is a great idea. I never had a dog not like it.

one thought though......... If she gets better at herding, will she do more of it at home??

I haven't noticed an increase in home herding with Xena, but my friends GSD has started to circle both she and her other dog pretty aggressively. It really freaks out the Airedale.

All in all herding is SO much fun and SO addicting! I hope you have a great time!

I herd (ha) back from the trainer, there is a Herding day at her place in April ill go to. Sadie has really started to circle, I tell her to sit and she does and then waits, but it really annoys the kids. I should teach her to round them up for dinner !

Dutchringgirl wrote:I herd (ha) back from the trainer, there is a Herding day at her place in April ill go to. Sadie has really started to circle, I tell her to sit and she does and then waits, but it really annoys the kids. I should teach her to round them up for dinner !

You know, you can use this to your advantage, especially if she's bored. Search youtube for freestyle elements...there are tons of videos there that will give you a lot of training ideas for inside the house...like having Sadie circle a cane or stick (both directions), then you circling her in the opposite direction while she's circling the cane/stick. A blast to train, and something fun to do inside.

Hope you guys enjoy herding!

It does come in handy when my indoor cat gets out. She rounds him right up and brings him back to the door.

I am working on letting her herd the chickens with me while on a long line. We wait until it is time for them to go back in anyway and then gently push them in to the coop.

April seems SOOO far away!

I think that herding is like anything else - including biting which you know very well. Once you put it on command, you can also turn it off. So lessons might be great fun for her. Also, check out Treiball (sp?). Its herding at home, with a big yoga ball (you know, what all of us have and never put to productive use). REALLY mentally stimulating, and you can put in your 15-30 minutes per day with out driving hours

Another thought, given her physical makeup, could she be getting grouchy with Thalie out of discomfort? I'm just thinking that Thalie may be the easiest vent if she is not feeling OK?

Lisa and I have been looking into this, and it would be a HUGE financial commitment, but for Sadee to live a long and happy life, she probably needs atleast 1 new hip. Sadie is a rescue and an unknown. She is so lucky to have wound up in Lisa's home. Do you think that we could generate a huge fundraising campaign to get this loved girl some new wheels? What are everyone's thoughts?

Are they herding or just circling? Circling is a breed trait of the Malinois. It's even in the breed standard. Since your dogs probably have Mal in their blood lines, it's not unusual. My Malinois will start out our walks walking in circles around me until she gets interested in something and starts tracking it.

If your dogs are herding at home, just redirect, or correct. Of course, herding can be good if the 2 year old baby walks out the front door without you knowing it and the dog follows.

CaroleBoaz wrote:Are they herding or just circling? Circling is a breed trait of the Malinois. It's even in the breed standard. Since your dogs probably have Mal in their blood lines, it's not unusual. My Malinois will start out our walks walking in circles around me until she gets interested in something and starts tracking it.

If your dogs are herding at home, just redirect, or correct. Of course, herding can be good if the 2 year old baby walks out the front door without you knowing it and the dog follows.

Sadie circles. Since I no nothing about herding, even though I have 2 hearding dogs, go figure, I thought that was part of herding. When I go to the back door to let them out, she circles. When we approach the back gate, she circles. Sometimes she just makes a circle and sometimes its around me, the table, the kids, Thalie, or all of that. She could have Mal in her, who knows . Thalie never circles, but when she goes out or down the stairs, she will turn back and nip at who ever is behind her, The Basset Hates it!!.

Sadie could be cranky, Im sure since it has been damp out. The other day after I let them out, they actually had a fight. Thalie was kind of, "ok, I can kick our butt but Im not going to" and she did stand down and Sadie just kept going. I grabbed her and dragged her off. Thalie had a look of "your lucky mom stepped in" Sadie kept looking back and growling. I really couldnt stop laughing.

I still havent looking into anything yet. Maybe some nice 24", chrom wheels for her

Just got my but in gear and I have an appt tomorrow with a surgeon for a consultation. Ill see what is involved and what we are looking at.

Christie M wrote:Lisa and I have been looking into this, and it would be a HUGE financial commitment, but for Sadee to live a long and happy life, she probably needs atleast 1 new hip. Sadie is a rescue and an unknown. She is so lucky to have wound up in Lisa's home. Do you think that we could generate a huge fundraising campaign to get this loved girl some new wheels? What are everyone's thoughts?

Odin said he would help in any way he can. Poor Sadie.....a girl needs her hips to saunter with.......

Dutchringgirl wrote:Just got my but in gear and I have an appt tomorrow with a surgeon for a consultation. Ill see what is involved and what we are looking at.

Ask about the old fashioned surgery that involved cutting of ligaments inside the leg to relieve the pressure on the joint. I've seen it work miracles on lots of dogs in the past. Of course most Vets don't do it anymore---it was MUCH less expensive, and about the only option in its day, but I saw it work on many VERY dysplastic dogs who lived long, pain-free lives. Worth asking if you can't go replacement surgery.

Thanks Chris! I put it in my notes!

Barbara... Sadie saunters pretty well, I hope its not, Wiggle...ouch...wiggle... ouch.

I'm not familiar with a procedure that includes only cutting ligaments vs. bone. There is a different procedure where they go in and remove the femoral head (FHO) and allow the soft tissue to form a false joint. With no knocking bones, the dogs do tend to be very comfortable for long periods of time. But there is a size cut off for effectiveness of this procedure.

Lisa, I am very excited to hear what they say and we can work the fundraising aspect from there!!

Good luck. I also heard that if you do the worst hip only, it is also a big help. And it takes over a lot of the work load of the other hip.

For our Border Collie the vet surgeon recommended denervation where they go into the socket and clean it all out of nerves and bone build up and junk.

k9katet wrote:For our Border Collie the vet surgeon recommended denervation where they go into the socket and clean it all out of nerves and bone build up and junk.

Wow, Ill write that town too.

Thanks for sending the x-ray. I will be interested with what the surgeon has to say. I don't see much play within the joint capsule, so we will have to see what his opinion is. As everyone mentioned, make sure they give you every option. Sometimes vets recommend the best thing for them because it is the best thing for them. Other times, good doctors take the whole thing into consideration......and even then sometimes the best things is still the best thing. You gotta trust your gut! We'll work hard to figure it out.

What do you mean you dont see much play, Not alot of room between the joints? My vet said she was kind of advanced for a young age. Poor miss cranky pants.

Today was warm and in the afternoon she did some sun bathing on the back porch. I bet the sun felt soo good!