It's all about the training!
Re: It's all about the training!
My one has no interest whatsoever in sheep's or cows or horses or any livestock at all and never has ....and yet I dont recall ever training it into her, maybe a couple of leave that just for the hell of it but she has never ever shown any interest and certainly has never taken a step towards any livestock 
Muddling along in the hope that one day it starts to make sense.
Re: It's all about the training!
Thank you to both CC and ips. It is very helpful and reassuring to have these replies.
I take the point that it would be better not to make too much fuss, in case it just stirs up her interest. That would be a daft mistake. She has seen sheep through fences before, but this was the first time she was close enough to have them move away from us.
Round here the sheep are mostly in fields at present, so no real need to be close. It's different later in the year, especially in the Lake District, where I go sometimes, and there will be lambs soon. I will just keep her on a lead, even on the fells, until I am confident or I find suitable sheep free places.
I watched a shoot for a while last week. They just happened to arrive in the woods, while we were passing by. Pup (on a lead fortunately) was interested in the dogs milling about, but not at all bothered by the gun fire. She has heard guns quite often, although never so close before.
I take the point that it would be better not to make too much fuss, in case it just stirs up her interest. That would be a daft mistake. She has seen sheep through fences before, but this was the first time she was close enough to have them move away from us.
Round here the sheep are mostly in fields at present, so no real need to be close. It's different later in the year, especially in the Lake District, where I go sometimes, and there will be lambs soon. I will just keep her on a lead, even on the fells, until I am confident or I find suitable sheep free places.
I watched a shoot for a while last week. They just happened to arrive in the woods, while we were passing by. Pup (on a lead fortunately) was interested in the dogs milling about, but not at all bothered by the gun fire. She has heard guns quite often, although never so close before.
Re: It's all about the training!
Kibble
Out of interest do you live in the lakes ?
Out of interest do you live in the lakes ?
Muddling along in the hope that one day it starts to make sense.
Re: It's all about the training!
It's just that when I visit the Lakes I would like to walk up the fells, but she will need to be properly trained first. I can't rely on being able to use a lead.
Re: It's all about the training!
Now is not the best time of year as most ewes will be heavily pregnant but at some point you need to know how interested in sheep she really is, and the younger you know that the easier it is to deal with. As mentioned in my other post I would expect any dog to be at least mildly interested in something it hadn't come across before but there is a big difference between mildly interested and sheep chaser. My young dog was fascinated the first time he met cattle at 4 months old but a couple of weeks ago at 15 months old he got the wrong side of a fence and found himself in the middle of a herd of welsh blacks, he wasn't interested in them at all by that point as he had seem them many times and was just working out how to get back to me.
To give you an idea of what I am trying to say I was approached by a chap who told me he would not let his young springer off the lead until he knew he had a good recall. My simply reply was "How will you ever know what the recall is like until you let the dog off the lead?" I didn't add but equally as important is the difference between good recall where there are no distractions and good recall where there are and finding out there is a problem when a dog is bigger, fitter, faster and more determined makes life a whole lot harder. .
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PRH
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Re: It's all about the training!
Spot on Nick. It is an interesting topic which I think boils down to confidence. Does the owner have the confidence to let the dog off the lead where there are or might be distractions? I've found a few people who come for lessons really need encouraging to trust the dog and guidance on what to do when it doesn't quite go to plan. I've got sheep here and a field with a few wethers in which are ideal for exposure.
Re: It's all about the training!
My youngsters spend hardly any time on a lead, really only when near dangerous things like roads or when young and I don't want them hunting. It is about confidence but why people think a young pup would leave the person who feeds it and takes care of it to go into the great beyond of uncertainty I have never really understood. I always tell them that the pup is far more worried about losing them than they are of losing the pup.
I manage a large block of woodland and in the middle is a house used for outward bound type things by various youth groups, some of which have been a bit naughty!! I once asked the person who runs it, if they ever have kids run off because they are bored and cannot get a phone signal etc. He laughed and told me that the children they get are terrified of the woods, particularly after dark and wouldn't risk it.
I manage a large block of woodland and in the middle is a house used for outward bound type things by various youth groups, some of which have been a bit naughty!! I once asked the person who runs it, if they ever have kids run off because they are bored and cannot get a phone signal etc. He laughed and told me that the children they get are terrified of the woods, particularly after dark and wouldn't risk it.
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Stacia
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Re: It's all about the training!
I had a GSP puppy and the litter met up at a gundog class, pups not taking part, we let them off before the lessons and they all b.......rd off into the far distance! She was the only puppy I had out of 8 over the years who was more interested in exploring than wondering where I was. Once with the others I climbed a tree, that foxed them1. I loved the way they look frantically for you when you hide but when you appear they indicate they were not the least worried 
Re: It's all about the training!
Thanks for the advice. My puppy's recall is good so I decided to trust her a bit more.
As the wind had dropped today, at last, I took my puppy up the track that leads out onto the moors. The track goes past a gate that leads to a field of sheep. She had a look, but didn't venture under the gate and came right away when I 'confidently' called her on.
I saw a few sheep far up the track, but they had shifted well before we came close and there were no sheep once we were out into the heather. The sight of a spaniel bouncing over heather is such a delight.
On the way back she was too busy paddling in the puddles to even glance at the sheep field. Hopefully she will remember the delights of the heather moor and the 'sheep are boring' lesson has begun.
As the wind had dropped today, at last, I took my puppy up the track that leads out onto the moors. The track goes past a gate that leads to a field of sheep. She had a look, but didn't venture under the gate and came right away when I 'confidently' called her on.
I saw a few sheep far up the track, but they had shifted well before we came close and there were no sheep once we were out into the heather. The sight of a spaniel bouncing over heather is such a delight.
On the way back she was too busy paddling in the puddles to even glance at the sheep field. Hopefully she will remember the delights of the heather moor and the 'sheep are boring' lesson has begun.
Re: It's all about the training!
Sounds like she is not very interested in sheep, you looked at them as well but had no intention of chasing them!! The most problematic moments with a young dog is if they come across a sheep unexpectedly and it bolts almost encouraging a chase response from the dog. I once had this with an old ewe, who had been left behind when they gathered them off the hill, lying up in some gorse, I assumed my dog was hunting a rabbit and encouraged it on at first as it wasn't the most enthusiastic hunter. It took a lot of work to convince her that sheep were not on the quarry list but that was largely of my making and almost every other dog has shown almost no interest in them once they realise I am not.
The most problematic moments with a young dog is if they come across a sheep unexpectedly and it bolts almost encouraging a chase response from the dog. I once had this with an old ewe, who had been left behind when they gathered them off the hill, lying up in some gorse, I assumed my dog was hunting a rabbit and encouraged it on at first as it wasn't the most enthusiastic hunter. It took a lot of work to convince her that sheep were not on the quarry list but that was largely of my making and almost every other dog has shown almost no interest in them once they realise I am not.