[Jacob-list] Border Colllies

[sbennett]

We were just given a border collieXaustralian sheperd in January. She is 
1 1/2 years old and untrained. She has gotten loose twice and both times 
she rounded up the ewes and drove them to the barn. It would have been 
comical, but for the fact that she was running my pregnant ewes (scowl). 
My husband is training her on basic commands now. Later, he wants to 
teach her to work with the sheep. I'm skeptical. I have a routine with my 
ewes, they come into the barn twice a day and I can walk right up to most 
of them, lock them in if I need to, so what do I need a dog for?

Debbie Bennett
Feral Fibre

>Does anyone else out there besides Mary McCracken use a border collie with 
>their Jacob flock?  I saw an interesting documentary once about their use 
>in Scotland, which showed how one dog could take the place of 5 men.  They 
>would obey whistle commands from distant hills.  Very impressive!  
>Our pyrenees got killed on the road several years ago, and we have not had 
>a dog since.  
>
>                                                                      Mary 
>Spahr