I have a dog that will happily take on possums, goats, rabbits, hares. Would I pass her onto a family with kids/livestock. 100 % yes
She knows what is a target species and what is not. Wont even look at domestic pets or sheep etc.
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I have a dog that will happily take on possums, goats, rabbits, hares. Would I pass her onto a family with kids/livestock. 100 % yes
She knows what is a target species and what is not. Wont even look at domestic pets or sheep etc.
And I am talking of a dog that was about to be shot for "not coming up to scratch"
Just to make a direct comparison to your background Paddy. I grew up on a council estate in the SE uk, where my mum used to breed German shepards for working dogs, mostly security.
If any dog didn't pass the grade, it was passed out to other willing owners, mostly families.
Not one of those dogs ever presented a problem to the new owners.
We sure a shit never had one destroyed
yes and a dog attacking sheep is not up to scratch for any sheep farmer in my eyes and needs to be shot. I personally know where working dog for doing just that were given away to a family and then attacked a their child in my presence. I grabbed my pig sticker out of the truck and put it down right there and then just as I was taught and this was a dog that came across friendly and happy to see you, the family never knew when getting the 2 year old dog of its true history and there lies the problem.
Well there ya go @Happy you should just shoot the dog.
Funny that in all of the dogs I have met in my life the only one to ever bite me or anyone else I know was the most expensive "sheep dog"
wow that turned to crap in a hurry......
for what its worth Ive had working sheep dogs that killed chooks and were "reformed"
another heading dog was also used on pigs and cattle....we were working sheep on the neighbours place and his dogs would nip constantly when the boss wasnt looking,my PUP took that as licence and got runaway sheep in as good of ear hold with body tucked in as you have ever seen,,tail wagging because he thought he was doing the right thing...no he wasnt shot but very sternly taught that wasnt the right thing to do,neighbour stuck shock collar on his nipping dog and caught it at right moment and fixed it too.
never had worry of any of my dogs killing sheep.....and they would hold pigs and heal cattle mercelessly....fine around little people too.
but this is waaaay off where OP is with his lab not even in same farm let alone paddock.
Sheep seem to be the problem.
Thanks for your offer will be in touch via pm . I may not be clever but I do know that for every subject there’s folks who have been there done that . She’s improved heaps this past week. I think a couple of pointers and she ll progress because she’s clever.
Have known folks who’s first answer was shoot it. They were all complete Tossers as well.
Thanks again
I also think we were talking about the 1980's and earlier. I started life in southland and a dog was very much a tool. A shepherd did not have time and values were different. I would not shoot a dog but then as a teenager in the mid 1980's I three times caught the same dog attracting our goats/sheep, we lived inside the city limits so dog control collected it from me only to return it. Cost us 3-4 animals.
I probably would have shot it if we were outside town on the third time. Not the dogs fault but!!
Times and attitudes change.
My Dad can kill stock with a knife, i could not. One hunting buddy would use a knife to finish a wounded animal off my other mate and i would use an extra bullet in the head.
Zq