11/05/2025
Here on this video example of our training:
she is easily triggered to chase/ highly reactive germansheperd.
This is a first time with the sheep after she was a puppy.
She is learning how to react calm and creating safe feelings beeing around the sheep in stead of rushing forward to the sheep.
At first the owner gives a little guiding by taking steps backwards, at the second round the dog does this all by her self! And the owner gives support to the right action 😍
This can look like we are just walking and talking, but actually we are building the calm energy and keeping it easy enough for the dog to feel control without overreacting.
After this lesson, this lovely sheperd had a playtime to release the need of running, and use her body, because this needed so much consentration of her!
And after a play she wanted to go back to the sheep! She was enjoyng the work she was doing!! 🤩
If your dog is reacting in high intensity towards the sheep. Why is he doing it? What is my way of helping you both in this situation?
Do you want to get better understanding?
If the answere is yes, then we are on the right path. 🐾🌿
It's all about understanding and after that we can find answeres, and give support by finding the right keyes to solve the case.
Dog can react because of many reasons during the same herding lesson. Here are 3 examples why dogs react so high.
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1. Fear of the sheep. This is very common reason! Sheep can be very exciting to the dog.
- Give enough time and make time for observing the sheep from a distance long enough to create safe feeling to the dog, he doesn't have to try to scare the sheep to feel secure. He can sniff the ground and get information of the herd that way. Keep a slow motion all the time and avoid straight approach to the sheep.. When the time is right you can also kneel down to your dog to show him "we take time as much you need it, I understand." You get also a deeber bond here with your dog wich helps with following cases.
We can also create safer feeling by having sheep in a pen, and they are focused on eating instead of stearing at the dog if thats too much for him.👀
This way the dog also gets a better understanding of its own behavior, and emotions, and gets more aware how to solve tricky situation without getting out of control and overreact. If the dog wants to back up a little, look at the situation, the dog really knows what he is doing. If you need to get closer, go together, and you help him!
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2. Fear of loosing the pack, or disapoinmet if the whole pack or even one sheep goes a bit too far a way from the dogs perspective
- Having the sheep in a pen, eating calmy at the beginning. Giving time to both (sheep and dog) to get a feeling of each other sheep are more likely more smoother herded. We can do little tasks where we just move the heads from the sheep, thats enough! And step by step you move sheep a little more, but every time we maintain feeling of control 🙌🏻
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3.. The dog is tired or built up stress while wayting in the car.
- Go for a walk before you arrive to the herding area, avoid contact or vision to other dogs (cover your car with a blanket)
Has the dog beeing lerning new tasks? Sometimes you dont even see how much there is going on in their heads, they process the whole situation all the time.
So it's not about how long time you spend there with the sheep, it's about the things you do. And trust me: when I say "now we are on the top of the mountain, we better stop here" The dog can't do any better, and even the next task can be just too much for him 🩵
He deserves a little break!
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I've been doing this for years and giving my heart and soul to these animals!
I see many details from your dog behavior and I know what it means 😊
I can handle the whole picture while I'm with you there in the herding field.
Remember also that I have all my senses observing you and your energy! 🩵
I'm there to guid you and helping to maintain the calm and secure feeling betweeb you and your dog and the sheep!
🥰 Yous Marjo
