Taz's First Herding Lesson
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- Опубликовано: 23 авг 2024
- We took Taz to Ewe-topia in Roy, WA for his first ever herding lesson. This was also the first time he had ever been around sheep and he did great!
To all of the people who are critical of this session, say what you will, but he was taken to an accredited herding farm and we wanted to give him an experience that would call upon his natural instincts. There is no question that he was rougher than we would have preferred at times, but we too had zero experience with herding and relied upon the direction of the trainer. All things considered, we were assured that he responded naturally and with more training, his approach could be refined.
He did really well and is a beautiful Heeler! But I honestly wouldn't have ever let him off leash like that the first time he was around sheep, nor would I had ever allowed his mouth to touch the sheep. But that's just me. I hope you continue to allow him to herd...I kinda hate to see a herding animal in a situation where they can't do what they were bred to do! Post more videos as he progresses!
So sweet. Taz is livin the life! Thanks for this video!
I agree with the folks who said Taz shouldn't be encouraged to bite the sheep. Not all herds have thick wool on their bodies. The session seemed to be productive and fun, but I just think encouraging the dog into a frenzied state and allowing to bite is not good.
A great dog doesn't need to bite the sheep to get them to move. I have had Border Collies and they use their eyes to control the sheep. Did she say Milk Duds? OMG! Chocolate is toxic to dogs! (Hopefully, I heard her wrong!)
@@bitchhp2973 Cool. Goes along with what Tess's former owner and vet-told me. Tess was very good about using eye to hypnotise me in to giving her a piece of my meat or cookie. She stared this lady down at a Publix for her sandwich she was eating outside on the bench. Tess won, but I told the lady she didn't have to give up all her food. a taste was all she really needed.
Virginia Connor yep! Collies are great gentle, dogs that will wait. Heeler will be in you face and get you moving.
My 1/2 BC/? Gem girl-when she was a puppy-would run around me and bite holes in my shirt if I was sitting on the floor. I had the feeling she was trying to herd me somewhere and got up. She lead me to the steps and nudged me downstairs to the kitchen. I guess she knew it was dinner time before I did. I have her a little piece of chicken and she waggged her little tail. She herded everyone else, including my brother's cat.
Virginia Connor it’s impossible to take that instinct away. Even if you don’t notice it it’s still there.
I love this dog. We just lost our heeler (Boz) a month ago to cancer. He was the best dog ever. Taz is the first I have seen as beautiful! Love him, you never know when you might lose him.
Lol if you tell my brother's blue heeler "WHAT IS IT?!!" She gets in sniper mode haha
If you say potty to my Doberman he goes berzerk
Mine does the same!!
Yes. Every day at my hpuse
Taz is basically the best name for a blue heeler. Signed: someone who has a blue heeler named Taz.
Same! Got a Blue Heeler named Taz too!
Beta Lomeda what about Buck?
Sasha Anne my blue heeler his name is Bandit
@@dnolder I have a female heeler, her name is Bandida!!
Absolutely astounding! It is in the dog's DNA. He knew exactly what to do. Amazing.
I agree. Ever seen a good Bird Dog work? "Its in the blood".
my heeler and I went to the same place about a yr ago hes was a little over a yr old.. He went beast mode, its funny how there instincts kick in Jam was a first timer and it was obvious he was more well suited for herding than the other dogs there
Thanks @chico388! It should definitely be noted that he had had no training of any kind when this video was shot. He was about 8 months old and this was his first exposure. While he was a bit more aggressive than we would have liked to see, he's nearing his 2nd birthday now and slowly but surely is getting a better grasp on his impulses. We're hopeful that over time he'll be able to get more experience herding and ultimately we know that it will only help strengthen our bond with him!
Here's the thing- You Test the dogs first- You don't unclip in that environment, you test first. However, the dog does have awesome instinct with encouragement.
The breed was bread to heard cattle. They do nip at the heels of cattle to get them to move, Hence their name Heeler. It's good to introduce the dog to sheep at first just as a saftey measure for the dog, but this breed is designed for cattle hearding. You can see he is a natural.. You got a nice looking Blue heeler there :)
He did such a good job working to keep them together, Great job Taz
I take my ACD's sheepherding also and they love it! It's amazing watching them move the sheep only using their eyes.
Taz is a natural bearded🌟 Nature at its finest🐾💙🐾
I have a female and she always thinks she have to have everything that moves under control. This includes my two sons at age 8 and 11. If the boys take off running in the yard she is right behind them grabbing their ankles to get them to quit running around. We also have cats and she is all the time herding the cats. She will not even mess with the cats unless they take off running then she nips them in the heals. Best dog I have ever had.
We have a Heeler and I'm smiling like a loon over here! Wife is going to take ours to try this. Hope to get a video as well! Taz was enjoying the hell out of that.
There's nothing quite like watching a dog do what it is bred to do. :3 It's amazing how it's ingrained in their very being and they can just instinctually do a pretty good job without much training. x3
That is a really beautiful dog. You handle him well. The dog gets it!!
He did so awesome, not something I have my service dog aussie do or she be herding us all, as it is i have her herd in games with objects to collect and retrieve and once in a while she will herd her training buddy sister that can be off doing her own thing, but not too much. Great job Taz, Cute.
I thought I recognized that round pen! Ewetopia is the best herding training center in Washington State! Hi Linda & Joe!
Thanks for your comment. As a six month old pup with no experience herding, we were encouraged and with continuous training, Taz has continued to mature into an amazing dog. Happy Holidays to you!
Blue-heelers are meant to herd cattle not sheep. Because these dogs nip at the heels of cows to herd, they are not meant to be used on soft-legged sheep. As for nipping at the wool???? Kelpies and Border-collies are suitable sheep workers, not blue-heelers. Am from Australia the home of the CATTLE dogs and own one myself.
We had an old black lab who passed away just before christmas. But the last couple of years, she was deaf. We'd open the door and tell our cattle dog to "Go get Jessie!" She'd go out and find her and "round her up" and nip at her heels to prod her along. Had to tell her to back off if she was being to rough with the old girl...
What a beautiful dog! And so cool! Love ACD;s!
Love that you are giving Taz a job and getting the mental simulation that he needs. My heeler and I do herding as well.
But I do have a bone to pick with the trainer. I wouldn't continue working with her since she allows your dog to do very naughty things with the sheep.
First your dog never actually learned that he needs to bring the sheep to you aka the pack leader. He was working for himself and was not given guidance to correct that behavior.
Secondly, he was taught no self control. Biting or gripping the sheep is a big no-no in herding. The only time is EVER allowed to bite a sheep/duck/cow is if it challenges the dog. Taz never learned that he didn't need to use his body, bark or teeth to move the sheep. All he needs to do is use his inner power and eye to move them.
I was surprised those sheep didn't turn around and stomp at him.
This rant was strictly towards the trainer and not at the owners (since they have no previous knowledge of herding)
You have a nice dog. He is keen and has lots of drive. But for the love of God, do not go back to that trainer!
dandyrules21
I agree with all of this. 3 people and a video camera in a yard with a dog meeting sheep and lots of excited talking is only riling up the dog. There is no control and no calm.
Cattle dogs shouldnt be used to work sheep anyway. Theyre heelers. Their instinct is to heel and drop. Thats fine when working cattle. But it isnt good for working sheep.
Yeah I was thinking about what would happen if the dog were a different herding breed like a malinois or German shepherd. They could have done some serious damage.
I would have never let my dog off leash when they were pulling and I'd be making damn sure my dogs were listening to off leash commands.
Lol all experts here it seems . There are lots of ways to train dogs , get that in your heads, this lady knows what she is doing just because she isn’t doing it your way you have to criticise. Bloody pathetic.
Cool to see how his instincts just tell him what to do without any formal training.
We just took our dog here too and had an amazing time!!!
Wow, that was amazing!
Such a great sport!
You will go along way by not creating such over excitement at this stage (as seen before the gate opened). Praise is vital but must be used at the right time to get the right behavior. Discourage barking like this. I am a fan of the healer but you will find that you won't need to 'add' energy to this dog's norm.
Agree with Audra Fisher. That trainer, (person with the long white stick), is a fool. Her actions with the stick are frustrating and teasing the dog. Striking the dog with the stick is a no-no. Noticeably, the trainer has no rapport with the dog, when she tried the pat it at the end of the 8 minute training session. Going around and around in a random circles in a yard is totally dumb. There was a small enclosure in the yard. More sensible to show the dog to the sheep, open the gate, and see if the dog will herd them to the gate. Then reward the dog for the good work. That trainer reminded me of the 'Lion Tamers' in circuses; annoying the big cat to make it roar.
A good heeler (or kelpie) working dog in Australia is trained by voice: single word instructions. Go, forward, side, stop, come around, come behind and so on. The training work on cattle should be in a big paddock, and in short bursts. Not 8 mins of giddiness!
Also, as other readers have pointed out, heelers are natural herders (as are many dog breeds). They do NOT need to be taught what is natural for them. What they need is EDUCATION: learning the trade, routines, self-control and discipline under their master's commands.
While on a regular just outside Canberra (Australia's capital) through a bit of scrub my red heeler suddenly she took off. I lost sight of her as she followed a fence-line down a hill. Then she appeared, running across a paddock toward 300 head of sheep, spread around a paddock. Within 2 minutes, she rounded them into a tight group, settled them into a corner of the paddock, then backed off. Job done, she returned to my side, very happy with herself. The route we walked was common, but this herding was a once-off event.
The blue in this video is a damn nice dog. It's horrible seeing it being trained to attack and bite the sheep.
Keep the dog, get rid of the 'trainer'.
Genevieve Hanlon i think you have missed the point entirely.
Genevieve Hanlon ...there are many ways to train dogs but it seems you think you are some sort of an expert..and by the way an expert is a drip under pressure .... that’s you .
It's a green dog, the stick is to create distance. They want the dog to be driven and let him do what's natural. Over time the pole is used more to show the dog that they can herd without being on top of the flock. It's a process and a green dog needs to learn the basics before you open up a gate. Usually you pair them with a veteran but clearly the owners dont own their own sheep and are taking their dog in for sessions with this miss.
What a lucky dog! He did fantastic on his first lesson! I've got a Blue Heeler who would love to do this.
These sheep will need a beer after this
This was Taz's first time ever seeing sheep much less interacting with him. Being a puppy still, he was very excitable and definitely shouldn't be using his mouth on the sheep -- but that's part of the growth process for the dog. As a dog gets more experience, he will calm down and more reasonably do his job.
The sheep are so cute :D
My 4 year old heeler use to be AWSOME NATURAL heelers with my 🐐. However, due to unforeseen life changes. I’ve not had the energy nor time to get them into the arena & keep them working. They are EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE right now with the 🐐. How can I establish that natural herding instinct that my heelers have n a long line of their DNA? I was thinking putting them back into an arena with my lead buck. I VERY HAIRY 200# Kiko. Putting my heeler on a long line and allowing him to get accustomed to acceptable work again & slowly opening up the area of the pen & allow him to get back the education & instinct he is & was so GREAT at!! He even herded cows about 3 years ago without my physical or verbal prompts. There cattle broke loose from a local ranch. He got out the broken front door & the lead heeler & his sister, whom is the back up, helped the ranchers, helpers, & other heeler get the cattle back onto the ranchers property, about 1 mile away. Now they VISCOUSLY herd the 🐐 when they escape or I allow them to free range & need help getting them back into their pens. HELP!!
I used to work in commercial feed lots- dogs ,in general, were not welcome- they can all herd but not call off or come. That is why basic 'real' obedience is so much help. you have a nice dog.
Thanks @daisytrench! We love the little guy!
He's a natural!
Taz is a trip !!
He herds like a typical heeler, but that biting needs to be corrected. Why I prefer Collies tbh, usually much "gentler" herders.
Especially with their human'"sheep"! My BC Tess liked to herd me around, but didn't bite anyone. She very gentle. My niece has a blue heeled too named Lily.
My heeler is scared of the cows and ignores the goats. LOL! He's just a puppy. We taught him not to nip our heels so now he grabs the other dogs by the collars and tugs them around. He spends half the day with the rabbit because it rushes at him and tries to bite him when he bugs it - he can't get enough of that! We tried balls for him to play with - he can pop the toughest ball in a few hours.
It's funny. I have two Blue Heelers, but they aren't farm dogs. When they rough house with each other they go for the hind ankles on each other. It's just natural for them.
I LOVE TAZ #TeamTaz
Well your dogs are different. Some breeds and dogs within those breeds are more prone to put there mouth on stock. Not every dog can have the "eye" like collies. The reason why some people call ACD Heelers isn't because they are good at heeling. It's because they have a propensity for nipping at the heel of cattle to get them moving, which with cattle, is a completely valid way to get the job done. With that being said, there is a difference between nipping and gripping, gripping is never ok.
I have a cattle dog I got from a shelter in Yakima, I live in Seattle though. He never tries to herd unless he's trying to get my friends to go where he wants or if the cat is bugging him haha! He's super sweet and of course smart, I couldn't imagine having a better dog... there are so many people in Washington that have ACDs, I wish I knew more people, I'd like to see if he'd enjoy herding too! Maybe I'll look into it~
Right now I'm trying to get him to speak, but he never barks, hmm..
I am almost positive my heeler would try to eat the sheep initially.. haha. I think training her would be fairly easy though. She herds kids pretty well. Some day in the near future I dream of having a farm with livestock.. so we will see.
Hermosossssss!! Son lo maximo!!
thats awesome!
Ok thanks, I'll do that and see if I can find someone to help me teach him.
My Dad had a dog like this behaviour wise. Though he was a kelpie. I personally think that if a dog in a yard environment is not looking from its trainer to the sheep every 5 seconds then you have lost the fight. If my dog ran off and urinated when I called it I would have it by the collar in three seconds. I mean come on. One boss, one worker one team.
he is amazing and beautiful!!
I have two herding dogs and they have never even tried to bite or nip sheep. They don't need to. I would never encourage biting, and that is what it seemed to be on that video. My dogs have boundries on their work and sheep are trusting them. Sheep look very different during our herding "lessons" than during "Taz's first herding lesson". If those sheep would have been mine, I wouldn't have allowed that kind of biting.
Taz rules🐕 go taz
I'd suggest looking for herding farms in your area. We are in a large metropolitan area, so we need to drive 90 minutes. From there, I'd really dig in and do your research about their methods and read reviews from other people with herding dogs.
just INSTINCT!!.. good...
Who's trained with the white pole the person is holding, the dog or sheep? I don't understand this part of the training.
LMAO That is so cute! I wish I had sheep or goats or something for my Blue Heeler to chase around from time to time. Occasionally I'll let him go after some some of the wild Guinea Hens that roam our property, and he's REALLY good at it. He only chases them if I tell him to, never actually tries to hurt them, and comes back as soon as I call him.
so cute!!
awesome.
I believe the white pole is to show the dog restraint. The wool on the sheep is very thick which will protect the animal for young amped up cattle dogs in this exercise. Must be aggressive but also needs patience.
Lol, I call my puppy Taz because she's wild and crazy, although she wants to be "good" too, and would love herding. I think she's a red Kelpie.
That's instinct for you.
you shouldn't be teaching the dog to bite because we've had sheep dogs before and they bit the sheep but ever since then they kept biting and getting more agressive every time. which led them to the point of killing sheep. so just a heads up
2011... cool. Be fun.
lovely tolerant sheep
It's funny, I live in Seattle, have a red heeler, and have heard of Ewetopia. Mine is rescued, but please consider adopting your next dog. There is an australian cattle dog rescue here in seattle and a TON of heelers are surrended locally as well as nationwide. I really hope youll consider adoption if you REALLY love the breed
The trainer is dumb honestly, that's not how you introduce a dog who's never seen sheep before and the dogs aren't supposed to be bitting the sheep and tugging on them like a chew toy
Heelers are bred to bite....??? Thats the point??
Tara Mitchell yes, they’re supposed to bite ONLY when the sheep aren’t listening they’re supposed to herd them. This dog is biting to bite, not only that but they made the mistake of just throwing the dog in BECAUSE it doesn’t know what it’s doing. The dog isn’t supposed to be consistently biting :)
But they start out that way. Did you not see her move into the "steady" motion? Instinct and excitement first, then train. I think this gal knows EXACTLY what she's doing. She would have treated the situation differently if the sheep were panicked or if he was actually hurting them.
Tara Mitchell they got the dog over excited, they didn’t correct the dog, the dog didn’t listen to them and it was overall a mess. maybe she is a good trainer but this whole video was just bad
@@Golden_26 I am agree. For me how make all the mistakes was the owner, from the beginning the dog was over excited pulling the lead.
You dont happen to have any footage of him herding now? I'd love to see his improvement
some dogs and it doesn't matter the task [herding, hunting, etc] are a natural
How old and how much did your blue heeler weight in this video? I have my first cattle dog pup ever. Worried is gonna be a little shorty. He weights 32 lbs and is 6 months old.
I use my blue heelers as cow dogs and did not have to train them point at a com and they get it
Kra cker ... yeah I have heard this before and all ya hear from owners of there dogs on horse back is screaming at there dogs because they have no control over them , they just think dogs should know how to work with out any directions or commands , makes me laugh , there what I call wannabes who need to be trained instead.
Where did you take him to learn how to herd? I have a Blue Heeler and he has a very strong herding drive, but I have no idea how to teach him.
@Vetiwitch I agree! I would have put 3 sheeps more to make sure they would't be too afraid. One dog can hold 150 cows, so... imagine!
Your dog has some great natural ability, and also a very good looking dog. He did much more hunting then actual herding though. I say that because he seemed content to fixate on one Ewe and let the other run off. A herding dog will want to control the entire group. Now don't think I'm trying to discourage you, training can cause him to want to herd. You can't train (well most of the time) to be that natural agressive. You have a grade A dog on your hands that with some training could be great.
Get em bud bite em
@Damiuss Sometimes when we are playing chase in our home, we'll see Taz trying to nip at our heals when he is chasing us. All instinct!
that one happy blue heeler
HEELERS ARE THE BEST DOGS EVER !!!
Do the dogs just know to heard ? Likes its in them . Or do you have to train
im not complaining, but Question Is she poking the dog when he's going after their legs and when he's being too aggressive with them?
buen pastor
This is just amazing! To see him go from trying to sniff the butt of the sheep to biting there rear, then to nipping the heels. Instinct at it's finest!
I would love to do sheep herding with a German Sheperd dog one day, but from what I've research so far, they seem to have a much different way of herding, and most of the breed seem to have lost it's herding instinct already :/
Davis Tran I don't know what you mean by they don't have the herding instinct. In Germany, a German Shepherd must have a schutzhund or herding title in order to breed. German shepherds are awesome dogs and my second favorite behind Belgian malinois.
All herding dogs will naturally nip at the animals if they don't move the way they want them to. That is them just being dogs. The pros don't do this as much because they have been trained not to. It is not like they just threw their dog into a pen with a bunch of sheep and let him go free. There was a herding trainer with him at all times. Notice the big smile on her face too. If his bite was anything out of the ordinary, do you think she would have allowed it?
Where did u go to get those lessons?
i really wish i could get my ex to work with our blue heeler . this is awesome to watch. mostly ours just stays in a crate at his parents. : (
It's all about Taz 😒Poor sheep. They will be constantly stressed out daily
they know what they're doing
He has a Tazi..face..fitting.. had a black cat names Taz.. he was a attack cat...
That's not how they learn unfortunately. Thanks for checking out the video!
And sorry my bad english and wrong words... hope that you understand my point.
good boy
I though they were suppose to be a quiet herding dog. He sounds quite loud.
i had 1 of these dogs and i regret that i never gave her an opportunity to herd
Barking and biting are normal herding behaviours , escpecially in cattle herding dogs
You named him "taz"
LOL
I'm dying
Hahaha omg
Why is everyone trying to excite the dog and allowing him to touch and bark?
I have a Blue Heeler and Beagle mix
The dog is allowed to bit the sheep and is even egged on. That wannabe trainer should be put out of commission.
Mi cachorro es mucho mas activo no quiere ni dormir, pero lo quiero mucho...!!!
My border collie is great it's jsut that my sheep aren't afraid of her and stomp at her lol!