36. Eye, the myth

You go to a trial or a stock dog demonstration and the announcer explains the creeping and staring behaviour of the dog, usually a Border Collie. The explanation is that the dog is mezmorizing or hypnotizing the sheep. Of course the sheep is standing still as if it is transfixed. Some instructors even use this analogy. For those that believe this I hate to burst the bubble.

The behaviour you are witnessing is in fact a instinctual behaviour. It is actually a stocking, preditory behaviour. If you watch any nature videos of preditors you will notice the exact behaviour as the predator stocks its prey. In some cases, particularly if the handler does not have good control of the dog, the dog will eventually lung at the sheep and attempt to take a grip (bite).

The apparent frozen sheep is in fact a very alert sheep waiting for the last second to decide what to do, stand their ground or flee. If there is a sudden movement from the dog usually the sheep will run. If the dog continues to creep the sheep will not move(usually) until the dog starts to approach the flight zone then it will make it’s move.

Its a simple explanation to this behaviour. It is interesting to watch the stock when this is happening. Watch your stock and you will begin to learn how to anticipate what may happen.

35. STOP

The question: How do you stop your dog: lie down or stand (there)?

Most folks in the trialling world seem to use the “lie down” command as opposed to a good number of working folks who use the stand (there) command. Lets take a look at both.

Lie down: The lie down or down command is wrong in so many ways. Even from a common sense or logical point of view when you look into what the dog has to go through when hitting the ground and then having to get up, it just does not make sense.

Looking at it from a bio-mechanical point the forces exerted by muscles and gravity on the skeletal structure is very hard on a dog. Just think of the stress a dog has to go through, even in a trialling event when they are given multiple “lie down” commands in rapid succession. Not only the physical stress to a dog, what about the physiological stress of taking away any advantage the dog may have had while moving stock.

From the “lie down” position, when the dog is given a command to move, he must start to rise up and in order to do this he must use leg, shoulder, back muscles, and this is even before he engages leg muscles to start to move. Then if he has to move right or left then the muscles he has already used to get up must be used in conjunction with shoulder and hips in order to make that move adding even more physical stress to the system.

Then there is a safety issue. When a dog goes down he loses any power he has and stands a chance of being challenged and possibly seriously injured. And what about when moving stock through thick scrub or tall grass’s?

Can you imagine what would happen if you “lie down” your dog in front of this group of heifers!

Stand (there): The dog when told to stand or stand there is always in a position to move quickly and/or to get out of the way if need be with out expending a lot of energy. He is on his feet, he can see what’s going on as well as the stock can see him. If he has natural abilities he can be moving to counter either on command or on his own. This dog will be able to work longer, have more energy and there is a good possibility that he will live longer

 

Is there a 3rd dog in this picture? If he was told to stop (lie down) could you or the sheep see him?

 

In a future post I will discuss my thoughts as to why so many folks use the  “lie down” as well as continue to use that command.

For the well being of your dog, DO NOT USE THE “LIE DOWN” COMMAND.