Our Family dog Sophie, is a wonderful, and certainly exuberant, crossbred that we got from the pound. It is believed she is part Golden Retriever and part Great Pyranise, which are actually a breed associated with guarding sheep. They are kept right in with the sheep, and will defend their ‘family’ of sheep against any intruder. (when trained properly). They are not the type of dog who herds sheep like Border Colie’s or such.
Since we got our dog before we ever had sheep, and since it took our dog a week of standing in the barn doorway looking at the pigs, before she actually got up the courage to come in the door, I never had much hope of her becoming much of a ‘sheep’ dog. (Although she does like to chase coyotes when they come around, and protect her ‘family’ at the house)
Last week, we were doing some pen renovations, with the sheep in the pen still, and had to make sure none of the sheep decided to go for a walk out through the open side where we were working. Since Sophie was with us, and she likes to chase things, my father-in-law was quite encouraging of her to ‘guard’ the opening. She actually was quite good at it, venturing as far as the middle of the pen, where she laid down and made sure the sheep stayed at the far side of the pen.
The trouble is that now, every time we go in that barn, she comes along and chases the sheep back to that far side of the pen! We have finished the renovations, and the sheep now have a nice long feeder along the length of the pen, but it is hard for them to eat when a dog keeps chasing them away!
I’m back to not having much hope of her becoming much of a ‘sheep’ dog!