Paris Has Begun Lamb Training

[Baymule]

Your patience is truly commendable. I'm not sure I would have been able to keep trying.

Most of my family and friends are against Paris because she is a problem animal. Even if I am successful with lamb training, she will still be a problem animal. Woe to any female dog that gets within her reach! Not to mention digging out, climbing the fence and gates.....

And whaddaya' know?? This morning, we looked out the kitchen window and Paris had left the sanctity and safety of her "cave" dilapidated as it is, and dug a hole in front of the little wire gap that serves as an entrance to the lamb pen. She was curled up, asleep. I let Polly and Parker out for their morning potty and when Parker got close to the fence on the other side of the yard, Paris rushed the fence barking at him.

Later this morning, Paris tuned up and started barking, which she often does. My husband claims she's barking at nothing, but I tell him that just because he doesn't see what she is barking at doesn't mean there's nothing there. Hooray! This morning I called him to come quick! There was a doe in the woods, maybe 100 feet from the house. Paris was on full alert and barking. The doe threw up her white tail flag, and hopped futher into the woods. Paris was vindicated and I got to rub my husband's nose in being wrong about her barking.

 

[Baymule]

My first LGDs are saints...and then there is Mia. That girl will be my undoing for sure. It is good that Paris stopped when you caught her in the act. Mia just keeps on doing as she pleases... We had our first chicken fatality last week.

I bet Paris does just fine once she figures out what her job is.

Paris came to me at 10 months old, free, because she killed chickens. Her previous owners also gave her raw chicken eggs as a treat. So they basically taught her to be an egg sucking dog, which BTW, she still is. They had also punished her terribly and she therefore blamed the chickens for her mistreatment. She HATED chickens and it took me 2 years to turn her around. I'll bet your Mia will be a champion chicken protector once she gets things figured out.

 

[Baymule]

A couple of weeks ago, we came home to Paris chasing the lambs around the back yard. I flew out of the truck before it even came to a stop. I hit the back yard and Paris knew she was in trouble. The lambs were heaving for breath, glad we came home when we did or it could have been drastic. I unloaded on Paris. I yelled, she hid in her cave. I yelled more, she ran for her doghouse. I kicked the top off it and of all places, she ran for the lamb pen. I yelled, screamed, shook my finger and yelled some more. My husband parked the truck and came to back yard, watching in awe. He knew I was MAD! I read the riot act to Paris until I just got tired. Paris hasn't chased them again.

Now Paris is even more protective of the lambs. They are now HERS. Neighbors came over yesterday and one of them walked to the fence to get a look at the lambs and Paris growled and barked at him. We all laughed, because she was doing her job, protecting her lambs. We still have a ways to go with her, will she accept Trip and the ewes? Will she accept living in another pasture with the sheep or will she stay location bound or just want to vacate the premises all together? We'll see.

 

[babsbag]

Could you please come and yell at Mia?

Sounds like progress is being made.

 

[TAH]

When any dog is disobeying you should never punish in a harsh way. They say the best thing to do is show the dog what you want. Say Paris is chasing the lambs just tell her no and show her what you want her to do. I have seen great results with people who do this. Just a quick thought.

 

[Latestarter]

LGD's are not pets, and are not "trained" like pets.

 

[Baymule]

Could you please come and yell at Mia?

Sounds like progress is being made.

Patience. Patience. MORE Patience..............THEN blow up!

When any dog is disobeying you should never punish in a harsh way. They say the best thing to do is show the dog what you want. Say Paris is chasing the lambs just tell her no and show her what you want her to do. I have seen great results with people who do this. Just a quick thought.

Punish in a harsh way? I don't consider yelling at a dog, harsh. Beating a dog, yes that is harsh and should not be done. I have used a newspaper before though, (on my big dog, Parker, for chewing on a rooster-he NEVER did THAT again!) with marvelous results. The way I see it, if I make their first MAJOR screw up one to remember, as in....MOM WAS MAD-I GOT IN A LOT OF TROUBLE-NEVER WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN!!!! There are some things that a "no" works just fine on. There are some things that need a bit more of an impression and chasing lambs or chickens are two of them. Sometimes I look out the window and see her doing something she shouldn't, I just tap the glass with my fingernail and she ducks her head and stops. That's all it takes. She is crushed when I am not happy with her, and in this instance, she got the message loud and clear. She has not offered to chase the lambs since.

I S-L-O-W-L-Y introduced Paris to the lambs and when I left, I penned them back up. This was a test to see how she would do and we had a Come-to-Jesus meeting about that when I got back home. Since then, we leave-we come back home-no problem. I still pen them at night. I show Paris that the lambs belong to Mommy every day and praise her profusely for being such a good sheep guard. She wriggles with pleasure, smiles and runs around the yard and comes back for more praise. She is even licking their ears now and I couldn't be happier about her show of affection for them.

Even I had my doubts if Paris would be able to make this huge leap, but it looks like she will do just fine. There are still flaming circus hoops to jump through, but deep down, I believe in this dog. I believe that she will make one fine sheep guard.

 

[Latestarter]

Bay, you are awesome! Can I be one of your dogs? I promise I won't chase the livestock!

 

[Baymule]

Bay, you are awesome! Can I be one of your dogs? I promise I won't chase the livestock!

Haha, my husband says if there is reincarnation, he wants to come back as one of my animals.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

We then had to put up a hot wire to get her off the chain. Our neighbor, Robert came over to help my husband put it up. They turned it on and stepped out of the yard. Paris ran to the fence, to her favorite person and got zapped! She blamed my husband for it and turned into a snarling, vicious, angry dog. She thought HE did it to her! There was a piece of rebar lying on the ground and she grabbed it in her anger and threw it. Barking and snarling, she retreated to what is left of her cave and continued to snarl and bark. DH had no doubt that had he been standing IN the yard, she would have bit him. My husband waited a little while and went in the yard and "made up" to her. She forgave him and loved him.

This would be very concerning IMO
She should never want to bite or attack one of her humans regardless of what happened. I would watch yourself next time you discipline her by chasing/ whacking her house etc. This could put you in a bad situation.

Of course I don't know her as well as you and I have never been around this dog.