TBT: Herding Instinct Test

When Brisbane was nine months old, my best friend and I took him to a herding instinct test. This test consists of turning a dog loose on a few sheep and seeing what they do.

 The event was being put on by a collie club, but it was hosted at a ranch run by Australian cattledog people. Their dogs were herding champions as well as working stockdogs, and they knew exactly what Brisbane was as soon as he arrived. Most of the big foofy Lassie-dogs ran into the middle of the sheep and scattered them like bowling pins. A German shepherd even tackled one and tried to bite its neck. Of course, all of these dogs count as having herding instincts. Any desire to chase the sheep counts, as far as I'm aware.

When it was Brisbane's turn, they tied a rope to his collar because they recognized him as a mostly-heeler "cattle-doodle" and expected him to bite the sheep. This was before the designer dog craze, and we called any obvious mix a cattle-doodle. Nowadays we worry too much about people thinking we're actually talking about a deliberate poodle cross, so the term has been quietly retired. At any rate, the heeler folks were happy to see my bat-eared puppy, and Brisbane was happy to see the sheep.

Upon entering the pen, Brisbane immediately backed out of his collar and...herded the sheep. The guy in the cowboy hat just stood there and watched him at first. "He's actually herding them!" The collies were mostly allowed to chase the sheep for a couple of minutes and then rounded up. Brisbane got a ten-minute herding lesson on staying on the opposite side of the sheep from the humans. The pole with the milk carton on the end was used to thump on the ground and make the dog back off the sheep a little. The reward for herding the sheep nicely is being allowed to herd the sheep.

Since that test, Brisbane has gotten to work sheep with two other experienced trainers. Everyone with herding experience has been impressed with his natural ability to herd sheep. We are probably a couple of lessons away from competing, but I had to stop lessons to have surgery a couple of years ago and didn't start again.

I know that Brisbane's mom was a working cowdog, but his natural herding ability always amazes me. After learning that his dad was definitely not anything remotely close to herding stock, I am even more impressed. Dogs with instinct can learn to herd well, but not every herding breed or mix is as naturally talented as my amazing boy.

Product Review: Petco Box Clicker

The Petco Dog Training Clicker is a basic box clicker. It comes in red, blue, and sometimes white, and includes a key ring. The stretchy wristband on my red clicker was purchased separately.

Photo by Erin Koski

As far as clickers go, it doesn't get much simpler than this. Push down the metal tab inside the box, get a giant click. This is a large box clicker, it is easy to use even with large fingers. The large size also guarantees that it emits a loud click, which can make training easier or more difficult depending on the dog.

Pros: Cheap, usually $1.50. Reliable, I have never had one of these fail. The fact that the tab rests inside the opening also helps prevent accidental clicks while fumbling with treats and in pockets. This clicker is also incredibly loud for a metal tab inside a plastic box, which is useful when I'm working with Brisbane at a distance, in an area with a lot of background noise, or when I need to be sure he can hear the click while he is hysterically screambarking.

Cons: This thing is loud enough to spook shy and sensitive animals. It also requires getting a thumb into the box to click it, which can lead to poor timing and missed clicks.

Bottom Line: This is not my favorite clicker, but it's a close second. I have at least half a dozen of these because they are cheap, durable, and easy to find.

Ulysses Returns

Almost three weeks ago, Ulysses was returned again. He was fighting with the other dog in the home, and showing some reactivity towards other dogs and people on a busy bike path. Between the fighting, barking, and lunging, the second adoptive family felt that Uly wasn't a good fit. I resolved to keep him for a few more weeks this time to better evaluate what type of home would be best for him. Although he has lived peacefully with two other dogs, he did fight with the dog in his second adoptive home, and he and Brisbane butt heads pretty regularly.

In fact, a little over a week ago Ulysses and Brisbane got into a fight in the yard. Though neither of them have been injured in any of their noisy disagreements, this time I got hurt. Brisbane wasn't ready to call it quits, so I grabbed him and walked away. Uly came after Briz and got my arm instead. He immediately bounced into a sit afterward, but I was left with a nasty puncture wound.

This is Uly's third bite, and that is very dangerous for a dog in rescue. Dogs with bite histories are a liability to place, I or anyone involved in his rescue could potentially be sued if he bites again in an adoptive home. For most dogs in rescue, a bite equals a euthanasia appointment.

So what's different about Ulysses? Uly remains an incredibly sweet dog despite his bite history. All three of the bites occurred in potentially preventable circumstances. Maybe just gut instinct too, he doesn't feel like a vicious dog.

The first bite occurred when the baby in the first adoptive family crawled near, or possibly on, Ulysses and took the toy he was chewing. The baby received a bite to the face, causing a bruise. The second bite occurred several weeks later when the adopter allowed both baby and dog to be on the floor with nothing between them. The baby crawled near Uly, the adopter says he stepped between them, picked the baby up, and pushed the dog out of the way. Uly turned around and bit his arm, causing a puncture and a single slice that required stitches. We believe the damage was largely due to Uly's broken lower canines.

This third bite is very different from the first two, I was actively moving out of Uly's space, and he was in the middle of a dog fight. Given his behavior immediately after the bite, I believe he was intending to bite Brisbane and not me. While this wouldn't be an ok bite for Briz to receive either, it makes a bit more sense than Uly randomly deciding to bite me.

So what is next for our boy? Prior to the most recent bite, we had been leaning toward finding Ulysses a home with someone who has worked with a reactive dog in the past. Immediately after the bite I was afraid that we were out of options because I could no longer keep Brisbane and Ulysses in the same house. However, Uly and Briz are both quite amenable to being crated, especially when there are stuffed Kongs involved. I've been able to keep the peace via the crate and rotate method, making certain there is always a door, gate, or other barrier between the two of them. This has worked extremely well, and has bought us some time to work out exactly what to do next, and to gather opinions from dog people near and far. When Uly is done with his current quarantine period in a couple of days, we'll be meeting with an evaluator for a local rescue, depending on her assessment we may meet with a highly regarded trainer in Los Angeles who works with aggressive dogs.

I can't say for certain what is going to happen to Ulysses, there is still the possibility that we will all conclude that he is too dangerous to be placed in an adoptive home. We may find really reliable triggers for his behavior, and then begin working with those triggers. All I can say for now is that I will do my best to see that Uly is happy and loved for the rest of his life.