THIS QUESTION WAS POSED ON THE COWDOG LIST

Also, this is a little off the cow dog topic, but the dog that needs the
muzzle is an older German Shepherd that I've been helping a lady start but
he's very , very aggressive. Can get him to circle a little but whenever
he's within striking distance he really gets a hold and my sheep are not
chew toys so right now we are working on relaxing him around the sheep. Any
one had success with this type/breed of dog? I am working with a couple
other German Shepherds and they are doing fine, its just this one dog (he
has nailed me twice, thinking he had a sheep leg).  We want to use a muzzle
just so we can concentrate on training the dog instead of just protecting
sheep. Right now its basically keeping him completely on a line at a
distance, pretty much just moving him around the sheep until he's bored with
it and having him walk up and stand near the sheep and correcting him for
any aggression and having him stay there until he's relaxed- the reward is
that if he relaxes and stands nicely he gets to move the sheep again (still
online of course).  Any other ideas?
>
> J.
>

MY RESPONSE

The line method sounds like it could work, provided you follow the One
Thousand Repetition Rule.  That is, do not work the dog off the line until
it has been set up and not gone for the grip 1000 times.  Any time it tries
to grip, the count resets to zero.  If you don't follow the rule and take
the dog off too soon, it is likely to revert.

Many German Shepherd Dogs are powerful dogs with high prey drive and
inordinate keenness.  German shepherds use them to tend in unfenced
situations, often in close proximately to crops, so select for drives that
will keep a constant attention on grazing (essentially nonmoving) sheep.
They normally work two dogs on 700-1500 head of heavy, docile sheep with
strong flocking instinct.

The typical mistake is to start GSDs on stock that is way too light for the
dog.  The power and keenness of the dogs and the lightness of the stock make
for a vicious circle.  They need to be started on heavy stock and then
progressed to lighter stock after the foundation is very solid.  Too light
stock will push some into prey drive, weak ones into stress grips, and
authoritative ones into disciplinary grips (because to them the sheep are
misbehaving) or at the very least it will push dogs into a far too hyper
state.  Don't start this type of dog on barbies.  If you must use sheep use
a heavy breed and one that flocks tightly.  The larger the number of stock
you use, the better it tends to work.  Because that heavies them up even
more.  But hey, this is a cow dog list, start them on cattle.  A small group
of cattle is a much better match to the power and keenness of a working line
GSD than a small group of sheep.  I've found that even high drive dogs don't
get pushed into overdrive on cattle.  It will appear that you are working a
totally different dog.

Another thing about the GSD is that it is a trotting breed.  That is their
natural working gait. Some of them find it very hard to move at a walk. One
can set up a lot of problems, including grips, by moving the stock too
slowly.  Rather than walking backwards to watch for problems that are caused
by the slowness of walking backwards, turn around and run.  It's amazing how
as soon as a person reaches that magic speed at which the dog wants to move,
how the dog suddenly stops being a naughty dog and starts earnestly working.
Novice dogs have a real hard time slowing themselves down.  Even when it
puts them in a discomfort zone.  Again here is where large numbers of sheep
help too because the dog can wear away back and forth along their back and
sides working at the gait it feels it should be moving at in a way the
livestock accept.  It can't do this with a small group of sheep, which it
must move straight up on.  But it can with small groups of cattle, again a
reason why cattle is the way to go if you must use small groups.  By setting
it up so that the dog can wear, the stock don't have to be moved so fast to
allow the dog to trot.

Of course, you can also try to slow the dog down. Especially if all you have
to train with is a small group of sheep. Train a pause and use it
constantly.

GSDs use a lot of body posturing to control stock.  To down them is to tie
their hands behind their backs.  Also, when released from a down on stock,
they will launch.  But they release much more smoothly from a stand. Let
them stand. I train a Halt (momentary pause) and a Stay and a Recall that
are absolutely solid under distraction and excitement before I work dogs on
stock.  Normally, I let the dog choose whether it stands, sits or downs,
though the dog is also trained on positionals for the occasions that it does
really matter.   All of these are trained as out-of-motion exercises.  That
is I don't just teach the down from the sit.  I walk, slowly at first, with
the dog on a leash and give the particular stop command and then abruptly
pivot 180 degrees to directly in front of the dog.  This is progressed to
faster and faster speeds (pivot no longer necessary).  When the dog does

it reliably at a run, underexcitement, distraction and a soft voice,

then it is ready to work stock.

Dot DeLisle

{Note: Although I didn’t mention it in this post, tending would also be a

good thing to try with the over grippy dog.)

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