Working dog behaviors

I think you may be reading too much into things.

It sounds like she is a happy dog that enjoys your company.

My doberman spends all his time at the ocean attacking the waves - it's not work, its not herding - he loves water, he loves chase, and the waves coming in and out are just the prime game for him (that is even better for me, since I don't have to throw anything!).

It sounds like she enjoys having you around, and wants you to be with her - my dobermans do all that you mention (check in with you, play harder when I am out in the yard with them, protective of me, etc - in fact, ALL My dogs have been like that, working breeds or not.

It's part of being a dog!

Sounds to me like she's just checking in with you - looking to see where you are. Be careful, though - as it's often easy for behaviors to become obsessive compulsive with these dogs, such as squirrell watching, etc.

I think we have to be careful not to excuse bad behaviors off as "herding" when they're not. In other words, nipping isn't herding - it's nipping. Very few good working dogs that I know have to rely on bite to move stock (except in rare instances). I'm not saying this to you directly or specifically, but I see this type of thing in owners of herding breeds fairly frequently. Chasing kids on bikes is not herding... it's chasing.

The good news is that she's sensitive to where you are and what you're doing. In your position I'd make an effort to become more interesting than the squirrels post-haste. [] I have a dog that was totally squirrell obsessed... and it crept up on us slowly. I had to do some work to become important to her again.

Thanks for your input!

ORIGINAL: dobedvm

My doberman spends all his time at the ocean attacking the waves - it's not work, its not herding - he loves water, he loves chase, and the waves coming in and out are just the prime game for him

Ixa doesn't attack the waves, nor does she particularly care to get wet. She hunkers her front end down, and does controlled nips at the foam, coming at the surfline in an arc. Her movements and focus seemed the same as her displays during our first forray into the sheepherding ring. In the sheepherding ring, she automatically went into work mode, and even looked to the trainer and read his crook. At the beach, I felt as though she was looking for similar cues.

Admittedly, I'm learning general dog behavior as I learn Ixa, and I want to learn the general and the specific, appropriately.

So, what behaviors *are* specific to working breeds?
I've read that they can be less friendly with other people and dogs, can be more sensitive, tend to hover underfoot, ....
Are working dogs just like any others when they are "off duty"?

Oh, and thanks for the positive feedback regarding the relationship Ixa and I have built! []

So, what behaviors *are* specific to working breeds?
I've read that they can be less friendly with other people and dogs, can be more sensitive, tend to hover underfoot, ....
Are working dogs just like any others when they are "off duty"?

I'm not sure if you're asking me or dobedvm... so I'll answer if I can anyway. [] A lot of it depends on the breed, and how the dog is bred... and raised. When we're not working stock (which is a good bit of our time), my border collies just chill out. June zonks on the sofa - she's the best sleeper I have. She's always up for anything the moment I indicate that there's something fun to do though. My puppy, Nick, is similar, but he's more likely to quietly chew a bone at my feet than actually sleep.

They follow me around a lot - but are also somewhat independent. They *are* fairly aloof when it comes to non-family members, but still friendly as a general rule. They certainly don't knock themselves out to go meet someone new, or to get affection like my Papillon does.

They're quirky, funny, busy, loyal, intense, driven, focused, and all that good stuff. It's awfully hard to say, really, but when you live with a whole bunch of herding type dogs, and are friends with people who also have them, some of the quirks seem not so strange any more. [] I think I've become desensitized. [sm=rofl.gif]

I'm a bit late on this I think.

What behaviors are specific to herding dogs?

None.

What herding dogs are, is a carefully combined and refined package of behaviors you can potentially see in any dog - but not every dog and almost never all in the same dog. This is why we are so fanatical about breeding specifically for work - herding isn't a single gene that they get incidentally or even a group of genes they get because they are that breed (like a dog looks a certain way because he IS a beagle). Herding, good livestock working ability, comes from selecting for the whole package, every generation.

Because those characteristics and behaviors are so concentrated in these breeds, they do have certain tendencies. They tend to be very reactive - they want to control movement, that thing where they snap at or chase stuff that moves. We've all got lists of thngs that fall in that category. It's very useful when stock breaks away - you don't have to command a properly bred dog to do something about it. It's inappropriate and rude when the dog is biting at another dog, or a child, or a grownup's pant leg.

They tend to be eager to please. Skidboot is a really neat example. But the flip side is that they are rather needy - they'll follow you around hoping you'll give them something to do, or they'll make up stuff to do. They are clever and independent thinkers - but these dogs can be hard to contain in a yard or a kennel, and get into stuff, and are hard to keep amused and take up remodeling projects in your house and around the yard.

Other breeds, again, display all these and many more that we could talk about that are even more technical - "eye", pressure sensitivity, "balance", prey drive. However, this is only significant outside the context of work in that you just need to decide what behaviors are appropriate and which are not. Never be scared to stop something you don't like just because you are afraid to squash her herding drive. You won't. The most important thing you can teach your dog outside the sheepherding ring, is to accept the word NO, and that the world won't end just because you said NO. You can start anytime, and on any behavior that you or others can't live with.

As for the rest, just enjoy it! As Laura said, don't encourage weird stuff or it can become obsessive-compulsive. That's true of any dog, however.

Laura, thanks for describing your dogs Thanks for the squirrel (obsessive) advice, too. I've got Ixa doing a "watch" when she sees squirrels, rather than a lunge. That's going well. Though she's got an over the top obsession with the racoons-I'll post about that in behavior.

Becca, thanks for the breeding explanation and your advice. Yes, I like my dog's energy and was worried about supporting it well. I want her to remain creative and curious, but balanced as well, so your advice serves me well.