It is now widely acknowledged by the that "even though our dogs have been domesticated for a long time they have not lost their basic instincts - they are merely redundant and need channelling". These instincts include a very strong predatory drive. Why is it then that so many dog owners throw their hands up in horror when they hear of a dog that has chased or worried sheep? If it is their own dog that is guilty, often they can not believe that their dog could even think of such a thing. Remarks like "He's never been aggressive before, I can't understand it " are often heard. Are they unaware of their dogs instincts or do they think that only other dogs have them?

It infuriates me when a sheep chaser /worrier is described as an aggressive dog. Is a cat condemned for catching small birds and rodents? Are they accused of being aggressive or nasty for doing what comes naturally? NO! So why persecute dogs for doing the same thing - what comes very naturally.

If a terrier is a good ratter or a lurcher a good rabbiter they are admired for their skills. If a dog chases and occasionally catches a squirrel, whilst we may not like it, it is generally accepted. It is just considered to be just the dog's natural hunting instincts. This behaviour can be really annoying and can totally mess up an otherwise perfect Recall but it is not said then that we have an aggressive dog. Chasing livestock is quite rightly unacceptable in our society. How do our dogs know this. As with many we make for our dogs this probably doesn't make any sense at all to them!

We can teach our dogs not to chase sheep and we can prevent it happening in the first place. The Dog Partnership runs Livestock Socialisation Classes where dogs are introduced to stock and then taught how to behave around them. Potential chasers are identified at an early stage and the problem is solved before it develops. Please contact us if you would like details of our Living with Livestock Workshops.