Sample Articles

Rancher Pete Carmichael
Stock Sense
Sheep Sense
Starting Pups

Lighter Side of Stock Dogs

Poem:  The Shepherd's Bath
Cathie's Cartoons

Training Books

Stock Sense by Bruce Fogt

Working Border Collie: July/August 1998

Recently several people have asked me about problem grippers. These are dogs that sometimes bite the livestock when it is not called for, and sometimes for apparently no reason. There are many things that cause dogs to grip. They include fear, tension, excitement, determination to control or dominate an animal, and instinct to kill.

Before we discuss solutions to gripping problems, let me first say that I frequently want my dogs to bite. A dog that won't grip livestock when needed can be almost useless. The whole purpose of a dog gripping livestock is to show authority over them, not to harm the animal. Most livestock will test a dog at one time or another by refusing to move or even charging. If the dog will not meet the challenge with force, the stock will soon lose respect for the dog. However, there is a time and place for everything. A dog gripping at the wrong time or in the wrong situation can be very counter productive. It can cause stock to panic and scatter, or it can even make them more determined to stand their ground. For those of us who compete in trials, an uncalled for grip leads to disqualification.

There is also a correct way of gripping. The right way is for a dog to approach the animal calmly and with authority, giving it a chance to move without biting. But when it fails to move, the dog should snap at the nose (when it is facing them), or low on the hock (when it is facing away). The grip shouldn't be too hard and it should turn loose immediately without hanging on. Following the grip the dog should stand its ground; it shouldn't run off or circle the livestock.

Correcting the problem of unwanted grips can be a tricky situation, especially when we still want the dog to bite when needed. Many dogs who could have been good workers were spoiled because they were not taught the balance between when to grip and when not to grip. They were either allowed to grip whenever and however they wanted, or all the bite was taken out of them, leaving them with no power or confidence.

Remember, if we take away a dog's option of biting we have left them defenseless. Ideally, we just want to redirect that enthusiasm to the point it is needed. Care must be taken not to over-correct a dog for gripping. While we want the problem solved, we don't want to damage the relationship and trust between man and dog. If we lose our temper and over-react to a grip, we can cause other unforseen problems that could be even harder to fix.

Many years ago my mentor, Lewis Pence, once said that if we wanted to stop an unwanted action, we should first teach the dog to do that behavior on command. He felt that by harnessing the behavior we could help solve the problem without undue pressure on the dog. Gripping is a good example of this logic.

There has to be a balance during training of correcting the dog for gripping at the wrong times, but also setting up situations where the dog is encouraged to grip and taught to grip properly. For dogs who have trouble understanding the difference, I try to set up a training situation where I can do both at the same time. I discourage unwanted grips while encouraging needed grips. I can do this by working sheep in tight corners or pens. The dog can be taught to go between the sheep and the fence without biting until a sheep refuses to move or needs pushed out of the way. Unwanted grips can be discouraged while a few seconds later the dog can be asked to snap at a ewe that is facing it. There are several wrong ways of gripping and each has it's own set of circumstances and reasons for happening. I'll break down each category and give what I feel are the causes and solutions. Most solutions will have a common theme; keep putting the dog in the situation that causes the grip then teach it not to bite in those situations.

Fear

Most problem grippers are fear biters. They usually fly into the animal from ten feet away and bite at the sides or tail and then run back out again, or they sometimes circle the stock after gripping. This shows fear. It may move some livestock, but once they figure out the dog is afraid of them, they will have the upper hand and may eventually run the dog off. Being able to tell the difference between a dog biting because it is a strong and determined dog, and one that is biting out of fear, is a difficult area to understand. Oddly enough, fear biting is a form of self preservation. The dog tries to get the livestock before they get him.

Perhaps the best solution is to take away the fear. Allowing the dog to be near, and even among the livestock for long periods of time without working, should help the dog become accustomed to them and less afraid. In severe cases I have even crated the dog in a wire dog crate and let them spend their nights sleeping with the sheep. The other thing I will do is to use the tight pen or corner setup and hopefully teach to dog only to bite when needed. When trying to take the fear out of a dog, it is important to use non aggressive livestock. Trying to convince a dog to be unafraid while it is being attacked is difficult.

Tension

Tension can be caused by the handler, by the livestock, or by the job they are asked to do. Carefully evaluate what events led up to the grip, and this will help to determine the cause. A good clue as to the cause of tension is to keep a close watch on the dog's tail. As the dog becomes tense the tail will start to rise. The higher the tension level of the dog, the higher the tail will rise until finally it goes in for the grip.

When the actual cause for the tension is determined, then the dog can be taught to deal with the tension without biting. Keep putting the dog in the situation that causes the problem until the dog learns to deal with it. When the dog starts to grip, use a correction that is suited to the dog, usually a very calm but negative tone of voice works best. Don't add to the tension by screeching at the dog. In the case of the handler causing the tension, it may be a good idea to reevaluate your training and handling techniques.

Excitement

A dog that grips and hang onto an animal as it is breaking past them, or as it is running away, is showing too much excitement and not enough stock sense. When there is a lot of fast movement by the stock, especially unbroken stock, a dog will sometimes forget its training and just dive into them. We see many dogs grip out of excitement at trials. This is often caused by the handlers being excited themselves and giving commands in a fast excited voice. Dogs often pick up on our moods and when we become excited they do also.

Determine which situation brings out the grip and keep putting the dog into the situation until the problem is solved. As the dog begins to grip, give corrections suited to the dog and the offense, a stern but calm voice will work. If the handler is exciting the dog, then the dog should be worked by using an excited voice. Allow it to get used to being worked with that tone of voice and emotion. It is often easier to train a dog than it is to train ourselves, but remembering to relax and take a few deep breaths during the run could help the problem as well.

Determination to Control or Dominate an Animal

This grip is seen anytime the livestock challenge the dog, try to escape, or hesitate to move. While this reason for gripping may seem like a problem to many people, it is a quality I'm looking for in a dog. However, it must be harnessed. A dog biting at times it isn't needed is a problem regardless of the cause. Personally, I don't want to discourage a dog like this, I just want to teach it patience. I want this type of dog to learn to use its eye a little more than its teeth.

With this problem I would again recommend using a tight pen or corner, giving reprimands for unwanted grips, while allowing the ones that are called for. Here again the balance is critical, we don't want to take away the good qualities, we just want to use them to our advantage. I would try to keep the work a little slower paced by teaching the dog to walk up on the stock slowly. Also I would like the dog to learn to ease around the stock in a calmer manner, giving them time to react to its movements.

Instinct to Kill

Dogs that bite with the intention of bringing down the animal are the hardest to deal with. This problem is evident in the way the dog grips. They often go straight for an individual animal and usually bite in the throat area. They have no intention of letting go and are not responsive to the trainer. The instinct to herd and control livestock must be stronger than their instinct to kill, otherwise this problem may be too severe to be worth the effort of continuing the training. Severe corrections are sometimes needed to stop this problem. If there isn't a change in the dog's attitude after a few sessions, its instinct to herd may not be strong enough to override the instinct to kill.

Consideration must be given to the safety and welfare of the livestock. We shouldn't allow a dog to injure the animals we are working.