Nobody breeds Old English Sheepdogs for working attributes anymore. They breed them for big-black-nose fluffy cuteness and inanity. The only “herding” behaviors I’ve noticed in Edgar are the meltdown he has if you walk around something repeatedly without him being allowed to stop you (this includes spinning in office chairs) and his use of his butt as a weapon (to slam into you, or more often, other dogs). But yeah, he sniffed my sister-in-law’s sheep, they sniffed him, and then he took off running and they followed.
This is why I keep saying I got my puppy to be a “useful” dog.
Lynn — I don’t know. He wasn’t barking at either of them, so I think perhaps he was enthralled by the deer. If I’d been closer I would have told him to bark to see what the deer would do. We’ve already ascertained that firing a shotgun doesn’t scare them.
Which do you think Edgar is more interested in – the cat or the deer?
Do you think he knows what to do with either of them?
Of course. He’d chase the cat and stomp the deer. Or, he might run away. (He has run away from sheep before.)
He’s scared of sheep? Isn’t he a sheepdog? Maybe he should turn his papers back in?
Oh dear, I reread that and it sounded kind of mean. Poor Edgar, I’ll have to bring him an extra apple next time I come out.
Nobody breeds Old English Sheepdogs for working attributes anymore. They breed them for big-black-nose fluffy cuteness and inanity. The only “herding” behaviors I’ve noticed in Edgar are the meltdown he has if you walk around something repeatedly without him being allowed to stop you (this includes spinning in office chairs) and his use of his butt as a weapon (to slam into you, or more often, other dogs). But yeah, he sniffed my sister-in-law’s sheep, they sniffed him, and then he took off running and they followed.
This is why I keep saying I got my puppy to be a “useful” dog.
Lynn — I don’t know. He wasn’t barking at either of them, so I think perhaps he was enthralled by the deer. If I’d been closer I would have told him to bark to see what the deer would do. We’ve already ascertained that firing a shotgun doesn’t scare them.