https://www.facebook.com/pat.byrne.58/videos/1121244294650732/

I'm betting those sheep have been well dog broke and selected for working new dogs.

I've worked goats that would just as soon stomp a grown dog much less a puppy that small/young.

Amazing to see the natural instincts though.

Amazing! I've never seen herding dogs in real, just in vids or TV. I don't understand in the least why and how they are capable of doing this. Bob says he bets that those sheep have been selected for working new dogs. Again: How?

And have such dogs also been selected for herding, or the whole breed over a long time? Or/and are they especially trained for this or are they doing it instinctively? Big mystery for me how this is possible.

Herding dogs have instincts. Breed preservationists selectively breed for those traits. I compare this puppy's natural movements to that of a pointer... you can teach a dog to indicate, but the pointing behavior obviously comes naturally. I think you can contrast with how working herding dogs have been bred compared to how GSD's have been selectively bred for traits other than their natural herding instincts.

I would like to point out that genetics aren't everything in a working puppy. You can see what I assume to be a littermate sitting in the middle of the fracas totally oblivious to what is going on around him. As Bob said, this is a situation where the people observing do not fear for the safety of the pups. Some commenters on the facebook post reiterate the dangers of staring puppies so young.

My reference to "dog broke stock" simply means these sheep have been worked numerous times with "good" dogs and thru this have developed a healthy respect for the dogs.

This pup in the video has a fantastic potential for stock work based on that short video.

You saw a couple of time when a sheep would lower it's head when the pup got close.

With "rough stock" that have never had any dog work them could very well have stomped that pup into a mud hole.

In a couple of instances one of those sheep dropped it's head when the pup got closer. That was a warning to the pup but the pup didn't back off.

That was good reading on the pup's side.

"IF" this was a more experienced dog and that sheep would have kept at it the dog would put more pressure on the sheep and back it down OR a weak dog could have backed down frdm that threat.

When I started herding with my GSD Thunder there was one goat that was known for punishing weak dogs.

My trainer knew this yet told me to turn Thunder loos in the pen with that group of goats.

5 yrs old and his first time ever in a stock pen.

The billy goat stomped his front foot while shaking his head and Thunder slowly walked, almost stalked towards the goat with his head low, ears and tail up.

The goat backed down with no problem at all.

In other days at the farm I had seen this same goat run dogs all over the pen.

This goat was a bully! It would have killed that pup but my instructor knew the goat and knew my dog

The stock reads the herding dogs just as well as a good herding dog reads the stock.

To add to Duane's comment about breeding for certain behaviors I will add that the style of herding that GSD was bred for was actually quite different then the style of herding a Border Collie does.

There can actually be some bias in AKC herding judging based on those differences because most all AKC herding is based on how the Border Collie works.

Bottom line though is a good stock dog is a good stock dog.

Thanks for the explications. Once more I couldn't stop laughing imagining those behaviors of dogs, sheep and goats, Although it amused me I am fully aware of the fact that this is a serious thing and belongs into the right hands.

If I understand you both right their instincts are only one important part, but then an experienced trainer will have to choose the suitable individuals and has to train them for this job?

Wow, what courage, Bob, to try this with Thunder! Weren't you afraid? You could not foresee how those animals would react. Ok, the instructor knew the goat, nonetheless I wouldn't have dared.

Theoretically: Could a Pitbull or a Labrador with the right guidance learn this? I doubt it. Just for curiosity. I promise I'll not try it, I have no sheep and no goats.

"Wow, what courage, Bob, to try this with Thunder! Weren't you afraid? You could not foresee how those animals would react. Ok, the instructor knew the goat, nonetheless I wouldn't have dared."

Not so much because I had complete trust in my trainers read on Thunder as I had trust in Thunder also.

As I walked up to the pen she just said "Thunder will do just fine" and she was right.

She had belonged to the same club I did and had been herding for a number of yrs before, during and still.

She had always told me much of the same character and temperament needed in herding are desired also in Schutzhund.

In the "German style/boundry style/continental style/HGH style of herding the dog can also earn a working title in herding.

This was before the SV started catering to more show dogs and the dog was requiired to have a "protect the shepherd" phase in the test.

Today, all the HGH test requires is that the dog bark at the intruder.

IMHO that stinks!

When the club as a group went out there just to test their dog she pretty much told me how each dog would perform and she nailed it.

How amazing. You knew to read Thunder very well, the trainer obviously knew to read Thunder and you. She nailed it and Thunder nailed it too. Awesome!
Now you tempted me too much. I think I'll buy some sheep and give the whole thing a try.

Learning to read a dog is 99% of good training and dog behavior was something I've been interested in since I was a kid.

"Now you tempted me too much. I think I'll buy some sheep and give the whole thing a try. smiley for "

Under the eye of a good herding trainer.......right?! ;-)