Wednesday 15 July 2015

Meco, and the collar of shame




Our  8 month old Sarplaninac pup Meco is very bonded to his rams.
So, much so,
 when we try to put him in another pasture,
he will crawl under the fence to get back in with the rams.

Although cute and endearing,
fence crawling is a big no no on our place.

Where we put a dog, that is where we need him to be.
No discussions, no tolerance, the dogs need to stay where we need them.

So,  not curb his enthusiasm too much,
we gave him his very own, super light weight yoke, aka the collar of shame.



After a day or so of trying to get his head through the gate and under the fence he now realizes that that is not a possibility any more,
his head is just too darn wide.



I believe very strongly that fence  training and respect for fences is essential with LGD.
Most LGD like to roam and gather more and more territory to patrol.

However, this roaming is really a very bad habit and can cause a multitude of problems.
The biggest being; that when the dog is out gallivanting,
no-one is home to protect the livestock.
Roaming dogs can cause neighbor problems.
They could breed and be bred while out and about.
They can cause motor accidents.
They can be shot.
A roaming livestock guardian dog is a liability.

So, to nip this little bad habit in the bud,
Meco, gets to wear this collar for a number of weeks,
he is totally cool about the collar,
 and goes about his daily business as though it is not even there.
He can still play with his old piece of cow hide,



he can survey his kingdom,



he can patrol,



he can bark, he can eat and drink.



the only thing he cannot do, is get his head under the wire,
which is all we really need.

All this is in preparation for one day,
when he will be out protecting the sheep and cows in some distant pasture.



8 comments:

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  3. Hi BJ
    This collar may deter some dogs from jumping. It is primarily used to stop those dogs that like to fence crawl, slip between opening and digging under fences. We have a hot wire to keep the cattle and horses from leaning over the fence, that usually also discourages dogs from going over the top.

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  4. Do you make these or purchase them, and if so where from?

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  5. Very good pictorial explanation. great job, Louise!

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  6. Please can you tell us how to make or where to buy this collar?

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    Replies
    1. I need one of these too! I see how the pipe is bolted together, but how do you put it on and keep it there safely?

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    2. Hi
      I use zip ties to attach to the collar.

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