Pastoral group?

[Lara575]

Hi

My brother is researching which breed is right for him and he's finding it hard to choose but he knows which group he likes the pastoral group. He like most of them except for the collies except the bearded he likes them, GSD , Belgian Shepherd, courgis, shelties, kelpies , cattle dog.

He wanted me to ask you a question with you giving me great advice and helping me choose the GSD.

Which breeds in this group are confidant ? ( what he means by this is like the Labrador eg, happy go lucky , loves people and other dogs, loves life. That what he is looking for and was hoping a pastoral breed might be similar in this way) he knows none of them would be likes labs 100% as labs don't suit him but this is the one aspect that he like to have in a dog.

He use to like GSD but when I was doing my research and I found out that there not confidant because of there protective trait he went off them. I did ask if he had a favourite and he does the Old English Sheepdog.

Look forward to hearing from you all.

[Nettle]

Corgis are rather jolly little chaps, and bearded collies of show breeding are too. Beardies are rather barky, and there is a significant grooming commitment.

Most of the others are high-drive and would be too much for a novice owner, or else rather shy.

[Lara575]

Ooh he will be very interested to know about courgis as he always was told there snappy so to know there rather jolly.

I wanted to just ask about Samoyeds? What are they like as he likes them too. I did not know they were in the pastoral group.

And could he train a beardie to bark maybe twice and then be quiet on command?

[Shalista]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE CORGISSS!!!! Prolly the cutest dogs EVER...... *cough* srry not very productive

Our family had a corgi when i was a kid, very cute and nice, survived a household full of 5 kids without snapping or biting us but whoo boy when she blew coat it was EVERYWHERE. enough fur to make a second corgi =P

Corgi twerking - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5KyMNDJE6o

[Lara575]

Thanks shalista-

My brother likes corgis but I have spoken with him and the corgi is not for him as there to small.

He's hoping to find out more about the Samoyed and beardie.

[Lara575]

Hiya

I'm hoping to get a reply soon?

Just wanted to update that my brother is between the Samoyed or beardie and was hoping you could give him great advice on both breeds like what there like to train , exercise , any advice. He also knows that both are big barkers is one more barky than the other, and what can he do to prevent excessive amounts of barking so his neighbours don't go mad with him? Please

Thank you

[Nettle]

Don't forget all of us who help here are volunteers, with our own work and other responsibilities in real life - so we can't always answer right away and we need you - or in this case your brother - to do some research for yourself

So it's time for your brother to research these two breeds in detail, including exercise, health and training requirements. Now is the time for him to be talking to breeders and asking their advice too. When he has done the grunt work, we are very happy to help further. So far as barking is concerned, he will need to arrange to be home to settle the dog in and work up to leaving it for longer spells, so I trust he is in a position to do that, as well as give the dog sufficient exercise because pastoral breeds are very active.

[Lara575]

Hi

I want to firstly say a big thank you to Nettle for her advice for my brother as he took your advice on board and on the 18th 3 days ago he went to meet 3 different local breeders that day of the beardie to see what there like. Let's just say Nettle your advice really opened his eyes as after meeting beardies he now knows there not for him. On Saturday he went to meet some Samoyeds and again realised they were not for him as they were to high drive. He just want a companion he can love and enjoy long walks with and who he can enjoy ownership as well as training etc. The Samoyed owner recommend a rough collie after learning what my brother wanted in a dog. He said that roughs are in his opinion boring dogs as there not very high driven as most of that has been bred out. So yesterday my brother had met 2 different breeders and this time he came home knowing which breed was right for him. He has learnt a lot about the RC but he wanted me to ask, he learnt that they are sensitive to noise and that you have to desensitise the collie to noises so then the collie won't be as fearful of noises how could he desensitise the collie to noises?

[Erica]

If he doesn't want a high-drive dog, the pastoral group in general is not for him. Maybe it's different across the pond, but here rough collies are high energy and yes, sensitive to noise and very vocal.

[Lara575]

Thanks for your reply.

Were in the UK. The breeders just told him that RC are not as high engery like samies and the RC he's know have all been less active than most other herding dogs. And the breeders of the RC he met said there dogs are fine with one hour a day and then sleep most of the day. The type he saw was show line.n

And he was told that with the sensitivity to noises that if he introduces the pup to different noises at a young age then the RC won't be as fearful when older?

[master2]

I have dug out this old post on the RC and one members on the fourm describes the collie as boring and a sedate house dog. The collies I have been around have never been sensitive then again they were well socialised as pups with noies. However they did not like tension or loud voices. viewtopic.php?f=23&t=21168&p=147323&hil ... ie#p147323


Most collies I come across on walks are very sedate and gentle just plodding along. As nd the ones I knew did not bark much either again then were trained really well that they could bark a few times and then were told the owners have it and to be quiet.

[Lara575]

Thanks master2.

[Nettle]

Pastoral breeds in UK are mostly high energy too. I agree compared to the others RCs are less energetic but they are still plenty of dog.


Some breeders start noise de-sensitising with CDs before the pups leave home. It is in any case a good idea. Also get pups used to having a radio or TV on low in the background, and if there is a noisy event planned, work on keeping your pup away from it. This might mean cutting a few family events for the first year.

[Lara575]

Thanks Nettle.

That's exactly what the breeders said that they start de- sensitive when the pups are only a few days old with a CD. He know there still active it was just that he found out Samoyeds and beardies were both more active than the collie which made him prefer the collie.

You know when you say he would have to miss events for the first year would he be able to go to these events once he has got the dog confidant enough with noies, people ect. ( not that he really goes to many events m as mainly just local treacle markets and day trips like trentam gardens ect.)

[Nettle]

I was thinking more of him leaving the dog at home while he goes out. Some events (such as firework parties) are just too much for any dog, and it's far kinder to leave the dog at home, well-walked and with a stuffed kong or two.