Kleinen Wiese German Shepherds

Posted By Sandy Wilson on April 17, 2010

Delta - she was just a baby then!

Delta von der Kleinen Wiese - 9 Months Old

It’s hard to believe we had pups 9 months ago!  Delta is really growing up and maturing, but still has a long way to go as she is still such a puppy!  She has completed two obedience classes and has learned so much.  She knows all her basic commands and is now starting some beginning herding too at Kergloff Farm where she can be exposed to a much larger flock of sheep.

With such a young dog, she is not quite ready to do the formal work of an adult dog, as she is still structurally not mature and also not able to take corrections as an adult dog can.   She needs gentle guidance and calm praise – she is a very excitable dog!  Delta is very receptive and very intelligent, so I know she will learn quickly as training continues.   I know as the handler that I need training too!  She is just learning the ropes and that takes patience.  I realize that I need to be calmer, speak in a  lower tone and not get her excited with my high voice and NOT to coddle her.  I know I am guilty for petting and over handling my dogs, so I must try not to over indulge in the affection department!

Delta watching the sheep through the gate!

Much time has to be spent laying down a solid foundation in herding and I don’t think many people realize just how much time is dedicated to training.  It takes time training in very small increments, but it is so important to take it step by step and not push the dog and make mistakes that you’ll have to fix later.  Better to take baby steps now at the beginning and move according to your dog’s pace and you can avoid correcting problems later.  Herding is not a job that you teach your dog in a few months, it involves a great deal of time and dedication, but it’s all worth it in the end.

Aiko and Delta watching the sheep in the pasture.

She loves to watch the sheep!

Presently she is learning to be in control of  herself and being relaxed and calm around the sheep.  Calmness around the flock takes time, but is so important; we want to get that in her little head first and foremost before we can move on.  It is impossible for a dog to work when they are hectic and not thinking straight – you have to have a dog with a good head, calm confidence, good nerves, and a dog who can focus in order to work and learn.

Arla von der Kleinen Wiese (Delta's Dam)

Hawk v. Eichenluft, SchHIII (Delta's Sire)

Above is Delta’s dam, Arla von der Kleinen Wiese, who was a natural with the sheep at a very young age.  She was lamb tested at 8 & 10 weeks and was exactly what I wanted and she showed much interest in the sheep from a very young pup.  Arla has very strong working and herding lines in her pedigree and they really came through as her herding ability was so instinctual and she was so easy to guide and teach.  In addition, is a picture of Hawk v. Eichenluft, SchH3, Delta’s sire, who is a very strong working dog from some outstanding working bloodlines.  Besides Hawk’s strong working pedigree, he also has some “old” herding blood mixed through his pedigree.  I was hoping to see the herding come out in this breeding and from what I have seen, Delta is showing some nice herding instinct with good attraction to the sheep.  She is also showing strong work ethic and she is very intelligent – too smart sometimes for her own good!

So now that Winter is finally over and Delta was really showing interest in our sheep, it was time to see if she was ready to start her training.  The first time Delta was exposed to a large flock of sheep, she was very excited and was doing some barking and running up and down the electra-net fencing.   We did this just to expose her to the sheep and see if she was indeed ready to work – and yes, she is ready to work and begin some training.   She is a bit exuberant at this time and we just need to harness that energy into constructive learning and focus.

Delta's first exposure to a large flock! (8 months old) KERKLOFF FARM, Knowlton, NJ

Yeah, I am happy to say, she is READY!  This dog is so active – seems like she is in perpetual motion all the time, and so it will be good for her to soon learn her real job in life and that is herding the sheep!   I am hoping to title her when she is fully trained, as I think she has much potential like her mother (Arla v.d. Kleinen Wiese) and grandmother (Hera v. Fafnerhaus)  before her!  I owe so much of this herding talent and wonderful genetics to their great grandfather Alf v. Fafnerhaus AKA Nicky!   Delta definitely has some strong working lines in her pedigree, as well as strong herding genetics – she is really a powerhouse of bloodlines that I can’t wait to tap into.  I think she has potential plus!

Hera v. Fafnerhaus (Delta's Grandmother)

Alf v. Fafnerhaus - known as Nicky (Hera's Sire and Delta's great grandfather)

More on Delta’s adventures later – right now it’s time to play another game of fetch – this dog could fetch a ball all day long!

Delta loves to run around with the ball in her mouth all the time!

Always in motion!

Category: Herding - HGH, Puppies | 2 Comments »
Tags: Arla vd Kleinen Wiese, D-Litter, Delta, German Shepherd, Hawk v. Eichenluft, Sheep Herding

Posted By Sandy Wilson on April 7, 2010

Aiko (Hera v. Fafnerhaus X Diesel v. Schulmeister) First day out for our flock with lambs in 2010!

Our Boy!

This weekend we decided to start getting our sheep back into condition after lambing season.  It’s always a challenge to call the sheep and have the lambs come too – it’s just not that easy!  The lambs don’t know what to do and sometimes the mothers are reluctant to leave the little ones.  But after the first day of tasting the sweet green grass, the mothers are much better by the second day!  The lambs are the ones that really need to get used to being led by the shepherd and kept in line by the dog.

Above is our Aiko working our flock for the first time this year.  He has been training this Fall in Knowlton, NJ at Kergloff Farm with Geary Loff and starting to really come along.  He has only been on sheep really since last summer and he has come along way.  He is the kind of dog that really wants to please and hates to make mistakes.  He is really the most honest dog and he is so good with our sheep.  Even with the lambs, Aiko is gentle, yet he gets them back in line where they should be – goodness knows, lambs are a challenge for any dog!

Above Aiko keeps a watchful eye over the new lambs – for that matter, the lambs keep a watch on me too while I am in the graze taking these  pictures.  Sometimes I feel something tugging on me while I am taking pictures and it’s usually my ram trying to eat my shirt, but for the most part, they are busy chomping on the fresh grass.  The lambs are quite intrigued with the dog, and are learning they have boundaries now!

The flock is spread out all over the graze we have, so not all the sheep are pictured, but Aiko patrols back and forth on his own with no direction from his shepherd.  He takes his job very seriously and loves his work more than anything.   When you say his name, his tail wags because he is happy working.  He is learning to really relax this year and also be better able to handle the lamb situation – the lambs are always running and jumping all over the place and they never follow the rules.  I get a kick out of watching them play and figure out exactly what grass is for!  Some of the very young lambs are not eating grass yet and are still just on mom’s milk, so they don’t have a clue – they are just loving life!

Here are just some purebred Border Leicester lambs hanging out – having fun!  They are all different ages, but most were just born recently several weeks ago.  They are all doing well and moms are great nursers for sure!  We love this breed for their long, lusterous wool, their temperaments and they also flock nicely for herding.  They are a mid-size sheep that are easy to care for – the ewes are good mothers, they have good feet, generally hardy and healthy, and I love their curious and friendly nature.  They are nice for large flock tending.  Just a few more ewes to go in the barn for lambing and then they will be on pasture all the time.

That’s all for now, but more to come on herding our flock of sheep.  All the dogs love to work, so it’s tough each giving them time on the flock when it’s early in the season.  Later on when we have the sheep out for several hours at a time, we can switch dogs or even have two dogs work the flock at the same time.

We are just now starting our little Delta in herding too and so it will be an interesting journey bringing her along as a youngster.  She is just full of herself and also has alot of energy that needs to be harnessed!  Can’t wait!   We’ll have updates as she comes along!

Posing for the camera - the lambs are just so curious!

Category: Border Leicester Sheep, Herding - HGH | 1 Comment »
Tags: Aiko vd. Kleinen Wiese