I Take my City Dog to Try Herding Sheep For The First Time

Jack is our much loved Belgian Shepherd or Groenendael. Every time I take him to the dog park he just seems obsessed with running circles around the other dogs. So we decided to see what happens when we took him to a Sheep herding class. I wanted to see if something would awaken inside. The trainer was Matisse at Fit Dog Farm, and she was great. I understand the value in introducing very docile sheep to a city dog who has never seen a sheep. It was all about introducing sheep to Jack, nothing more. Once he gets familiar with sheep, then he will get introduced to less docile sheep. This ensures Jack does not get too stressed, and gains confidence with these animals.
Discover what it’s like to own a Belgian Shepherd! Explore what life is like with Jack Flash, a black shepherd variety also called a Groenendael or Belgian sheepdog.
Worldwide, they are known as:
1. English: Belgian Sheepdog or Belgian Shepherd variety Groenendael
2. French: Chien de Berger Belge
3. Dutch: Belgische Herdershond
4. German: Belgischer Schäferhund
5. Spanish: Pastor Belga
6. Italian: Pastore Belga
7. Belgian: Groenendaeler
From the time we adopted him as a teenage pup, Jack Flash has been a wonderful dog. We share all the things we have discovered about the breed since we adopted him. We train him using completely force-free methods. 🐾 This is also our first dog.
Think you want a Belgian Shepherd? Watch what we have gone through and see if it’s a good match for you too! 🐕‍🦺 Warning: They do love their exercise. If you don’t exercise, I advise do NOT get this breed. Having a large yard does not constitute as exercise as these dogs will not exercise themselves.
Please like and subscribe to our channel. 💔
What you'll learn from this channel:
- Life in general with a Belgian Shepherd
- Training a Belgian Shepherd
- Running with a Belgian Shepherd (we are runners)
- What we feed our boy and why 🥩
- Grooming tips
- The small funny things we didn’t know about the breed
- How to use positive reinforcement and force-free techniques
- Other Tips
There are 4 varieties of Belgian shepherds, The 4 varieties are the very popular Belgian Malinois, Tervuren, Groenendael and Laekenois. Athletically they are all similar, but vary in coat, temperament and drive, and also between working and show lines.
This is not a strict dog training channel. It’s more a “Adventures of Jack” channel, but it does include training elements that I learn and teach along the way. I am not a professional dog trainer.
We try and release multiple shorts per week for entertainment and education. In turn help us grow by subscribing. If you have any ideas/comments on what you want to see with my Belgian Shepherd, leave a comment and I will try and create it.
This channel is solely for the purpose of trying to raise money for my dogs Cryptorchidism (his testicles did not drop) so he needs a procedure to have his testicles removed internally which is very expensive here. Apparently, they can become cancerous if not removed.
Love your 🐕‍🦺
#dog #belgiumshepherd #groenendael #sheepherding #herdingdog

[@yogiyoda]

So gentle

[@belgian_groenendael]

I think it's because he's still gaining confidence with sheep. He was like that with other dogs at first, but now he prods and pokes like mad to get the other dogs to run.

[@noname7496]

Wow he did great!

[@belgian_groenendael]

Why thank you!

[@Yupppi]

It's funny how the closer Jack gets and the sheep start to move, the more he realises they're like the dogs he's been herding and the instinct starts to kick in again. Like you can see the moment he starts to walk to guide them while investigating around. Starts to circle them instead of walking straight to them to sniff, keeping the distance the same. "They move the way I want them to when I walk." He just didn't have much plan yet other than cornering them :D

[@belgian_groenendael]

I'm so used to Jacks behavior sometimes I don't see the obvious. Thank you for your insight. Can't wait to get Jack on some less docile sheep.

[@NinthEuphoric]

He's a natural! Looks like he loved every minute of it :)

[@belgian_groenendael]

I think so too! The trainer mentioned a few times how happy he looked.

[@ScooterintheSticks]

It was a pleasure to watch Jack meet the sheep and begin to explore herding. I wish we had a similar facility here but sheep in general are few and far between. Holstein cows are the predominant livestock on pasture here. Good luck with the training and as always I enjoy your videos.

[@belgian_groenendael]

Thanks for the comment, and I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I think after some lessons Jack will be introduced to less docile sheep. Can't wait for that!

[@bethfoor1949]

Good boy! Is he named after the book, “Jack,” about a Groenendael?!

[@belgian_groenendael]

No? What book is that? Jacks name is "Jack Flash", so sometimes we call him Flash and other times Jack.

[@bethfoor1949]

It is called “Jack,” by Frank Walker. It’s about a Groenendael in Yorkshire, England. I have it myself, but haven’t read it all yet! I have male Groenie named Theo, had a female named Annie before. ❤️ I’d send you a photo of the book if I could! I’m in Michigan, USA. 😊

[@caveworld7849]

That’s amazing! I’m from Yorkshire and love groenendaels.