Peaceful co-existence with a sheep

[Suehil]

Last year I adopted a two-year-old large, hairy mongrel from the shelter. There were one or two problems to start with but he is now a happy, affectionate and obedient dog - if at times a little overenthusiastic. He loves our other dog and is great friends with the cats. Wherever he is he comes immediately when I call him and is clearly very anxious to please.
With one exception. If he sees any animal he considers as prey he is unstoppable; he has already killed a couple of marauding rabbits and if I didn't stop him he would spend all night trying to unrol a hedgehog. The problem is that I now have a sheep, and I'm not sure how to teach him that she is a member of the family and not prey.
He is already used to her presence behind a fence, where he can see her and smell her and the pony who shares the field. Yesterday he got into the field and started chasing the sheep (he completely ignored the pony). I caught him before anything dreadful happened but I don't want to have to keep them apart for ever.
Does anyone have an ideas?

[Maggiesmom1]

Sorry no one has responded to your question. Its not a real common problem. I would hope that he would not think of a sheep as prey like the wild rabbits and hedgehogs. The sheep has to be big enough that he would know better, right? In case not, I would teach "leave it" and tell him "no, leave it" if he gets excited about the sheep when you have him on a lead near it. Let him see you touching the sheep, feeding the sheep, etc...so he knows its part of the family. Be firm about telling him "leave it". And praise him when you see him leaving it alone.

Good luck--he sounds like a fun dog and it sounds like you have a fantastic place for a dog. "No sheep!!" "Leave it!" Keep on saying it....

You could also teach him the field is off limits to him.

[Suehil]

Thanks, Maggiesmom

I shall just have to persevere - things are already getting calmer and I think that with a bit of patience we'll crack it. It's always so easy to think that there ought to be a magic answer, and there never is.