Can You Train an Aussie NOT to Herd Livestock?

by Bryant
(Edmond, OK)

Hello, I have a general Australian Shepherd question that someone might be able to answer. My wife and I are looking into getting an Aussie. The new addition will most likely be under two years old. We live on a couple of acres out in farm country. The land next to us has about 100 horses on it and would be easily accessible to our playful partner. On the other side are eight cows and a bull that would take a little more effort to access, but I think an Aussie pup could make his/her way in. We do not own either the horses or the cattle and want to make sure our new pup doesn't get into trouble.

As far as our fencing goes, we are considering an invisible fence that is plotted about 10 feet from any of the aforementioned livestock fencing. We like the idea of the pup to have plenty of room to run around and enjoy the great outdoors, play ball, exercise, etc., but we also believe in setting boundaries, especially considering the nearby livestock.

So my question is is there a way that we can train our Aussie to NOT herd animals? Would you happen to have any suggestions on how to keep him/her safe? I'm hoping the invisible fence will allow him to be social but still distant, however, should our curious canine channel his inner greyhound and zip right on over the boundary while only receiving a quick and relatively minor shock, we want to make sure we can reign him in and keep him from being injured by the larger animals.

TLDR: In an effort to keep our dog safe, can you train an Aussie NOT to herd livestock?

Thank you for your time and assistance!

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