Chaining the dog with the sheep at night and releasing it during the day may achieve positive results. Introduce the new pup to its new boundaries on a leash and do it several times the first week. Patrolling and attentiveness to sheep will increase and develop over time. Regardless of training of some pups, a small percentage never strongly bond to sheep. Playing with the sheep A certain amount of licking, pawing, chasing and nipping can be expected with some puppies.
Boredom contributes to playful activities between puppies and the sheep.
The problem can be minimized by moving the pup to a larger area, or in some way changing the pup's environment. Closely supervise a new pup and this will eliminate the formation of bad habits. Play behavior decreases with age. The time required for the sheep to accept the pup will vary with the time of year it is placed. Lambing time is one time when the ewes will be protective of their young lambs.