- While keeping the sheep against a fence line, call your pup to your side and encourage it to go out from there to gather the sheep for you.
- Place yourself strategically to help the sheep move off the pup.
- Then back off and allow it to drive them to you.
- If the pup is too aggressive, step in and steady the sheep against the fence.
- You may have to hold up your hands and move towards the pup to enforce your authority.
- If all is well, step back and allow the sheep to move between you and the fence.
- Now your pup must come around cleanly behind you to catch them from the other side.
- Move out and perhaps hold your stick out to encourage a clean wide cast.
- Use spoken and whistled commands for:
- Go left
- Go right
- Stop
- Walk Up
- Steady
- If pressure builds up, teach “That’ll Do” to move the pup back off the mob.
- This command will be used later when asking your dog to leave the stock it is working to recast for some other animals.
- The pup may dive in to grab a sheep. Don’t allow this.
- Move in quickly between it and the sheep, growl a warning and hold your stick out to deter a further attempt at closing in.
- Remain calm.
- If the pup becomes excited, steady the situation down by blocking the sheep yourself.
- Remember that it is easier to steady a strong pup than to encourage an uncertain one.
- Observe your pup during early attempts at stock work and help it to make a success of these efforts.
- Be patient and persistent while you establish the basic commands.
- By coming around behind you to head the sheep, the pup learns to be clean and wide in its cast.
- This is important and you should see that the pup gives the sheep plenty of room.
- To further establish the “Right” and “Left” commands, teach it to come part way round from the fence and then back again.
- Now drive the mob along the fenceline while teaching your pup to “Walk Up”, “Stand” and walk up from beside you and then even go ahead of you.
- After about half a dozen lessons, the pup will be experienced enough to cope with stock away from the fence line.
- Take the sheep out into a clear area, and after they have been headed, call the pup off balance to come round behind you and swing out fast to catch the balance beyond the sheep.
- Just a few of these lessons will suffice, as dogs prefer to learn during general stock work.
- At this stage you could allow your young dog to quietly work a few quiet animals by itself.
- Ideally you will be nearby doing some other work but able to observe the young dog.
- It will be leaning better basic stock handling skills on its own rather than under the pressure of being commanded.
- If it happens to start crowding these animals growl it back off them - "Go outside!"
- Take care not to interfere with the pup’s work more than you must.
- Help it to develop a natural style by allowing it to move freely to cover any attempts by the stock to elude control.
- This is preferable to a mechanical response to the shepherd’s commands.
- Aim to handle the sheep without causing any alarm or stress.
- Remember that training close at hand is much easier to manage than attempting to teach a dog when it is far away from you.
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How to Train Young Dogs Naturally for Stock work - Working Commands
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