Traditionally a
prospective herding dog grew up in a working situation, gradually being
introducedto and gaining experience with livestock. This is still the
most suitable way for a dog to learn to herd. Today,however, in our more
urban society, this is not always possible.
For owners who are
interested in getting started in herding, the best way to begin is to
work with an experienced herding trainer. The trainer will be able to
provide individual attention and instruction suited to the particular
dog. The stock and the facility will be suitable for beginners as well
as for those who have more experience. The lessons aren't necessarily
strictly private lessons held in one block of time, but usually involve
several short sessions interspersed with rest periods. While the dog is
taking a break, the owner can learn by watching other dogs being trained
and can visit with other participants.
While individual
lessons are best, clinics can be very helpful, being fairly similar to
private lessons but providing a broad overview of dogs in various stages
of training. Some people get their initial start by having their dog
take part in an organized herding instinct test. Instinct tests focus
primarily on the beginning step of the first introduction of the dog to
stock, but while they should be held in the setting of a clinic, often
there is not time for very much individual attention. There are both
all-breed tests and tests held by breed clubs for their own breed.
Whether in a
private situation, clinic or test, the first introduction to livestock
must be carefully supervised.
Considering
participation in herding
After the dog has
been introduced to stock and has shown evidence of herding potential,
the owner must carefully consider several factors. Is the owner in a
position to devote some time to regular herding lessons? With a dog that
is mature enough to begin training, usually around a year of age, owners
should be in a position to take their dog to stock on a regular basis --
at least once a week, preferably two or three times a week. It is unfair
to a dog to "tease" it, in effect, with intermittent small tastes of
herding, and no real progress can be made under such circumstances. It
is also unfair to the stock, for instead of being confronted with a more
settled dog, each time they will be subjected to an over-excited dog
which will remain strange and upsetting to them. Owners who are unable
to become actively involved in herding due to their current
circumstances can continue to learn about herding through other means
until such time as they can practice with the dog more regularly, and
can support herding activities in other ways while gaining an
appreciation of the skills of the herding dog.
It is important to
keep in mind that a lot of groundwork, time and education are required
to produce a skilled herding dog. Only time and experience will provide
a clearer picture of a dog's abilities. The dogs have herding instinct
-- but people don't -- so it is of great importance that the person
learn about herding, and about stock behavior and care. In addition to
clinics and lessons, books, magazines and videos are available.
Preparatory
steps
Because herding
will be such potentially exciting activity for the dog, some preparatory
steps can be taken to help make the early work with livestock easier for
all concerned. It is important that the dog have a good recall and a
good stop (sit or down). These must be practiced away from stock, in
many situations and with distractions. By doing this preliminary work,
the dog gains a working relationship with its owner without the added
stress and excitement of the presence of stock.
The dog probably
will not at first obey the recall and stop perfectly when the
introduction to stock takes place, but progress will be much quicker
than if the dog did not have solid training to recall and stop. Through
use of the stop (which will be a "sit" or "down" command, whichever is
easiest for the particular dog), the handler can take pressure off the
sheep. The sheep will then be more likely to settle into position more
smoothly, and this in turn will help settle the dog. With the stock and
sheep more settled, the novice handler can better learn positioning and
handling, which in turn helps the dog learn more easily and quickly,
which lessens stress on sheep, dog and handler.
Unlike other
herding commands, the stop from motion can be practiced at home, away
from stock, so it is feasible work for the person who does not have
stock of their own. To teach the stop from motion, first a regular sit
or down is taught, with the handler relatively stationary. Then, the
handler asks for the sit or down while the handler continues walking.
Finally, the handler asks for the sit or down while running excitedly,
clapping hands, playing with a ball or other toy, etc. It should be done
in a happy, play- training fashion, but firmly enforced. If, when first
working stock, the dog is virtually out of control, the owner will be
asked to work at home on a solid recall and stop before bringing the dog
back to stock. Even with calmer dogs, this "homework" remains important
and should be practiced daily and in many situations. Ironically,
however, while it is important that the dog have a good stop and recall,
these commands must not be overused during the early training lessons on
stock. The early lessons are focused more on developing the dog's
natural herding abilities in collecting the stock and controlling their
movement.
Finding a
trainer
Leads for trainers
can come from several sources, but a certain amount of searching may be
necessary. Some areas of the country have more herding activity going on
than others. If local herding activities are available, attend them and
meet the participants. There may even be people in local show-oriented
breed clubs who, while they may not themselves be involved in herding,
know of others in that breed who are. If no leads can be found, a
regional or national breed club or herding club can be contacted, for
instance, the Australian Shepherd Club of America or the American
Herding Breed Association. Such organizations will be able to provide
contacts for local clubs and trainers, which will in turn lead to other
contacts. Expect to be following a trail of several referrals, rather
than getting a trainer's name with the very first contact -- although
that can happen, too. Read several herding books and articles in herding
magazines to gain some familiarity with herding even if some things
won't be clear until participation in lessons actually beings.
The trainer should
be a person who has a sound knowledge of and experience with herding and
has been working stock on a regular basis. It is good if the trainer has
had experience with both strong- and loose-eyed dogs, but if more
familiar with one type of dog is still open-minded about the other. Such
trainers generally look for the fundamental qualities that are common to
good herding whatever the breed, rather than focusing too much on
supposed particular "breed styles," but they also are aware that dogs
are individuals and will tailor their approach to the individual. They
work with and shape the dog's natural abilities, help develop its full
potential and increase its skills. They strive for good, versatile,
practical work, and are concerned about laying a solid foundation. While
being aware of trialing venues and probably active in trialing
themselves, they don't focus on trial courses per se. They train a dog
to herd rather than to run on this or that course. Successful trial
results from a variety of venues can be a sign of a good trainer, but
there are also trainers who are very good but don't trial to any extent
because that is not where their interests lie. In choosing a trainer, it
will be helpful if possible to visit one or more trainers, observe some
classes and talk to a number of people.
Owners of some
breeds may be able to more easily find a trainer knowledgeable about
working with their breed. For instance, Border Collie owners often have
good trainers readily available. An area where Australian Shepherds have
been in common use may have a good range of trainers familiar with
Aussies. It may be a case of being lucky enough to be in an area where
there happens to be a trainer who is knowledgeable about a particular
breed. A benefit of the increasing interest in herding is that there are
now more trainers available who are knowledgeable about a variety of
breeds.
There are many
trainers who are interested in a wide range of breeds, but some trainers
who work mostly with a particular breed may be uninterested in working
with others. Even the trainers who only want to work with certain breeds
can still be a source of good information for owners of other breeds,
however. For example, the owner of another breed can attend a Border
Collie trainer's clinic as a spectator. Attending a clinic as an
observer, whether or not the attendee owns the same breed as the person
giving the clinic, is beneficial because much can be learned at a clinic
by observing the work of others. And some of the trainers who start out
only wanting to work with one breed may become intrigued by other breeds
and end up working them as well.
Working with a
trainer
The owner of the
prospective herding dog should also consider what the ultimate goals in
training might be. A person who just wants a dog capable of doing a
simple farm routine may only require some simple basic training. But
nowadays there is a great deal of interest in herding as a sport or
hobby, and as a result of the demands of competition a more
sophisticated kind of training usually is desired.
Probably as a
result of the amount of trialing done with Border Collies, training
techniques were developed by Border Collie handlers to a greater extent
than generally was the case with some of the other breeds, which often
were used more for routine farm work that could be done with little
particular training. As time has gone on, however, techniques first
elaborated by Border Collie trainers have spread and have proved to be
adaptable to other breeds when the goal is to produce a flexible,
well-rounded worker adaptable to a range of situations. But adaptations
and adjustments will be made based on the dog's individual
characteristics, there may be a different emphasis or focus at different
stages of training.
Despite a certain
amount of common practice, training approaches can vary between
trainers. It is may be the case that one trainer just seems to have the
knack of getting across information to you and your dog. There are
people who are very good trainers and handlers of dogs but perhaps not
as good at communicating their knowledge to the human student. Even the
trainer who provides only a low-key observation and an opportunity to
practice can play a helpful part in gaining experience once the basics
have been learned.
While it's better
not to hop around willy-nilly from trainer to trainer, especially at
first, it can be beneficial as time goes on to learn from several
trainers. Attending clinics is a good way to see a wide range of
techniques. It may happen that one trainer may be best for you and your
dog at a particular stage of training, but another trainer may have a
better way at a different stage. The more techniques you know about, the
more knowledge you will have to choose from, which you may eventually
apply to a different dog at a later time. It is also a good practice to
go to different facilities so that your dog becomes accustomed to
working in different locations.
Some trainers
prefer to have their student work only with them, particularly in the
beginning, while others are amenable to their students also going to
others. It is best to find out ahead of time your potential trainer's
view on this, so as to avoid possible misunderstandings. If you do go to
more than one trainer on occasion, try to avoid any appearance of
"arguing" with the trainer you are working with. That trainer may do
things differently from your regular trainer, and you may in the end
prefer your primary trainer's methods, but you are there to learn from
the trainer you are with at the moment, not to convince that trainer of
a "better" way. You can, of course, discuss different techniques, but it
should be done in a generalized way: "I saw this being tried once" or
"I've heard of such-and-such being done, and thought it might work well
for my dog.," not, "but my trainer so-and-so says never to do that." If
a trainer does something with which you do totally disagree and of such
a nature (perhaps a certain kind of correction) that you don't wish to
continue, that is another matter, of course. This is rarely the case,
fortunately.
You should be able
to find a trainer with whom you are comfortable -- you like the
atmosphere of the facility, you feel the trainer explains him- or
herself well, you feel the trainer likes working with your dog, and you
see steady progress being made.
Further work
As time goes on,
you will spend more time working on your own, both at the trainer's
facility and at other locations which you will find. It is often
necessary simply to get more "mileage" at different stages. Take
advantage of opportunities to help out with practical chores, which is a
good way to gain additional experience. You may eventually obtain stock
of your own -- more than one person has ended up buying an acreage as a
result of their herding activities. There will be times when you still
want individual lessons, for instance when embarking upon a new stage of
training or when working with a new dog.
For those who
continue to work with their dog in herding, aiming for higher levels of
training, there is much to learn, not only about dogs and their
training, but just as important, about livestock behavior and care.
Involvement with herding is an ongoing learning process.
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