Sheepdog training articles

Just how do we go about reading our dog’s mind? Well, we can’t exactly do that but we can get close. This is one of the trickier parts of sheep dog training – you need to read the dog’s body language! If you study it, you’ll see that when the dog’s preparing to grip, his…

Whatever problem you’re having with your dog, you should be able to cure it Think carefully about the problem – why the dog’s doing it and how you can change the training routine to correct it. Sometimes the dog will simply be using its own initiative to try to help you. For instance, if he…

Control your temper – your dog will sense your mood. If you’re training a sheepdog and you find yourself getting angry, there are two simple choices open to you: 1. Control Your Temper2. End the session. We’re only human, and we all get cross from time to time, but there’s really no point in going…

99% of the time, if things go wrong it’s YOUR fault! Of all the sheepdog training videos and DVDs I’ve watched, this is the single most important statement I’ve gleaned. It was said by Martin Penfold on the Rural Route video “Starting Border Collies on Cattle, Sheep or Ducks“ I think Martin actually said 90%…

What do sheepdogs actually DO? A good sheepdog should be a valuable assistant to the shepherd or sheep farmer. It will learn where the sheep (or other stock) are likely to be in each field, and it will gather them together calmly, and not leave any behind. A really good sheepdog will even recognise if…

Should you buy a puppy or a partly trained dog? It’s a very long road from buying a puppy to taking part in your first trial. This can be daunting for a novice handler but, on the other hand, if you buy a puppy you can be sure it hasn’t developed any bad habits. If…

“Pedigree” or farm dog – which is best? Don’t believe for a moment that a dog must be ISDS (International Sheep Dog Society) registered to be any use as a sheepdog. This is complete nonsense and anyone who says it should be ashamed of themselves. There are fantastically good non-registered sheepdogs – some of which…

Choosing between a started or partly trained sheepdog. Buying a partly trained dog’s a very popular way of shortcutting the long process of getting from puppy to working stage. The most difficult stage of training is getting control initially, so when you buy a started dog, the worst has already been done. Many people don’t…

Car chasing is a common cause of sheepdog and cattle dog deaths. It could be argued that car chasing is even more serious than sheep worrying, because it’s natural to try to avoid a dog which is chasing your car, so the chances of a collision with another vehicle or pedestrian are greatly increased. It’s…