Category: Sheepdog training articles

Give your dog somewhere decent to live Suitable housing for your sheepdog; it can be almost anywhere you like – in a shed outside or on your bed! Sheepdogs are amazingly tough creatures. We’ve seen farm dogs with almost no shelter at all, or with a steel drum as shelter from the elements. As long as your sheepdog isn’t in a draughty or damp place,… Read more.

Take a little care over feeding your dog (and not over-feeding it). Your sheepdog will be your friend and your pride and joy – so rather than feed it on the cheapest food you can find, take care to find a suitable diet. Equally, don’t take it for granted that the most expensive food is the best for your dog. In the UK, dog food… Read more.

The more quality time you devote to your dog, the stronger the bond between you will be. We strongly advise owners to spend as much time as possible with their dogs. The more the dog knows and trusts you, the more it will bond, and the better it’ll work for you – for instance if your dog’s used to being told to ‘stay there’ he’ll… Read more.

What happens when you start sheepdog training? When you first take your sheepdog pup to sheep, it’s unlikely to behave as it does at home. It might of course, but even if it does, it will gain confidence and turn into a quite different creature altogether. Remember that once the dog’s most basic instinct is aroused, it may want to trap the sheep and kill… Read more.

What might happen when you take your dog to sheep for the first time? When taking your dog to sheep for the first time, be prepared for almost any reaction! Some young dogs aren’t interested, some merely curious. If you’re lucky your dog will calmly cast out and around the sheep – that’s not as common as the dog that rushes in and scatters them.… Read more.

When is working a sheepdog like pushing a Supermarket trolley? Take my word for it, training a sheepdog to drive sheep can be like pushing a loaded supermarket trolley! The thing seems to have a mind of its own, and so do sheep. If you push the trolley straight, it pulls to one side or the other – likewise the sheep. If your trolley is… Read more.

Control an over-enthusiastic dog with The Magic Cord Gain control of an over-enthusiastic dog with a “magic cord”! Sheepdog training relies on your dog seeing you as its leader, so it’s important to give the dog the impression that you are in control of the situation, even when you’re not. Being on a lead can have a psychological as well as a physical effect on… Read more.

One secret of getting a good “stop” is: LET THE DOG GO ! Our Online Sheepdog Training Tutorials include three videos to show you the secrets of stopping a sheepdog using the lie down command, without damaging its confidence. Find out more. It’s vitally important that the dog learns that you’re not necessarily stopping its ‘game’ every time you tell it to lie down, so… Read more.

What to do if the dog grips or bites or attacks the sheep. Our Sheepdog Training Tutorial Videos (see below) have chapters such as Training Max – The GRIPPER (3 videos) and Starting a Strong Dog, which will help you to get control of a dog which is attacking the sheep unnecessarily. Gripping is very common in dogs when they first encounter sheep. It’s a… Read more.