The Working Sheepdog Website News Page

Sheepdog Training 22 – Traditional sheepdog commands

The traditional sheepdog commands used by farmers, shepherds, and handlers to control their stock, can seem off-putting at first. For example, should we use ‘Come bye’ or ‘Away’ to send the dog clockwise around stock? Click the links below to find out more information about sheepdog commands These commands have evolved over many years, and are used by shepherds and farmers for controlling and directing… Read more.

The ‘Look Back’ command – why and how

We show why you need the “Look Back” command, and how to train your dog to understand it. Why the Look Back command? In early training a young dog may not gather all the sheep, or seem to ignore or not acknowledge the others. If a trainee dog is too close and “pushy” with the sheep, the sheep may separate and the dog will choose… Read more.

Calling your dog away from the sheep

Our new two-part tutorial looks at the issue of calling your dog away from sheep, or other livestock. We show you how you can catch an uncatchable dog, and guide you through avoiding the situation arising at all. Catching the uncatchable dog However easy calling your dog away when it’s not near sheep, a keen young dog will often feel conflicted about coming back to… Read more.

Inside flanks (circling the sheep on command)

Teaching inside flanks – or circling on command. Once your dog’s driving competently, teaching inside flanks (circling on command) is the next step. Make no mistake, good inside flanks can be the difference between having an average dog, and a great dog! In the two-part tutorial, Inside Flanks (circle on command), we see Wyn learning to overcome her inhibitions to flank between Andy and the… Read more.

What shall I do next? Our sheepdog training programme

Watch our tutorial for a recommended sheep dog training programme. There’s so much for a young sheepdog to learn, but does the order matter? Is there a correct sheepdog training program or training itinerary that will suit all dogs? Every sheepdog, like every handler, is an individual so there are few hard and fast rules in sheepdog training. However, this tutorial shows you the basic… Read more.

Teach your sheepdog to stop (or wait, or lie down)

Train your sheepdog to stop – three tutorial videos about stopping your dog on command. Find out why the dog won’t stop. The video tutorials Stopping the Dog – Parts One, Two & Three take a detailed look at the problems surrounding the stop (or stand, wait, lie down, or whichever command you use). They explain why your dog doesn’t want to stop, as well… Read more.

Maintaining Control in the Field

Watch “Tess in the Open Field” An over-excited and strong-willed Tess first appeared in our Starting a Strong Dog tutorial. By the time we filmed “Tess in the Open Field” she’d made great progress, and proved she was quite capable of working to a high standard, but Tess was still young and sheer novelty and enthusiasm made her inconsistent. However, it was important to control Tess in the open field and… Read more.

Tutorial series – Bronwen and Scylla

A tutorial series where we train litter sisters, clearly demonstrating the differences in young dogs. Even if you breed your own replacements you can’t be entirely sure what you’ll get! It’s partly why training young dogs is so fascinating. How can litter sisters be so different? You might expect that litter sisters would be very similar in temperament and working style. We chose two home-bred puppies,… Read more.

Training tutorials – the dog and the handler

Sheepdog handler training videos for shepherds and of course, sheep dog trainers. Many sheepdog handlers find the early puppy months very stressful. That’s because new shepherds and sheepdog trainers are anxious to raise the dog in a way that will spark and preserve the all-important working instinct. They also worry about the entirely natural desire to have a well behaved family companion. Sheepdog Selection and… Read more.

Category: The Working Sheepdog Website Blog