It’s hard to make progress if your sheep just “stay put”
Sheep have a real talent for assessing a trainee dog, and for making life as difficult for it as possible. As a result, a very common problem for young dogs and inexperienced handlers is getting the sheep into the middle of the ring or field, and keeping them there.
It’s a problem we’ve all had, and it’s SO FRUSTRATING! Luckily, it isn’t difficult to overcome.
As with so much in sheepdog training, the dog’s confidence is the key.
If your sheep are crowding into a corner, or pressing themselves up against a hedge in a (successful) attempt to foil the dog’s gathering efforts, it’ll probably be because your dog lacks the confidence to get between the sheep and the fence.
Don’t despair! As with every other challenge, if you try to understand what’s happening, and why it’s happening, you’ll overcome it with persistent, supportive training. Stay calm (your frustration or temper will only help to convince your dog that it’s right to be scared) and practice the techniques you’ll find in this tutorial.
With your newly co-operative sheep, and bolder, more confident dog, training will become so much easier!
Watch the Get Off The Fence tutorial to see how, with persistent, supportive training, your dog will learn to cope with sheep that “sit on the fence”.
Our video tutorials give members lots of guidance for starting a dog, progressing its training, and dealing with the challenges that arise.
NB: Tutorials are available to paid subscribers who are logged in to their account. There’s more information about our sheepdog training tutorials in the video below, or register for a free subscriber account to watch a sample tutorial, “Top Tips for Easier Training”.
Online Sheep and Cattle Dog Training Tutorials
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