This is the best sheepdog training exercise for improving your dog’s overall control. We call it “Backwards is the Way Forward” because the handler walks backwards while the dog brings the sheep to you.
NOTE: Safety First!
Walking backwards in a paddock or open field can be hazardous. Be careful, there is a chance of falling when you’re walking backwards.
When can I start using it?
You can begin training your dog with this method once it will flank around the sheep and stop reliably on the opposite side of the sheep from you. To do it efficiently requires the use of sheep that are fairly calm when used for sheepdog training.
This remarkably simple, but effective, exercise will enhance nearly all aspects of basic training simultaneously.
How do I train my dog this way?
Once you have basic control of the dog, and the dog has basic control of the sheep, the dog is ready to begin the “Backwards” exercise.
- Stop the dog on the opposite side of the sheep from where you are.
- Keep it in place while you walk backwards to increase the distance between yourself and the sheep.
As the distance increases, you can allow the dog to come forward at the pace you are moving backwards. Of course, a trainee dog will be impatient and want to rush to the sheep, but you must stop it.
Make the dog stay in place and keep it far enough back to allow the sheep to walk calmly towards you. If the sheep walk past you, the dog is too close.
By constantly insisting the dog stays back, then quietly inviting it forward again, the dog will soon realise it must walk steadily.
Can I see it in action?
Watch this Tutorials Preview below to see an example of Andy teaching a young dog the “walking backwards” lesson.
How will this training exercise benefit my dog’s work?
Done correctly, this simple exercise will improve the dog’s stop, flanks, pace and working distance – all at once. It’s particularly useful for balancing the flanks of a dog that prefers to flank in one direction rather than the other.
You really do need to have basic control of the dog around sheep before you start. The dog should flank cleanly around the sheep and stop on command, even when it’s on the opposite side of the sheep from you.
The stop doesn’t have to be excellent. It will be improved by your insisting the dog does the “walking backwards” routine properly.
Backwards is the Way Forward revisits Tess and her training. Tess was a strong and determined dog with a lot of potential. However, we needed to harness her enthusiasm and create a working partnership with her before she could progress.
In this tutorial, you’ll see Andy putting this deceptively simple (but not quick) sheepdog training exercise into practice. Pay particular attention to how he keeps Tess back behind the sheep. He regulates her speed by insisting she stays back.
The best sheepdog training exercise doesn’t need large flocks or big training areas
You won’t need vast acres or even a training ring for your “backwards” training sessions. However, eyes in the back of your head would definitely help!
Which training exercise comes next?
Just imagine being able to walk almost anywhere you like, with your dog calmly bringing the sheep along behind you! No, it’s not a dream, it follows on from the Walking Backwards exercise.
When your dog is consistently bringing the sheep along to you calmly, and at the pace you are walking back at, you’re both ready for a huge improvement in your dog’s sheep control. “Back to Forwards!” is the natural progression from “Backwards is the Way Forward“. It’s simply a matter of walking forwards and trusting the dog to bring the sheep along behind. It also comes as a relief to be able to see where you’re going!
Learn more with our online sheepdog training.
To watch the online tutorials you’ll need to be logged in as a paid member. Watch the video below for details.
Backwards is the Way Forward can be found in the online tutorials library A-Z List. It’s also listed in several of our sheepdog training categories. Done properly, it’s the best sheepdog training exercise for almost every aspect of basic sheepdog training.
If you need (or prefer) to watch on DVD you’ll find it on Volume 2 of our DVD tutorial collections. Back to Forwards appears on Volume 4.
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