Use a Reward to Get Training on Board

Dogs benefit from a reward for their efforts, and sheepdogs are no exception.

Luckily for us herding dogs have a huge capacity for learning, but in order to teach our dogs the things that we want them to do, there must be some kind of reward for them.

When we train our dog to work cattle, sheep, or other livestock, the dog’s reward is the work itself, so this is obviously a great help.

This tutorial isn’t strictly concerned with sheepdog training, but it shows how we used the reward of working sheep to persuade Odo (a keen sheepdog, but with a fear of riding in a vehicle) to jump in happily and go for a ride!

Of course, prevention is better (and easier) than cure in these cases. When you have a new puppy spend as much time as you possibly can in developing a bond, and do all the things with your puppy that you’ll need to do when it’s older, offering a reward as you go (whether a food treat, or short game, or verbal praise). It’s all part of the socialisation process, so if you’ll need your adult dog to ride in a car, or on a quad bike, start young. Young puppies are very accepting of new experiences if they’ll carefully guided by someone they trust and respect.

Early training is extremely valuable; the reward for you is that it saves time and trouble later on.

Use this link to see our full list of herding sheepdog training video tutorials.

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