The Training Pen
he Training Pen -“DO’s and DON’Ts” for successful sheepdog training
have nothing. he dog must want to work sheep. So if your
pup lacks a bit of heart, or is a bit on the so side, then train
slowly and have plenty of patience. With a good keen pup,
with plenty of heart, you will be
able to train much more quickly.#4 – DO take the time to learn and use a sound command-
ing system. his is what I call “money for nothing”. A good
commanding system gets superior results even if you don’t do
any extra training. his is because the pup is clear on exactly
what we want, and we avoid confusion and hesitation. Most
so-called “commanding systems” have simply evolved without
much real thought, rather than being carefully planned. Have
enough commands to cover all situations, and DON’T use
commands that conlict with other commands, such as “GET
out” and “GET here”.#5 – DON’T have a conversation with your dog in place of
clear, simple commands. DO use the same clear command to
mean the same thing, every time.#6 – DON’T use arm signals and the training stick inconsist-
ently. Pick a system (either pointing in the direction you want
the pup to go – deinitely my preference – or chasing/ blocking
the pup) and stick to it. If you want to train in the quickest,
most efective manner then DON’T use the arms or stick to
sometimes block the pup and then at other times to point in
the direction you want it to go. You will just confuse the pup,
training will slow down, and the results will be inferior.#7 – DON’T allow bad habits to form. his is a big one.
When it comes to training, it is always much easier to pre-
vent bad habits than try to cure them later. his will help
training to go as quickly and as efectively as possible.
his point can manifest in all sorts of ways. Just a few are:- DO train in a controlled situation (such as a smaller area, or
with quiet stock) until you are conident everything will go
well in a larger area, or with less-handled stock. - DON’T give a command that might not be obeyed, or that
you cannot enforce. Otherwise, you are simply creating the
habit of disobedience. - DON’T cast a dog further than it is ready for, unless you are
in a position to prevent mistakes. - DON’T work a dog in practical work before it is well-trained
and ready for it. - DON’T work a dog in trials before it is ready. If you take
them out before they are ready, dogs will quickly learn they
can ignore you at trials, and get into bad habits.
with Tully Williams
TullyWilliamsReducing sheepdog training to a list of do’s and don’ts is not
such an easy task! But here is my list of what I believe are
some of the more important DO’S and DON’TS for successful
sheepdog training.
#1 - DO obtain the best quality pup or dog possible. his irst
point is also one of the most important. A pup or dog with
high-quality instincts has the potential to make a high-quality
worker. A poor-quality pup will never make a high-quality
worker, no matter how much training it receives. YOU CAN-
NOT MAKE A SILK PURSE FROM A SOW’S EAR. Go to a
reputable and experienced breeder with a proven track record,
someone who guarantee’s their pups.
#2 – On the other hand, DON’T fall into the trap of thinking
that a well-bred pup will make up for poor training. While it is
very true that “you can’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear”, it
is also true that EVEN SILK CAN BE RUINED. If you want to
end up with a top working dog, then both good breeding and
sound training are essential.
#3 - DO remember that without keenness in a sheepdog, you
Tully Williams has been training sheepdogs since he
was 12 years old, and started competing in three-sheep
trials at 15. He has trained (to varying stages) almost
400 sheepdogs, and bred nearly 100 litters of his Cam-
paspe Working Dogs. In 2007 the CSIRO published his
ground-breaking book “Working Sheepdogs”. He is cur-
rently the vice-president of the newly formed AUSDS
(Australian Utility Stock Dog Society).http://www.stockdogs.com.au AWSDM 63