Traditionally
a prospective herding dog grew up in a working situation, gradually
being introducedto and gaining experience with livestock. This is still the most suitable
way for a dog to learn to herd. Today,however, in our more urban society, this is not always possible.
For
owners who are interested in getting started in herding, the best
way to begin is to work with an experienced herding trainer. The
trainer will be able to provide individual attention and instruction
suited to the particular dog. The stock and the facility will be suitable
for beginners as well as for those who have more experience. The
lessons aren't necessarily strictly private lessons held in one block
of time, but usually involve several short sessions interspersed
with rest periods. While the dog is taking a break, the owner can
learn by watching other dogs being trained and can visit with other
participants.
While individual
lessons are best, clinics can be very helpful, being fairly similar
to private lessons but providing a broad overview of dogs in various stages of training. Some
people get their initial start by
having their dog take part in an organized herding instinct test.
Instinct tests focus primarily on the beginning step of the first
introduction
of the dog to stock, but while they should be held in the setting
of a clinic, often there is not time for very much individual attention.
There are both all-breed tests and tests held by breed clubs for
their own breed.
Whether in a
private situation, clinic or test, the first introduction to livestock
must be carefully supervised.
Considering participation
in herding
After the dog
has been introduced to stock and has shown evidence of
herding potential, the owner must carefully consider several factors.
Is the owner in a position to devote some time to regular
herding lessons?
With a dog that is mature enough to begin training, usually
around a year of age, owners should be in a position to take their
dog to stock on a regular basis -- at least once
a week, preferably two or three times a week. It is unfair to a
dog
to "tease" it, in effect, with intermittent small tastes of herding, and no real progress
can be made under such circumstances. It is also unfair to the
stock, for instead of being confronted with a more settled dog, each time
they will be subjected to an over-excited dog which will remain strange
and upsetting to them. Owners who are unable to become actively
involved in herding due to their current circumstances can continue to
learn about herding through other means until such time as they can practice
with the dog more regularly, and can support herding activities in other
ways while gaining an appreciation of the skills of the herding dog.
It is important
to keep in mind that a lot of groundwork, time and education are
required to produce a skilled herding dog. Only time and experience
will provide a clearer picture of a dog's abilities. The dogs
have
herding instinct -- but people don't -- so it is of great importance
that the person learn about herding, and about stock behavior and
care. In
addition to clinics and lessons, books, magazines and videos
are available.
Preparatory steps
Because herding
will be such potentially exciting activity for the dog,
some preparatory steps can be taken to
help make the early work with livestock easier for all concerned.
It is important that the dog have a good recall and a good stop
(sit or down).
These must be practiced away from stock, in many situations
and with distractions. By doing this preliminary work, the dog gains
a working relationship
with its owner without the added stress and excitement of
the
presence of stock.
The dog probably
will not at first obey the recall and stop perfectly when the introduction
to stock takes
place, but progress will be much quicker than if the dog
did not have solid training to recall and stop.
Through use of the stop (which will be a "sit" or "down" command, whichever
is easiest for the particular dog), the handler can take pressure off
the sheep. The sheep will then be more likely to settle into position more
smoothly, and this in turn will help settle the dog. With the stock and
sheep more settled, the novice handler can better learn positioning and
handling, which in turn helps the dog learn more easily and quickly, which
lessens stress on sheep, dog and handler.
Unlike other
herding commands, the stop from motion can be practiced at home,
away from stock, so it is feasible work for the person who does
not have stock of their own. To teach the stop from motion,
first a regular sit or down is taught, with the handler relatively
stationary.
Then, the handler asks for the sit or down while the handler
continues walking. Finally, the handler asks for the sit or down
while
running excitedly, clapping hands, playing with a ball
or other toy, etc. It should be done in a happy, play- training
fashion, but firmly enforced.
If, when first working stock, the dog is virtually out
of control, the owner will be asked to work at home on a solid recall
and stop before
bringing the dog back to stock.
Even with calmer dogs, this "homework" remains important and should be
practiced daily and in many situations. Ironically, however, while it
is important that the dog have a good stop and recall, these commands must
not
be overused during the early training lessons on stock. The early lessons
are focused more on developing the dog's natural herding abilities in
collecting the stock and controlling their movement.
Finding a trainer
Leads
for trainers can come from several sources, but a certain amount
of searching may be necessary. Some
areas of the country have more herding activity going on
than others. If local herding activities are available, attend
them and meet the participants.
There may even be people in local show-oriented breed
clubs who, while they may not themselves be involved in
herding, know of others in that breed who are. If no leads can be
found,
a regional or
national breed club or herding club can be contacted, for
instance, the Australian Shepherd Club of America or the American
Herding Breed Association.
Such organizations will be able to provide contacts for
local clubs and trainers, which will in turn lead to other contacts.
Expect
to be following a trail of several referrals, rather than
getting a trainer's name with the very first contact -- although
that can happen, too. Read
several herding books and articles in herding magazines
to gain some familiarity with herding even if some things won't
be
clear until
participation in lessons actually beings.
The trainer should
be a person who has a sound knowledge of and experience with herding
and has been working
stock on a regular basis. It is good if the trainer has
had experience with both strong- and loose-eyed dogs, but if more
familiar
with one type
of dog is still open-minded about the other. Such trainers
generally look
for the fundamental qualities that are common to good herding whatever
the breed, rather than focusing too much on supposed particular "breed
styles," but they also are aware that
dogs are individuals and will tailor their approach to the individual.
They work with and shape the dog's natural abilities, help develop its
full potential and increase its skills. They strive for good, versatile,
practical work, and are concerned
about laying a solid foundation. While being aware of trialing venues
and probably active in trialing themselves, they don't focus on trial
courses per se. They train a dog to herd rather than to run on this or
that course.
Successful trial results from a variety of venues can be a sign of a good
trainer, but there are also trainers who are very good but don't trial
to any extent because that is not where their interests lie. In choosing
a
trainer, it will be helpful if possible to visit one or more trainers,
observe some classes and talk to a number of people.
Owners of some
breeds may be able to more easily find a trainer knowledgeable about
working with their breed. For instance, Border Collie owners often
have good trainers readily available. An area where
Australian
Shepherds have been in common use may have a good range
of trainers familiar with Aussies. It may be a case of being lucky
enough to be in an area
where there happens to be a trainer who is knowledgeable
about a particular breed. A benefit of the increasing interest in
herding is that
there are now more trainers available who are knowledgeable
about a variety of breeds.
There are many
trainers who are interested in a wide range of breeds, but some
trainers who work mostly
with a particular breed may be uninterested in working
with others. Even the trainers who only want to work with certain
breeds can still be a
source of good information for owners of other breeds,
however. For example, the owner of another breed can attend a
Border Collie trainer's
clinic as a spectator. Attending a clinic as an
observer, whether or not the attendee owns the same breed as the person giving
the clinic, is beneficial because much can be learned at a clinic by observing
the work of others. And some of the trainers who start out only wanting
to work with one breed may become intrigued by other breeds
and end up working them as well.
Working with
a trainer
The owner of
the prospective herding dog should also consider what the ultimate
goals in training might be. A person
who just wants a dog capable of doing a simple farm routine may
only require some simple basic
training. But nowadays there is a great deal
of interest in herding as a sport or hobby, and as a result of the
demands of competition a more
sophisticated kind of training usually is desired.
Probably as a
result of the amount of trialing done with Border Collies, training
techniques were developed
by Border Collie handlers to a greater extent
than
generally was the case with some of the other breeds, which
often were used more for routine
farm work that could be done with little particular
training. As time has gone on, however, techniques first elaborated
by Border Collie
trainers have spread and have proved to be
adaptable to other breeds when the goal is to produce a flexible,
well-rounded
worker adaptable to a range of situations.
But adaptations and adjustments
will be made based on the dog's individual
characteristics, there may be a different emphasis or focus at different
stages
of training.
Despite a certain
amount of common practice, training approaches can vary between
trainers. It is may be the
case that one trainer just seems to have
the knack of getting across information to you and your dog. There
are people who are very good trainers and handlers
of dogs but perhaps not as good at communicating
their knowledge to the human student. Even the trainer who
provides only a low-key observation and an opportunity to practice
can play a helpful part in gaining experience once the basics have been learned.
While it's better
not to hop around willy-nilly from trainer to trainer, especially
at first, it can be
beneficial as time goes on to learn from
several trainers. Attending clinics is a good way to see a wide
range of techniques. It may happen that one
trainer may be best for you and your dog
at a particular stage of training, but another trainer may have
a better way at a different stage.
The more techniques you know about, the
more knowledge you will have to choose from, which you may eventually
apply to a different dog
at a later time. It is also a good practice
to go to different facilities so that your dog becomes accustomed
to working in different locations.
Some trainers
prefer to have their student work only with them, particularly in
the beginning, while others are amenable to their students also going
to others. It is best to find out ahead of time your potential trainer's
view on this, so as to avoid possible misunderstandings. If you do go to more
than one trainer on occasion, try to avoid any appearance of "arguing" with the
trainer you are working with.
That trainer may do things differently from your regular trainer, and
you may in the end prefer your primary trainer's methods, but you are there
to learn from the trainer you are with at the moment, not to convince that
trainer of a "better" way. You can, of
course, discuss different techniques, but it should be done in a generalized
way: "I saw this being tried once"
or "I've heard of such-and-such being done, and thought it might work well
for my dog.," not, "but my trainer
so-and-so says never to do that." If a trainer does something with which
you do totally disagree and of such a nature (perhaps a certain kind of
correction) that you don't wish to continue, that is another matter, of
course. This is rarely the case, fortunately.
You should be
able to find a trainer with whom you are comfortable -- you like
the atmosphere of the facility, you feel the trainer explains him-
or herself well, you feel the trainer
likes working with your dog, and you see steady progress being made.
Further work
As time goes
on, you will spend more time working on your own, both at the trainer's
facility and at other
locations which you will find. It is often necessary simply
to get more "mileage" at different stages. Take advantage of opportunities to help
out with practical chores, which is a good way to gain
additional experience.
You may eventually obtain stock of your own -- more than
one person has ended up buying an acreage as a result of
their herding activities. There
will be times when you still want individual lessons, for
instance when embarking upon a new stage of training or
when working with a new dog.
For those who
continue to work with their dog in herding, aiming for higher levels
of training, there is much to learn, not only about dogs
and their training, but just as important, about livestock behavior
and care. Involvement
with herding is an ongoing
learning process.
Organizations /
Resources /
Herding Dogs /
Getting Started
Stories & Photos /
Clubs /
Livestock Links /
Home
Herding
on the Web
Linda Rorem
e-mail Pacifica19@aol.com