Banner for The Working Sheepdog Website

The training stick

Correctly used, the training stick gives better control and reduces training time.

A-Z List
Library
Categories
Main menu

Subtitles: French*, Spanish* or English, click CC on viewer (*translation errors).
Videos play best on CHROME, SAFARI, and EDGE (all devices) also FIREFOX and OPERA (mobile phone).

CAN’T SEE THE VIDEO?

The simple sheepdog training stick is used for guiding not punishing the dog

If you have a paid account with us please LOGIN.
Our sheepdog training videos are restricted to paying members who have logged-into their accounts.
Find out about our Online Sheepdog Training Tutorials.

  • The tools trainers use to aid control when training sheepdogs.
  • We all know dogs are wary of sticks.
  • The stick can improve the dog’s obedience.
  • A ‘whoosh’ or ‘whack’, for maximum effect!
  • Using the training stick correctly.
  • The material we use for a training ‘stick’.
  • Ways to use the training stick.
  • A ‘training stick’ demonstration.
  • Watch the demo in slow motion.

Leave a review on our Google Profile! Comments or questions below please.

For better control and easier training

By far the most important tool we use for training sheepdogs is the lightweight plastic pipe. We call it the Training Stick – and we wouldn’t like to have to train dogs without one!

Used correctly, the training stick can halve the time it takes to train a sheepdog. It also makes training easier for the dog. This is because proper use of the stick, is a visual aid to the dog, rather than just vocal commands and guidance.

The training stick is strictly a tool for guiding, as well as blocking the dog’s path. It can be used to threaten a stubborn dog, but we never use the training stick to punish a dog, except in the rare case of a dog harmfully attacking stock.

This tutorial describes how invaluable the training stick can be in the early stages of training. It helps control the dog’s direction, its pace, and also the distance it works from the sheep or cattle.

WATCH NEXT…
The Dog’s Confidence

Comments

20 responses to “The training stick”

  1. Ryan Osborne avatar
    Ryan Osborne

    It would be really interesting to see you training other handlers. I feel like your experience gives you such good timing and understanding of the dog, that a newbie handler like myself hasn’t developed – your insights into amateur handlers’ mistakes could be really valuable.

    Reply
    1. Andy avatar
      Andy

      We used to run courses until a few years ago, but we stopped doing them, to concentrate on the online videos. Putting tutorials online means a lot more people can take advantage of them throughout the world.

      I also found that if the dog was difficult, people expected me to train it, rather than getting involved themselves. It was very hard work (and I’m not as young as I was then!).

      I understand your point, but I think the videos are better than watching live, because you can stop and replay them as many times as you like, to study the action.

      Another disadvantage of running courses for several people was that they had to wait while all the others had a go – and of course, we could only do so much in a day, because the dogs got tired.

      Play the videos several times over, and if there’s anything you don’t understand, ask us. We’ll help if we can – and if your question’s about something we haven’t covered, we might even make a new tutorial about it.

      You can also send a short video of yourself training your dog, and we’ll give you our assessment – as well as suggestions for improving the dog’s training. (Details here).

      When you watch the videos, try to concentrate on how my body position (and the stick) affects the dog. For getting a good “feel” for training, I recommend watching the complete sessions, such as Bronwen and Scylla and Educating Gloria.

      Reply
  2. George Bolte avatar
    George Bolte

    Okay, Andy, here’s the situation:
    I’m in a fairly large pen with about 10 sheep. I’ve moved my dog clockwise using the training stick in my left hand. Now the sheep are walking along the fence, and we’re moving together with the sheep on my left and the dog also on my left.
    My main question is:
    As I guide her along the fence to my left, which hand should I hold the stick in to keep her tight to the fence and prevent her from cutting in front of me to the right?
    My instinct says right hand, so I can apply pressure toward the fence if needed and block her if she tries to move across my path. Does that sound right?

    Reply
    1. Andy avatar
      Andy

      If you’re starting the dog off George, I recommend no more than about four sheep. You don’t say what you’re trying to achieve by following the sheep along the fence, but if you’re trying to get them away from the fence, then rather than follow them, I suggest you send the dog round to get ahead of them. That way they’re more likely to come into the middle of the ring – (I hope it’s the right size – it IS important)!. Watch the Training Ring Tutorials – and The Training Area. And of course, Get Off The Fence will help with getting sheep off the fence!
      As far as the stick’s concerned, if you want the dog to go to your RIGHT, have the stick in your LEFT hand – and if you want it to go to your LEFT (you guessed it)!
      I strongly recommend you watch the Training Stick again – at least once more!
      I’d appreciate a bit more information about what you’re trying to achieve, and the skill level of the dog, if you need more information. That way, I don’t have to type out lots of irrelevant information (to cover every possibility).
      Good luck – let me know how you get on!

      Reply
    2. George Bolte avatar
      George Bolte

      thank you very much

      Reply
  3. isabel beasley avatar
    isabel beasley

    Hi Andy,

    I have just started watching your training videos and they are really fantastic. Thank you!

    With regards to the training stick, are there any positives/negatives to having a brightly coloured swimming pool noodle around the lower half of the stick? …

    Reply
    1. Andy avatar
      Andy

      Thanks for the kind comment about our videos, Isabel.
      I’m not sure why you want to attach something bright to your training stick, but I can’t see that it would do any harm.

      Reply
      1. isabel beasley avatar
        isabel beasley

        Hi Andy,

        Thanks very much for your quick response.

        I am slowly working my way through your fantastic tutorials, but was wondering if you have a tutorial that explains what hand the training stick should be in at what time in the training ring? I am a terrible multi-tasker, and I find that I am getting very confused about what point I should change the training stick over to the other hand?

        Thanks for any advice you have.

        Reply
  4. James Fougere avatar
    James Fougere

    Hey Andy,

    I’ve had great success training my dog Clockwise and Anti-Clockwise flanking before beginning to use the training stick, and I’ve noticed that she doesn’t pay much attention to the words I’m using. She focuses mostly on my body movements which direction I’m sending her.

    With the introduction of the training stick I’ve noticed she only views it as an extension of my arm. It has been great so far, because now I can easily use it to have her flank much wider than she used to with only my arms to direct her. The problem I’m having is that when I use the stick to block her going the wrong way, she’s convinced I’m pointing her to go that way!

    My question to you is should I give up using the stick to block her and focus just on where I want her to be? I can have her stop going the wrong way with a quick “tss” sound easily enough, but I wasn’t sure how important you think it is that she respond to the stick as a block.

    Any suggestions are greatly appreciated, thanks!

    Reply
    1. Andy avatar
      Andy

      It sounds as though you’ve spent too long concentrating purely on widening the dog out, and now when you try to block her, she thinks you simply want it to go wider!
      I don’t recommend you stop using the stick. Teach the dog what you want it to do!
      Use your voice as well as the stick, and mix blocking her to stop her, with widening her out. She’ll soon get the idea!

      Reply
  5. michelle callan-bergin avatar
    michelle callan-bergin

    Hi, sorry for the very basic questions, I’m completely new to this! At what point do you introduce the voice commands come by and away? It seems from this video, if I’m correct, that the directional control is down to the training stick and not voice commands, do you just start introducing these slowly as you go along?

    Reply
    1. Andy avatar
      Andy

      I introduce the flank and stop commands right from the moment the dog first goes around the sheep, Michelle. Of course, it’s heavily backed up with the training stick at first, but the voice is there all the time – and I also praise the dog with a gentle voice when it does good work.
      If you haven’t already seen this, watch the “Starting a Strong Dog” tutorial or “Starting a Young Puppy“. I hope you find these useful.

      Reply
  6. Linda Stoddard avatar
    Linda Stoddard

    In the states we have 2 types of pic pipe. We build agility jumps out of the schedule 40, which holds up being outdoors. As you said overflow pipe I am assuming that you mean indoor or non schedule 40, correct.

    Thanks

    Reply
    1. Andy avatar
      Andy

      Sorry Linda, I know nothing of US plumbing specifications but the pipe we use is approximately 25mm (1 inch) in diameter with a wall thickness of about 1.3mm if that’s of any help to you.

      Reply
      1. Linda Stoddard avatar
        Linda Stoddard

        Andy,
        Thanks for your reply. I DON’T do metric so I’m not sure about the 1.3mm. I went to Home Depot yesterday & I realized the difference in the weight of the household pvc & the heavier schedule 40 pipe. It seems our elbows, etc., for plumbing only comes in schedule 40 which is fine, as you don’t need them for stock sticks.
        Thanks again for you reply,
        Linda

        Reply
  7. Amie Brodie avatar
    Amie Brodie

    How long should the stick be? Feet or inches, please, I’m an American. Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Andy avatar
      Andy

      I find the best length for the training stick is 1 metre, Amie – that’s about 40 inches.

      Reply
      1. Amie Brodie avatar
        Amie Brodie

        Thanks!

        Reply
  8. Felicity Singleton avatar
    Felicity Singleton

    Very interesting. It looks like the stick is used in a similar way to the whip when lunging a horse. Sending it away from the stick and not using it to indicate the direction that you want the dog to move in, as you might if it was a gun dog.

    Reply
    1. Andy avatar
      Andy

      Very similar to lunging a horse I think, Felicity. In fact, I think pointing to show ANY dog which way you want it to go is a mistake – because (depending where you’re standing) the way dog’s interpret this, means you’re blocking its path.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *