Sheepdog Training and Herding, Information, DVDs, Videos and Pictures
Information relevant to preparing a dog or puppy for sheepdog training
Probably the most common question we get asked about sheepdog training is how to slow the dog down.
Of course, there's no "quick fix" for getting a keen dog to work at a steadier pace, but this tutorial takes an in-depth look at the reasons why dogs work very fast, and suggests ways to avoid or minimise them.
Once you can get your dog to work more steadily, you're well on the way to getting it trained as a useful sheep or cattle dog
We look at some of the qualities required in a sheepdog handler (or trainer) and how to make improvements.
Topics covered include the importance of moving around to encourage the dog to go in the direction you want it to, and a brief look at some of the traditional commands in common use.
There's also an in-depth look at some of the tools we can use to make training much easier.
The Training Area tutorial shows you how to get the most out of the field, paddock or yard you train your dog in.
The size, shape and nature of the training area can make a huge difference to your training experience.
With a few small changes to the original "First Steps" footage to make matters even clearer, this tutorial will give you great insight into the type of ground you should train in and some great ideas for improving it quite dramatically.
People think sheep are stupid, but in some ways they can be very clever. When you start training your first sheepdog, it's easy to overlook the importance of learning about sheep themselves. The more you know about sheep and their funny ways, the easier it will be to train your sheepdog.
In this tutorial, we look at the way sheep behave - especially when confronted with a dog. We also discuss ways of finding sheep, how to find somewhere to keep them, what sort of sheep it's best to use for training sheepdogs, and which types to avoid.
It's very disappointing to find that your dog doesn't seem to want to work sheep or cattle, but it doesn't necessarily mean you won't be able to change its mind. As with most aspects of training dogs to work stock, if you understand what's happening and why, there's a much better chance of putting things right.
In these two tutorials, we look closely at why some dogs want to work and others don't. Then we look at several proven ways of triggering the dog's work instinct.
Working dogs have a huge capacity for learning, but in order to learn things that we want them to do, there must be some reward in it for them.
Fortunately, one of the greatest rewards you can give a sheep or cattle dog is to allow it to work the stock.
This is obviously a great help when we train a dog to work livestock, but in this tutorial Andy uses the reward of working sheep to get Odo, who is terrified of going in a vehicle, to jump in and go for a ride!
Nobody would claim that training a dog to work sheep or other livestock is an easy matter.
But by understanding what is going on and why, and by paying attention to just a few basic details, we can make the process so much easier for both dog and handler.
In this video Andy shows how to correct the points which will be most beneficial when you train a herding dog.
For a long time now we've wanted to update our "First Steps" DVD set because our training techniques and understanding of sheepdogs have improved immensely since the DVD's release.
This video presents chapters one (the introduction) and two from the DVD set. It's fairly heavily modified and now nearly 30 minutes long! We're sure those of you who've seen the old version won't be disappointed.