The basics of sheepdog training.
We recommend all new members (not just beginners) watch these BASICS videos. They’ll give you a good understanding of the nuts and bolts of sheep dog training. They will also give you a great insight into how the dog and the sheep are likely to behave when you start training.
Watch all the videos on this page at least once, for a better grasp of how to go about training your sheep dog or farm dog.
THE GOLDEN RULE OF SHEEPDOG TRAINING
There are important rules that you should keep in mind when you train or instruct a dog to work cattle, sheep or other farm livestock. After all, whether we’re beginners, novices or experts, nobody wants to make a complete mess of it, do they? Andy suggests some essential guidelines to help establish and maintain order, and makes recommendations for broadening the farm dog’s skill level.
SHEEPDOG SELECTION AND PREPARATION
An important tutorial! It’s packed with essential information to help you to understand, and look after your farm dog or ranch dog, during the course of its working life. The video includes housing, choice of breed, choice of dog or puppy – and also what dogs to avoid. In addition, there’s a wealth of information on how to prepare your pup or young dog for herding sheep, cattle and other livestock.
AN INSIGHT INTO PACK BEHAVIOUR
A sheepdog training video tutorial to help you get a better understanding of your dog and how it works. We’re taking a close look at the dog’s natural instincts, rather than simply how to train a farm dog to work. ‘An Insight into Pack Behaviour’ was originally a chapter on our “Still Off Duty” DVD. It’s 33 minutes of our observations when we’re out and about with our dogs. It might surprise you!
TOP TIPS FOR EASIER SHEEPDOG TRAINING
The most popular tutorial in our sheepdog training video library. With nine important training tips to make teaching your sheep dog to herd livestock easier. Nobody would claim that training a dog to work sheep or other livestock is easy. But understanding what’s going on and why, and paying attention to a few details, can make the lessons easier. We ask new members to watch this video first.
THE DOG’S CONFIDENCE
Understanding factors which affect the dog’s work is important for a sheep or cattle dog trainer. The dog’s confidence is the most important of them. It’s essential if a sheepdog is to work efficiently, at long distances from the handler, or when faced by stubborn animals. It’s also important when the farm or ranch dog works in confined spaces, such as between the stock and a fence.
LEARN YOUR COMMANDS
If you want to train a farm dog to work, be sure to learn your basic commands first. Trying to train a sheep or cattle dog when you’re not fluent with the commands yourself, will cause problems such as blaming the dog for going the wrong way when in fact, it was doing exactly what you asked. Training a dog to work stock can be confusing enough, without making it worse by talking rubbish.
PUPPY TRAINING ESSENTIALS
Tempting though it may be to try your puppy with stock at an early age, you should beware. Unless you can be certain you’re in a position to protect the youngster from attack or even the threat of it, there’s a real danger that sheep or cattle will frighten the young dog and damage its confidence – possibly permanently. By all means walk the dog around sheep, but take care to do it this way!
CALLING THE DOG AWAY (2 parts)
Catching Your Uncatchable Dog! It’s extremely important to be able to call the dog away from the sheep or cattle when you work it. But from the dog’s point of view, it has very good reason to want to continue ‘working’. These tutorials will show you two very effective ways to catch the dog easily, and convince it that coming away from the stock with you is a great idea!
SHEEP – ESSENTIAL FACTS FOR TRAINERS
People think sheep are irrational, and they can be at times. In some ways, though, they can be clever, as well as determined. When you start training your first sheepdog, it’s easy to overlook the importance of learning about the sheep themselves, and their behaviour. Accordingly, the more you know about sheep and undestand their funny ways, the easier it will be to train your sheep or stock dog.
THE SHEEPDOG HANDLER
It’s all very well learning about the dog, the sheep, and the training area, but it’s also important to understand the qualities required in a sheepdog handler and how to make improvements. Topics covered in this video include the importance of moving around to encourage the dog to go in the direction you want it to, as well as a brief look at some traditional commands and training aids.
THE TRAINING AREA
Without doubt, the size, shape and nature of the training area make a massive difference to your training experience. Sheep quickly learn to use vegetation, corners and the slightest irregularity in a training area, to frustrate the attentions of the dog. This tutorial gives an insight into suitable ground for training. It also suggests ideas for simple changes which will improve your training ground dramatically.
THE TRAINING RING (2 parts)
You can’t train a dog to work sheep if it constantly chases them away! A simple training ring of the correct size, makes teaching your dog a lot easier. It’s one of the most useful assets that help us to train a farm or ranch dog as a sheepdog. The closer you are to your dog, the more control you have over it. As well as basic training, the training ring helps with more advanced work such as driving and shedding.
THE TRAINING STICK
One of the most important videos in our sheepdog training video library. It’s about a most useful tool for training sheepdogs. A simple lightweight plastic pipe we call the ‘Training Stick’. We wouldn’t like to have to train farm dogs without one! Learn how we use the training stick to guide and direct the dog in the early stages of training, particularly direction, pace, and the distance it works from stock.
THE SHEEPDOG WHISTLE (2 parts)
How to blow the notorious shepherd’s whistle! If you find your sheepdog whistle difficult to blow, you’re not alone. Many people find it tricky to master at first, but this his video will teach you how to blow a sheepdog whistle. Part two shows how to get your dog working on whistle commands. Unless your dog is in the advanced stages of training though, there’s really no need to hurry.