The point of balance isn't always where you'd expect it!
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Sheep and cattle dog trainers often refer to the importance of "the point of balance" but what exactly is it, and where can we find one?
In this short tutorial, we discover what exactly the "point of balance" means to the working sheep or cattle dog handler, and just how much it affects the sheepdog's work. We also learn why the point of balance is not always to be found quite where we might expect it to be!
Hi Andy
Should we expect the dog to stop at the top by themselves?
Nancy
Good question, Nancy! I have just added my reply to our Frequently Asked Questions!
Thank you, the FAQs are very helpful.
I have a dog that wants to do nothing but circle, circle, circle. I have moved backwards time and again, and still can not get him to walk up to me on balance. He lives to circle and flank. I’ve been trying to flank him half a circle, down him and go in the other direction and walk up, but to no avail. How do I get him to quit his endless flanking and get a walk up?
You simply need to stop him, Susan! Make the dog stop, and make him stay in place until you send him off again.
Watch the six videos on this page (“Backwards is the way forward” – last) :
https://workingsheepdog.co.uk/category-stopping/
Thanks for the ‘Balance’ video.
Very pleased to see on the site that you are looking for another Kelpie to start. I took on a young adult KelpieXCollie who had been ‘wrong’ for the previous owner and he is now (3 years later!) my top dog. Steady and reliable in very challenging working conditions on Dartmoor.
Glad you like the tutorials, Nick. Yes, we’re looking forward to getting another Kelpie. Recently we’ve been impressed with the ones that have attended our sheepdog training courses and we feel we understand them better that we did five years ago when we had our first Kelpie, Red.
Dear Andy and Gill
Thanks for the “Point of Balance” tutorial. Perfect timing for my dog and I and very instructive.
See ya next time
Thank you, love your videos!