A friend of mine was telling me that he has a dog that keeps circling around the stock and he has a hard time stopping it. This dog came from a friend of his who trained it for him.
It was interesting when he showed me the problem. He brought some sheep into a paddock and the sheep immediately went to the high point and, the dog began to circle. I asked him how his friend had trained the dog. He said in a round pen.
My opinion on round pens is it is a good place to train out the natural instinct of a dog. It makes training a dog to specific commands relatively easy. Also, when training in a round pen so many people think that is a good place to train balance. What is balance to a herding dog, or should I say working dog? To a working dog it is not a 12 and 6 placing, it is balancing on the head of the sheep in relation to you. It could be a 9 and 12 position.
Again, it is my opinion, that if you are going to train a working dog do so where you are going to use it on conditions that you are going to use. GET RID OF ROUND PENS. This should be come a mantra.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Training Part 2 – The start
Each day I would take the dog to the calves. Initially this was done off leash but that changed very quickly. The leash and in this case, a choke chain tells the her that this is not play time and that I am the leader and she must react, at this stage, when she is told to do.
The area that we do the training is fairly large so the calves are usually spread out. Some at the lick, others laying around and others at the feeders. There are also some calves in a treed area that make up this paddock. The ones in the trees I am not concerned about at this time.
When I enter the area I remove the leash and choke chain and do not let her move until I give the command. I will give the command to “Get around” as I begin to walk to the central part of this paddock. I expect her to start picking up calves which she does.
If she miss's some or one, I stop her and call her to me. I will then face the stray(s) and tell her to get around again. By using this method, she will eventually get the idea not only to look around but to react to that stray.
Now that she has started to work I start to move the main body of calves. Of course the whole idea is to get all the noses pointing in one direction. By me doing this eventually she picks up that this is a team exercise. If she has any instinct and or stock sense, she should begin to flank. If there is a brake up I will call her and motion or walk in that direction so that she will swing around and pick up the culprit.
More to follow
The area that we do the training is fairly large so the calves are usually spread out. Some at the lick, others laying around and others at the feeders. There are also some calves in a treed area that make up this paddock. The ones in the trees I am not concerned about at this time.
When I enter the area I remove the leash and choke chain and do not let her move until I give the command. I will give the command to “Get around” as I begin to walk to the central part of this paddock. I expect her to start picking up calves which she does.
If she miss's some or one, I stop her and call her to me. I will then face the stray(s) and tell her to get around again. By using this method, she will eventually get the idea not only to look around but to react to that stray.
Now that she has started to work I start to move the main body of calves. Of course the whole idea is to get all the noses pointing in one direction. By me doing this eventually she picks up that this is a team exercise. If she has any instinct and or stock sense, she should begin to flank. If there is a brake up I will call her and motion or walk in that direction so that she will swing around and pick up the culprit.
More to follow
Training restarted
I have been off and away for a few months, got a new knee. As a result the window of opportunity I had with my new bitch pup passed me by.
You will recall from an earlier post, I had started her when she was 5 months old. I know that a lot of people will say that is far to young and I agree with you. If you are starting a pup that young you have to be very careful and protective so that no harm comes to her. I do not recommend starting at this age.
Well along comes January and my annual ranch sitting job for some friends of mine. Feeding 160 head daily, moving them from area to area and doing physical checks twice a day is a golden opportunity for some REAL practical and stock dog training. In the mornings I fed all the stock. The training here is moving the stock away from the feeder and holding them until the bale was unwrapped and in the feeder. I will elaborate on what and how I did this in a later post.
In the afternoon it was more formal training in a paddock of calves (64). The task was to round up the 64 calves and move them from the feeding and resting area, out into a large field. The second task was to catch the calves, turn them and return them to feeders.
You may recall that when I start a dog I use minimal commands. In this case: “get around” and “there (stop command). The whole idea behind this is I want to develop that natural instinct. In short, I want her to start using her head
In my next post(s) I will take you through each step that I followed.
Until next time …..
You will recall from an earlier post, I had started her when she was 5 months old. I know that a lot of people will say that is far to young and I agree with you. If you are starting a pup that young you have to be very careful and protective so that no harm comes to her. I do not recommend starting at this age.
Well along comes January and my annual ranch sitting job for some friends of mine. Feeding 160 head daily, moving them from area to area and doing physical checks twice a day is a golden opportunity for some REAL practical and stock dog training. In the mornings I fed all the stock. The training here is moving the stock away from the feeder and holding them until the bale was unwrapped and in the feeder. I will elaborate on what and how I did this in a later post.
In the afternoon it was more formal training in a paddock of calves (64). The task was to round up the 64 calves and move them from the feeding and resting area, out into a large field. The second task was to catch the calves, turn them and return them to feeders.
You may recall that when I start a dog I use minimal commands. In this case: “get around” and “there (stop command). The whole idea behind this is I want to develop that natural instinct. In short, I want her to start using her head
In my next post(s) I will take you through each step that I followed.
Until next time …..
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Exercise, Disipline, Affection
If you watch any TV these days you may recognize the title. You hear this frequently on the Dog Whisperer TV show. Well this applies to the herding dog as well, particularly the young herding dog. 9 times out of 10 when I am asked about the potential of a dog/pup, I find that the dog/pup receives no exercise, discipline is not consistant and affection is ALL ways given at the wrong time.
On the exercise part of this, the owner will ALL ways say that the dog/pup has the run of the place and gets lots of exercise. Again 9 times out of 10 this is not exercise. A dog needs to focus on the running part of the exercise and this just does not happen when they are "playing" around the yard or fields.
Now I understand the time limitations of the busy rancher/farmer. Some times taking a 1/2 hour first thing in the morning can be very theraputic. Using this time to exercise the dog/pup can also make the difference between a real valuable working stock dog and just a pet. I usually recommend that the owner take the dog for a run at least for 20 to 30 minutes. Now before you turn off, there is a simple way to do this. Most ranch's have a quad, 4X4, ATV, or what ever you want to call it. This is an excellent way to exercise your dog. At an appropriate speed ie. the dog running just behind the quad, at a comfortable rate, it not only benefit the dogs physical well being, but also his mental state. As an added bonus, the bonding will be strengthened also. And as an added added bonus, it will do the handler a world of good as well.
Thoughts?
On the exercise part of this, the owner will ALL ways say that the dog/pup has the run of the place and gets lots of exercise. Again 9 times out of 10 this is not exercise. A dog needs to focus on the running part of the exercise and this just does not happen when they are "playing" around the yard or fields.
Now I understand the time limitations of the busy rancher/farmer. Some times taking a 1/2 hour first thing in the morning can be very theraputic. Using this time to exercise the dog/pup can also make the difference between a real valuable working stock dog and just a pet. I usually recommend that the owner take the dog for a run at least for 20 to 30 minutes. Now before you turn off, there is a simple way to do this. Most ranch's have a quad, 4X4, ATV, or what ever you want to call it. This is an excellent way to exercise your dog. At an appropriate speed ie. the dog running just behind the quad, at a comfortable rate, it not only benefit the dogs physical well being, but also his mental state. As an added bonus, the bonding will be strengthened also. And as an added added bonus, it will do the handler a world of good as well.
Thoughts?
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The Stop Command
I recently watched some super cow dogs performing at the annual DMS cow dog trial in Vanderhoof BC. Not only was it a good trial, the competitors were top notch. Competitors and dogs came from through out the Pacific North West and through out BC.
One handler and his dog caught my eye. When the dog was given a command it responded immediately. When the down command was given that dog hit the ground and you could not get a hair under him from chin to tail. I'm almost convinced that the dog has a flat underside.
Why do I mention this? Well I no longer teach my dogs, or handlers, the down command. I want my dogs upright and always maximum visibility to the cattle. Also teaching the dog the down command wastes a tremendous amount of energy. This is critical when moving large numbers of cattle over long periods of time. Remember that my main aim of this blog is to train WORKing stock dogs.
Now if you are training a competition dog then you might want to teach the down command. I do not see any need for it. Some may argue that is the only way you can get a good stop (?) on a dog and that you can always train a dog to stand. You may be right and if that works for competition folks then who am I to argue. There is no reason however that you can not get a perfect (?) stop at the stand position. It's all in the way you train the dog.
It is a pleasure to watch the competition dogs work. Most competitions do not allow the dog to think on it's feet. Time and points are the main concern. Still it's nice to watch.
One handler and his dog caught my eye. When the dog was given a command it responded immediately. When the down command was given that dog hit the ground and you could not get a hair under him from chin to tail. I'm almost convinced that the dog has a flat underside.
Why do I mention this? Well I no longer teach my dogs, or handlers, the down command. I want my dogs upright and always maximum visibility to the cattle. Also teaching the dog the down command wastes a tremendous amount of energy. This is critical when moving large numbers of cattle over long periods of time. Remember that my main aim of this blog is to train WORKing stock dogs.
Now if you are training a competition dog then you might want to teach the down command. I do not see any need for it. Some may argue that is the only way you can get a good stop (?) on a dog and that you can always train a dog to stand. You may be right and if that works for competition folks then who am I to argue. There is no reason however that you can not get a perfect (?) stop at the stand position. It's all in the way you train the dog.
It is a pleasure to watch the competition dogs work. Most competitions do not allow the dog to think on it's feet. Time and points are the main concern. Still it's nice to watch.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Starting the stock dog pup
As I discussed in an earlier post I like to take a pup to stock at 5 or 6 months. This is not a training session but more of an evaluation session. What I am looking for is the reaction of the pup to stock. I usually use sheep for this and try to get a group of somewhat passive sheep if possible All I do is release the pup in the general area of the sheep and stand back and watch what happens. Several things can happen:
1. There will be no interest.
2. The pup may show some signs of curiousity.
3. The pup may advance towards the sheep.
4. The pup may charge the sheep.
5. The pup may start to circle (head) the sheep.
When checking this out you should try and have the sheep moving slowly. This may spark some interest to the pup. Now if there is no interest after a few moments, at this early age this is no real problem. The hormones and instinct have not kicked in yet. I will take the pup away and try again in about 1 month's time. There is no sense in trying to force the issue as you may end up doing more harm the good.
Now if the pup takes an immediate interest and starts to do something then I will give her a few minutes and then call the pup off. I want you to note what I said here: “I call the pup off”. This is very important because if you can not call the pup off you have not done your preliminary training. With a pup 5 to 6 months old and for that matter any new pup or dog, I will not expose them to sheep for at least 3 or 4 weeks later after this initial exposure.
Handlers have to accept the fact that not all pups can be started early. I have known dogs that were18 months before they were turned on. I'm not sure if I would want to wait that long and usually would place the dog in a good home.
If you take a look at the following picture, you will see a very young bitch pup displaying obvious herding instinct. No commands are attempted and she is allowed to “do her thing”.
She was first taken to sheep at 5 months and displayed similar behaviour. She is 6 months in this photo. I took her off the stock after approximately 5 minutes and chained her to a post while I did some training on another dog. When I finished the training session I let her have another short go at the sheep be for calling her off. I will follow this routine every couple of weeks and watch as her confidence builds. I suspect at 7-1/2 to 8 months she will be ready for daily training as well as doing some work with the other dogs.
Now this all may sound like I am trying to force the training issue. Quite the opposite. If a pup is ready then it will become more satisfying to the pup, after all, these are herding dogs and that is what they do. The key is don't force it. Also remember “exercise, discipline, then affection” makes for a happy pooch.
Until the next time
1. There will be no interest.
2. The pup may show some signs of curiousity.
3. The pup may advance towards the sheep.
4. The pup may charge the sheep.
5. The pup may start to circle (head) the sheep.
When checking this out you should try and have the sheep moving slowly. This may spark some interest to the pup. Now if there is no interest after a few moments, at this early age this is no real problem. The hormones and instinct have not kicked in yet. I will take the pup away and try again in about 1 month's time. There is no sense in trying to force the issue as you may end up doing more harm the good.
Now if the pup takes an immediate interest and starts to do something then I will give her a few minutes and then call the pup off. I want you to note what I said here: “I call the pup off”. This is very important because if you can not call the pup off you have not done your preliminary training. With a pup 5 to 6 months old and for that matter any new pup or dog, I will not expose them to sheep for at least 3 or 4 weeks later after this initial exposure.
Handlers have to accept the fact that not all pups can be started early. I have known dogs that were18 months before they were turned on. I'm not sure if I would want to wait that long and usually would place the dog in a good home.
If you take a look at the following picture, you will see a very young bitch pup displaying obvious herding instinct. No commands are attempted and she is allowed to “do her thing”.
She was first taken to sheep at 5 months and displayed similar behaviour. She is 6 months in this photo. I took her off the stock after approximately 5 minutes and chained her to a post while I did some training on another dog. When I finished the training session I let her have another short go at the sheep be for calling her off. I will follow this routine every couple of weeks and watch as her confidence builds. I suspect at 7-1/2 to 8 months she will be ready for daily training as well as doing some work with the other dogs.
Now this all may sound like I am trying to force the training issue. Quite the opposite. If a pup is ready then it will become more satisfying to the pup, after all, these are herding dogs and that is what they do. The key is don't force it. Also remember “exercise, discipline, then affection” makes for a happy pooch.
Until the next time
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Bonding
Well you have a new pup. The question(s) is when should I start training. I am of the opinion that training can not start until there is a bond between you and the pup. Now if you look at that statement something should leap out at you! If the pup is going to bond to you then how can you send it away to be trained? That is a good question for which there is many answers, some good and some not so good. This will be the topic of another entry in the blog in the future
When I get a pup for myself, I start out with the pup spending a good part of the time with my wife. That mothering instinct goes along way to eventually bonding with me. A pup has to be a pup. A pup has to learn some basic manners and the mothering instinct usually facilitates this and usually in a very short period of time.
During this phase, I feed the pup, as I do with all my dogs. You know where I'm going with this. If I am feeding the pup the pup begins to see the association between me and the pack and quickly begins to find it's place in the pecking order. I also take the pup in the car/truck anytime I go on short trips. This is usually to town for one reason or another. When I am in town I will put a leash on the pup and take her for a short walk exposing her to different sounds, smells, noises, and people. Holding a leash during this time also allows her to associate me as the pack leader. Of course there is plenty of praise, at the appropriate time, which she will also associate with pleasing me as the leader
This routine will continue until she is ready for training. I will take the pup to, usually, sheep, the first time at about 6 months of age. If the interest is there in any form, then this is my que to having the pup move from my wife to me. The pup is now officially mine and will be with me most of the time. The the real bonding begins.
When I am asked to train a dog, I usually turn the possible engagement down for the reasons stated above. I am often asked to evaluate a dog to determine if it is ready for training or shows any interest. I have found quite often a handler will say they want to begin training a dog but there is no bond there. As most of my trainig is now handler training, I will usually send the handler home with instructions to bond with the dog. When this is done then I will start working with the handler and dog. Training goes much quicker and usually with better results.
There is some food for thought. Comments are always welcome
When I get a pup for myself, I start out with the pup spending a good part of the time with my wife. That mothering instinct goes along way to eventually bonding with me. A pup has to be a pup. A pup has to learn some basic manners and the mothering instinct usually facilitates this and usually in a very short period of time.
During this phase, I feed the pup, as I do with all my dogs. You know where I'm going with this. If I am feeding the pup the pup begins to see the association between me and the pack and quickly begins to find it's place in the pecking order. I also take the pup in the car/truck anytime I go on short trips. This is usually to town for one reason or another. When I am in town I will put a leash on the pup and take her for a short walk exposing her to different sounds, smells, noises, and people. Holding a leash during this time also allows her to associate me as the pack leader. Of course there is plenty of praise, at the appropriate time, which she will also associate with pleasing me as the leader
This routine will continue until she is ready for training. I will take the pup to, usually, sheep, the first time at about 6 months of age. If the interest is there in any form, then this is my que to having the pup move from my wife to me. The pup is now officially mine and will be with me most of the time. The the real bonding begins.
When I am asked to train a dog, I usually turn the possible engagement down for the reasons stated above. I am often asked to evaluate a dog to determine if it is ready for training or shows any interest. I have found quite often a handler will say they want to begin training a dog but there is no bond there. As most of my trainig is now handler training, I will usually send the handler home with instructions to bond with the dog. When this is done then I will start working with the handler and dog. Training goes much quicker and usually with better results.
There is some food for thought. Comments are always welcome
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