Through research teachers discovered that students have different “learning styles” (visual, auditory or touch).

I think one of the things that will make you a good trainer is understanding that dogs are not dissimilar. So, keep in mind it’s not only some learn quicker than others but also they need different methods in order to learn. Adjusting your training to HOW a dog learns will help you get the best out of him.

Some need structure and repetition to achieve their full potential. Often these dogs have a little too much chase or not enough eye to hold them off their sheep. Repetition creates a pattern which will allow them to develop a working method.

For instance: they may have talent but might not a “built it - guidance system” that tells them how far they need to be off their sheep to accomplish what you two are working on. This doesn’t mean they won’t mature into a good dog – but at this juncture of their training a “piece” is missing and it’s your job to develop whats lacking. It’s possible “the piece” is in there – but the dog doesn’t understand how to utilize it. With some dogs tension gets in the way of potential … so your job is to calm the dog down enough to allow him to focus.  Maybe its a “very forward” dog that needs to “tone it down” … or a dog that doesn’t have pace and you need to repeat something enough times until he realizes his life will be easier if he will just do it your way. No matter what the reason it’s a matter of consistently repeating the command MAKING sure he does it correctly EVERY time until its “set in stone”. This allows the dog to work his stock in the best way possible for him.

A different dog may need to grasp the concept of “the job” to be able to move forward. They might be hesitant to try something because they truly don’t understand what you are trying to accomplish or where they “fit” into that picture. Often it’s the ones that are trying to control the stock from a distance  that need be taught the concept (example: pushing harder on their sheep) before they become proficient at the task. So  repetition will NOT work for this type … because just repeating a pattern does not let him grasp the reason behind the action. It’s your job to come up with a way to communicate the reason you need it done a certain way. These dogs will learn a LOT about “the work” from the sheep … IF you have the correct sheep (meaning NOT dog broke sheep that run to you just because a dog moves).

So, novice trainers what ever his “learning style” its your job as a trainer to read each dog and explore how to bring out the best in them. I personally think that’s a lot of the enjoyment of training these dogs … makes you keep your “thinking cap” on.

TECH: is working on learning what “out” means. When I flank him and he looks in I give him an “out” and insist that he turn his head away from the sheep. This will come in “to play” when we start working on outruns but for now it’s “up close and personal” so I can communicate to him what I’m asking and make sure he follows through … each and every time.

He doesn’t like lying down and I don’t make him (he’s a long-legged guy and watching him lie down is a little like watching a giraffe try to lie down) BUT I do make him completely STOP (on his feet) without any forward movement when I say lie down. This “lie down” is not a flexible one … it means NO forward movement (standing tends to encourage more forward than when they are “flat” on the ground). If I don’t need a total stop I use stand (and I’m a lot more flexible with the stand).

With him … corrections have to be VERY firm to get through to him … slap your hat on your leg and his reaction is … I’m a little busy right now can I get back to you on that one :@) BUT he’s the one that when he perceives you are angry would “think” about quitting. So, once I get though to him and he realizes he’s being corrected … I have to back off  (verbally and physically) FAST.  However, getting through to him is much more difficult than Gear. He’s not really “hard headed” just independent and more focused on the sheep than me.

GEAR: Working on lining out on both the fetch and drive (more so on the drive). I use “there-there-steady” on the fetch and then if he tries to flank instead of walk on straight … I make him stand. This stops him from trying to overreact to his every perceived movement from his sheep. He’s very reactionary which can be good if “harnessed” but cause problems if I allow it to “take over”. He will cover a breaking sheep before I can say a word … but he can also cause a sheep to break by trying to hard.

On the drive I use the fence to keep him walking straight instead of letting him push by flanking. This really seems to help him understand that he doesn’t need to go “sideways” to make the sheep to go forward. An issue that happens with the fence is he tends to over-flank and head them – so I have to “fall back” to making him stand. I try and work all my dogs “free flowing” (with very little stopping) but to “get there” they need to understand that: yes, you can just keep things moving until you do something incorrectly.

Also, early on I take 50 (or so) sheep out to the middle of the pasture and make a HUGE hole and teach them to come through to me. Gear is already learning to work at holding them apart. Keeping them apart is helping him understand driving … “just so happens” this seems to make more sense to him. However, with a lot of pups they just get confused when trying to drive that way  — so I will just lie them down (between the two groups of sheep) and walk around and have him fetch to me. Then I go work that group. This will make dog broke sheep less likely to come to me (as they are drawn toward the big bunch). So the dog has to learn to hold and push sheep (instead of just follow sheep).

A correction for Gear is HEY … anything more and the ears are “pinned” back and he is backed off too much. He’s not soft … he just wants to be right and doesn’t like to be in trouble. I enjoy this about him as it means he’s connected and wants me in the picture.

I’m also working on both of them having them learn to “pen sort” (meaning I use a gate to let only the sheep I want in) … both are pushy and having a difficult time learning patience (totally understand … not one of my strong suits :@) and I MUCH prefer that with young dogs than “get up – get up”.

BUT most of all I’m allowing them to learn about sheep. That every move they make causes a reaction in their sheep and that they are responsible for their actions. If they cause a mess – they have to clean it up (with corrections from me). The best teachers are sheep (that is …. if you are using sheep that aren’t “dead dog broke”).

  I’m working two young dogs

and even though they are half-brothers — They couldn’t be more different if they tried. Both are talented and totally enjoyable to work but so very different – in personality and working style. I have to remind myself to change my method and attitude with each of them. If I tried to work them both the same – neither would progress as they should.

TECH:

One is a big, long legged, easy going male. He tends to be independent with a mind of his own. When we go to the sheep he’s always trying to get to them before I send him. When called off he runs a distance and turns trying to get back to the sheep. But, at the same time he can be soft with a touch of “quit” about him if corrections get tough. A bit of a dichotomy to “blend” those two “issues” together when it comes to training.

He is all forward with very little flank about him. He will take 50 sheep and just drive them straight without flanking. He has so much forward he can split his sheep if not slowed down. However, he has enough feel that he will “rock back” if the sheep do split as he does have a desire to keep sheep together. He doesn’t have a lot of eye or pace … so I will have to work on “holding him back” trying to “install” pace. I won’t have a worry about him not pushing through “the bubble”.

I do love his forward but need to start putting some “sideways” in him. So flanks will be the number one thing I will work on with him. Driving and pushing will come naturally to him.

However, I will intermingle the things he’s good at (forward) with the things he’s not (flanks) to keep his attitude right … while putting “clean flanks” making sure I keep him happy and motivated.

GEAR:

The second one is small, quick, sharp and reactive. He is extremely biddable and tries everything he can stay out of trouble. He simply does not like to be wrong.  When we walk to the sheep he stays close to me waiting for me to send him. When called off he doesn’t run off but stays close to me. He can be sensitive and submissive to correction but luckily he needs very little being such a good listener. An easier combination to work with than the other pup.

He has great flanks, outruns and uncanny feel for sheep. He has plenty of pace and decent push on the fetch. However, he is lacking that forward on the drive. Some of that is lacking confidence “in the task” but some is his “bubble distance”  – he doesn’t like to push through. When he actually pushes past this comfort zone … the tension comes out. So, instead of pushing on steadily he tends to do it in “spurts”. He’s a bit “wound” like a rubber band too tight that breaks and shoots forward.

So, I will put sheep up against the fence and teach him to keep walking closer and closer to his sheep … helping him to stay relaxed and calm while he pushing through his bubble.

I’m going to have to watch myself with him as he is one that excels at “guiding” sheep from a lot further back than I am comfortable with. So, I need to adjust my comfort zone to fit him not the other way around. If I try to MAKE him push on when he truly doesn’t NEED to – I will be taking away one of his most valuable assets. However, he will need to learn “push” as well as “feel” – so I need to “slip” in more forward without losing his distance feel.

The best thing about these pups is they are both very enjoyable to train. This makes you go out of your way to find time for them. It’s harder to train when you don’t enjoy the “clay” you have to work with.

The pups are growing fast and starting to learn “their trade”. They are now taking gripping lessons from a willing volunteer:@)

BOB and DOT  pups!

They were born August 30 so will be a great age for a Nursery dog. Dot is a great mother and had a very easy delivery … having all of them in around 2 hours! However, sonogram said 6 and out came 8 — 7 of them females! The are growing and going from squiggly worms to trying to “walk and talk” :@) The tri is starting to come out in some and seems to be a very rich brown. They are all sold.

Click  HERE  for pictures (UPDATED 9/15/2011)

Click HERE for updated pictures (9/25/2011)

HERE for a video of pups.

HERE for video of pups “pigging out” :@)

There are 7 females and only 1 male *click on photos to enlarge*. Surprised! Sonogram showed 6 and “out came” 8 :@) I will try and update regularly.

GIRL #1

Girl #3

11 oz on 8/30                            19 oz on 9/06                       30 oz on 9/14  Eyes Open

                                  

Girl #5

11 oz on 8/30                          22 oz on 9/06                          28 oz on 9/14  Eyes Open.

                                   
Girl #6

11 oz on 8/30                         18 oz on 9/06                          26 oz on 9/14  Eyes Open

Girl #7

10 oz on 8/30                         18 oz on 9/06                        26 oz on 9/14  Eyes Open
                                 
Only Boy #8

13 oz on 8/30                         22 oz on 9/06                   33 oz on 9/14  Eyes Open

            Girl one ……..  2 lbs 14 oz

           Girl two ………… 3 lbs 4 oz

       Girl four ……… 2 lbs 14 oz

        Girl six ……  2lbs 14 oz

         Girl seven ………. 3 lbs 4 oz

         Boy ….. 3lbs 4 oz

PHOTOSHOP images

One of the things I enjoy most besides working dogs is photo shopping them. I’ve been asked numerous times if they sent me a photo of their dog …  would I Photoshop it. So, decided that I would do a limited number to see how it goes. If this is something that would interest you email for price and information.

Basic ones start around $25 and go up depending on the time involved and how many layers.

Click HERE for the gallery.

Email abcollies @ yahoo .com (remove spaces)

I was going to update the pups with a video instead of writing about them.  A number of people emailed and asked if they could visually see the difference between them … and I have trying for the last 2 weeks. It’s difficult enough to video the trained ones while trying to work them – but pups – make for “seasick” videos :@). Still working on it.

They are both progressing well and still very enjoyable because they allow me to work on different issues – which keeps my mind busy trying to figure out how to best let each dog grow and learn. It can get “stale” if you are working on the same thing day after day.

Gear is now in “testing” mode – which is a good thing. He’s the one that worries about being wrong so much he can be hesitant in his work. He’s now needing stronger corrections and starting to push back – and I like that. Resistance is good (not “futile” as the Borg say … for those Star Trek fans that speak Trekkie :@)

We are still working on his “push” on the drive. That’s his “hole” and he’s not sure how to “fill it” yet every once in a while he forgets to be cautious and just takes hold of them forges on … and I stand back *with a smile on my face* and let him. I am working on a “get up” (both verbal and whistle) command and that means “fast forward” … encouraging him to have more FORWARD … even if that means  occasionally running through the middle of them.  Later on I can refine this down to just a speed up command.

That’s one of the keys in training. Learn to put a “rough draft” on a movement or action you want FIRST then later on refine it down. Don’t try to start with the refine move and “rough it up” later. I believe pups need to be pups NOT perfect young dogs.

At one point we had an issue with his come-bye outrun. I have an area (depending on where you stand) that on the “come-bye” side the dog has to follow a fence and then take a hard 45 degree angle to his left to have a correct outrun. He is such a natural outrunner that would confuse him. He would run out trying to be correct and hit a fence and stop. So, I would walk out and encourage him on. Amazing what confuses them sometimes. I’ve had some that would cut in if there was a shadow on the ground.

Tech is going to be slower … not that he doesn’t have talent. Just his talent comes in a “different form” than Gear. Kind of having one kid that slowly plods along but each step he takes he is learning something – where another one shines from the very start. I’ve always said not how they start but how they finish that counts.

All this means is he will need to develop at a slower pace. He will have to learn how to outrun correctly before I can send him any distance which means walking for me .. “over and over” to make sure his “top” is correct … and that takes more time. He needs to learn how to bend off on a flank without leaning on his sheep … once again time. He wants to move sheep in a straight line (great for the drive) but when I need to change directions … straight doesn’t “cut it”.

He had an issue about pulling them off the fence if I wasn’t between him (again back to his straight line “theory”). So, we set it up … over and over again. I would use as little instruction as possible (but still try to keep him right). What I was “aiming for” – was for him to figure it out on his own. He ran through the middle, he stopped and held them up against the fence and did a few dozen other things wrong … but he WAS learning with each correction I gave him. He received a correction when he was wrong but then allowed to “motor on”.  I was trying to develop an understanding of not only sheep and pressure but where I was (and keep me in the back of his mind). You give enough pressure/correction to let them know WHAT is wrong but enough freedom to let them learn as they go.

Some train up easy … some are more difficult but I think that is one of the things that makes training so thought provoking. Trying to “find clues” as to what works with each dog to bring out the best in them. I will keep working on and getting a video (that’s actually watchable) to show the difference in them.

When asked … I always answer with yes, no or maybe.

I’ve heard and seen people brag how good their ranch dog is and those trial dogs could never “get er’ done”. All the while … their dog is doing nothing except harassing the stock .. and they think that’s  a dog working “naturally” while those “trial dogs” have to be told every step to take.

I don’t disagree some dogs are started and trained on nothing but 3 sheep and total precision. They are never left to think, act, or work on their own. They become “little machines” with perfect obedience but can only work in “trial program” mode.  I’ve personally seen “those type” win a trial and then couldn’t exhaust their own sheep … because THAT wasn’t programmed into the dog (or the person apparently :@). Do I think that would make a good ranch dog – no. BUT, I also don’t think that makes the best trial dog either. It might look good as long as the sheep are cooperative but if sheep decide to bolt back to the set-out at 600 yards – “more than likely” that dog would never be able handle it. Those “type” of dogs usually don’t do well with big trials and “double lifts” either.

If you start training a pup for perfection instead of trying to “carve” a rough draft of the end “product” … what you end up with will be so thin and weak it can be easily broken. So, let a young dog BE a young dog — don’t try to start with finesse. However, it’s just as important you don’t let him “run amok”. If you train for nothing but all fast action and brute force you will have a hard time putting the finesse in later on. Sometimes novices seem to believe if a dog is hard running, chasing and biting the stock – that must mean the dog has power … usually its just the opposite.

A rough draft does not mean chase livestock with tail flying in the air. It means working stock with more push than what you need for trial circumstances but with calm purpose. It does not mean “anything goes”.  Neither people nor dogs process information or learn anything when their brain is in a frenzy.

A lot of people confuse a handler giving information to a dog (whistles to a dog) to making a mechanical robot. It’s NOT the same thing … giving information (verbal or whistles) is NOT necessarily making a dog “just” obey. Remember Information is power and it doesn’t necessarily mean you are trying to control his every move. Example: If you give a redirect on an outrun … you are giving the dog information that will make his life (and the sheep’s) easier. A cross over starts a dog in the wrong frame of mind and usually upsets the sheep. So, that “one redirect whistle” gave information that solved a lot of issues before they ever came up — for a ranch dog OR a trial dog. Sheep on a ranch don’t like to be “buzzed” by a dog tight on his outrun anymore than a trial sheep do. Might not bother them as much because they are so dog broke (or use to that particular dog but it IS still is unsettling).

Some novices also seem to be just as confused about pressure. They seem to think pressure/correction is all negative and thats not how they want to train their dog. Pressure (when done right) is nothing more than information.

However …. A dog needs to FEEL he can control the pressure … if he feels he has no say in the matter he will either give up or blow through it. He needs to know when he’s RIGHT pressure is OFF … when he’s WRONG pressure is ON. He learns that he is in control of that pressure by giving in to it.

The same can be said for information — it can be used to make you two a better team or used to control the dogs every step. It all depends on how you decide to use it.

I’ve always said it’s much easier to find a good ranch dog than it is a good trial dog – but there is no reason you can’t do both with the same dog if train correctly. It’s just easier to train for ranch work than it is trial work (basics are the same but you don’t need all the “bells and whistles”). Good top class trial dogs are not easily “come by” but I bet 90% make great ranch/farm dogs —  BUT I sure don’t think it goes “the other way”.