Check out this wonderful new video by Julie Hill. Keep the dog thinking…the why’s and how’s.
Keeping the dog thinking
Neth Hill Border Collies
www.nethhillbordercollies.co.uk
Here’s a lovely bit if insight from Julie about how she keeps the dog thinking.
Yes. I do not start with much command until they’ve had lots of natural fetch and drive. Depending on their innate natural ability will dictate the length of time. But it’s months I spend perfecting their understanding of management of sheep. When I do start associating commands I make sure they start and finish with natural so that they realize you are adding on commands and not exchanging. This is why so many young dogs end up waiting for the command because humans want control so much and so demand they listen to every command instead of looking at what the dog is telling them about the sheep. If we do not listen then we take away the dog’s initiative. Continually giving commands eventually takes even confidence out of some dogs. Just like horses you don’t get control by pulling on the reins.
When my dog is fully trained I only use command to work through precision elements of the work until I see the dogs understands the new task. For example, directing a dog to sheep he cannot see.
Hope that makes sense 😀
Neth Hill Border Collies
