Jolene has insisted on starting her sheepdog training despite my best efforts.  The last two days she has cleared my field fence to join me in feeding the sheep. 

I bit my tongue when she jumped over to join the sheep and I.  She wasn’t running the sheep amuck.  In fact, I found the newly freed pup when she brought my bred ewes close to me as she could.  A fence separated these ewes from the field where I working.  Jolene brought them held them quietly on the fence.  It could have been ugly and I would have still needed to keep my cool.  Luckily I could just smile and call her off.  Two rare experiences!

I’m not a fan of dogs jumping fences.   And Jolene hasn’t shown an inclination to be an escape artist so I chose not to correct her. For prevention I’ll manage her carefully.  I won’t have her out in the “play yard” when I’m doing any sheep chores or training.  Either she will be with me or in a kennel.  Once Jolene has a solid start I will revisit the fence.  Scolding her if needed to help her gain respect of the fence.  But not yet.

January taught me a lot about my pups. Mott and Jolene have been exposed to sheep every couple of weeks since mid December and are beginning to show a little of their method and mindsets. 

My pint-sized collie Jolene has a knack of finding balance and shows a slight...very slight...give or pause once she arrives there and then motors forward.  I also like that she is available to hear me and partner with me already.  I’m able to call her to me and walk away from the sheep without her on a line.  When her "call off" stops working, which is well within the realm of possibility, I can pick her up!   She is a tiny little beast.

Mott is keen as mustard but doesn’t show the inclination to get behind the sheep without a little help from me.  He has a bigger cast than Jolene and a bigger bite.  The bite seems to come from a place of excitability verses fear as his distance might indicate.  His tail is more relaxed than Jolene’s but the transitions from changing directions on his flanks, when he looses ground and the sheep take flight, Yeehaw--just a little too much excitement for Mott’s young brain right now.  


The pups have ample feel and are positive on their sheep.  Comfortable with eye contact but will release their eye so there isn’t too much slicing/tension--some of course--but it looks like they will be naturally clean flanking dogs.  

Both are willing to partner and view the sheep as something we do together which is a great attribute.

Their bodies are growing like weeds right now so I will still be careful with the exposure to insure no pup gets hurt.  I have great puppy sheep to use and some heavy lambs I’ll introduce them too in a month or two.

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Dangerous Duo
Both pups have been busy being pups.  They have been to sheep a few times and both show a lot of promise.  I've separated them so each get individual time with me.  Mott is the "house pup".  He sleeps, eats, and hangs out with the retired dogs and is a wonderful fellow.  Smart, kind, and outgoing.  I decided to raise him in the house because the two pups together are a dangerous duo.  They  were tag-team/divebombing the other dogs and get very rough in their play with each other so I put the kibosh on their games.  Now, kept separately, they can deal with being appropriate with the other dogs and getting fair corrections from the grumpy older dogs.  

Those first few introductions to sheep have been an opportunity for me to see what the pup’s gut response to sheep.   I like to get a little peek into the future which is like going to the candy store.  It's a treat to watch a young dog.

Future Plans
Jolene is built like a tank and I plan to work her weekly beginning mid January when she is 6 months old.  Mott will need to wait until March or April when his body is more mature.  He is very athletic but has a long lean body and I worry he might get tangled up in his own legs on the sheep.  His body type and high drive to zip and nip are enough reason for me to be patient and start him this spring.  I may wait later depending on his movement, structure, and attitude.

Much can change in a dog’s attitude and body between 6 months and one year.  I can understand why many people wait to start a dog at one year.  At one year (or older) the dog is generally ready to go to sheep, have a mature body, and has the aptitude to take the pressure of training.

That said, I prefer to start them a tad younger if possible. To start young--say, six months,  the dog will need to be naturally clean and mindful in the flanks, have decent balance (or at least want to be on the other side of the sheep), and be open to hearing me to some degree.  I want to be sure they aren’t getting into trouble and needing pressure or corrections.    Yes, some pups are like that! 

Why bother starting early?  Two reasons: I enjoy the relationship building that occurs when I can start the dog earlier.  Sometimes we can coast thru their adolescence and become a team even though the “real training” hasn’t started yet.  We start doing little chores...baby chores.  Little gathers, walkabouts with different terrain, and introduction to Down, and That’ll Do.  Since the pups won't live in the house (Mott will probably be moved back into the kennel at 7 months or when he gets started) our time together is about sheep and listening in the context of sheepwork.  I want the young dog to take our time together as important and focused time.

Starting a pup at one year or six month, either way, it is my job to watch and learn about the pup so I can develop them in a way that is beneficial to us as a team.  To me that means building a happy and enthusiastic partnership. 

Pre-Game and Preschool
Let’s clarify the difference between exposure to sheep and “starting a dog”.   Mott and Jolene have been around sheep both at Pat Byrne’s kennel/farm in Ireland and now my farm.  They are not strangers to sheep.  Lucky for me, they are not the type of pups that need an incredibly high level of supervision.  Sure, the usual pup stuff, but they aren’t the type to be “freelancing” in inappropriate ways such as sneaking under gates, digging under or jumping over fences to get at the livestock or into my chicken coop.  

Guard Rails
Pups whose curiosity or independence gets them into trouble are managed differently.   Mott and Jolene have been able to accept some freedom on the farm.  I give my pups opportunity to get into a little trouble so I can teach them about accepting a correction without it being a huge emotional blow.  

Corrections are “guard rails”.  There is ample room for a pup to make good choices without being put to task.   The correction needs to as forceful as the pup needs but no more.  I don’t want a dog getting sulky and running to me for comfort.  Behaviors such as jumping on the fence (I never want a climber), digging in my garden, or stealing my Muck Boots off the porch will be corrected with a “Hey” (growly voice) and body pressure (a couple of aggressive steps in their direction) .The instant they “give up” their action I remove the pressure by walking backward or turning my back and moving away.  If they do run to me I will walk away ignoring any needy behavior(and note to lighten correction next time) Unless I’ve called them to me--then I will insist they come all the way to me.  


Indirect Exposure to Sheep
My dogs can hear, smell and see sheep most of the day.  The sheep don’t punctuate an event they are just here.  So, exposure begins immediately here.  Then we bump up the experience to light interactions, and later to “starting” stage.

As of this week (pups are 16 weeks old) I began to let them join me to feed sheep.  They walk with me to the barn & watch me go through the gate to feed sheep  I introduce a “stay” at the gate.  If they try to both through--the gate shuts on them.  We’ve already done this at their crate doors so they understand the idea but it is easy to forget when there are sheep right in front of them.   Once I’m on the other side I will correct if they attempt to come through the fence.  This educates the pups to respect a fence even if they can squeeze thru/under.  If the pup needs to be corrected more than 5 times I don’t let them out with me until they are older.  

Keep it simple...I want to teach them to respect boundaries and be able to observe the sheep.  If they are wildly keen and hard-headed and cannot help themselves I will manage them until they are old enough to approach the topic again--and big enough not to fit thru the fence! 

Pups who stare at sheep all day are managed the same way as those who are slipping under fences.  No visual or physical access to see or interact with the sheep.  
 
Direct Exposure-Infuse Interest
Mott and Jolene both had a little go with the sheep this week.  Just 5 minutes each so I could gauge their interest, let them have a positive experience, and glimpse at their method.  Both were lovely but different.  Mott wanted to hold the sheep on the fence, grab a little wool, and hock the sheep here and there.  When the sheep looked at him he held their gaze and then tried to move them.  I was thrilled with the little fellow.  Jolene came right up to the sheep on the fence, squeezed through between fence and sheep and started to balance off me.  She showed amazing authority and calm.  I was all smiles after their sessions.  

I’ve seen people take their young pups in with sheep and never set them free.  Choosing to teach the pup a “call off” and letting the pup get near the sheep but not “with the sheep”.   I fear these actions are not in alignment with the final result we are looking for in our exposure process.  We want the young pup to have the freedom to explore their relationship with the sheep--not fight a leash/line or otherwise frustrate the ember of their interest.    The goal of exposure is simple: infuse interest. 

I’ve had wonderful dogs who didn’t show interest until over a year.  It's worth the wait if you like your pup.  These two are only 4 months old and show strong interest. We will continue to explore the sheep in small mini sessions.  I am careful not to put them in harms way with sheep who might challenge or hurt them.  I want them walking into the sheep pen with a happy enthusiasm, not stress and worry.

True Starts
Many decisions go into when to officially start a pup.  There is no rush!  Is the dog ready physically?  Are they capable of dealing with corrections?  Do they need corrections at all?  Poorly timed corrections before the dog is emotionally ready may just ruin them. 

Ace (10 months), another young dog of mine, officially started last week.  I prefer to start dogs at around 6 months if they are ready.  Ace was mentally ready but his body was a bit gawky.  In addition, he is a keen snappy worker with quick sharp movements and fast stops.  I worried for his structure.  Now that he is more physically balanced he can be worked daily.    

There is a frailty to the process of starting which gets missed by misreading the biting and chasing.    I don’t want to ruin a dog or my relationship with them by harshly correcting them if they are unruly and disrespectful of the sheep.  Often the misdirected and aggressive energy on the sheep can be resolved by simply “putting them up” for awhile.  I’m amazed by the changes in attitude that a month of maturity brings. 


 

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Jolene and Mott are doing great at this stage.  I can call them away from the fence when they are “working” dogs on the other side.  Jolene interest in George the cat has subsided but I imagine she will be one of those dogs who likes to watch cats.   I don’t mind that...as long as she freely moves away from him after seconds rather than minutes.   They are happy and confident pups.  

I had another BC pup visit yesterday and was concerned by how terribly shy the pup was.  I have owned dogs like this too.  For me...as long as the dog is okay with kids we make it work. I get the dog socialized the best I can but accept that many BCs are more tenniative.  There are some basics that are helpful and this is what I shared with the owner.

Get your pup out
 In the world of pet dog trainers there is a common thread to encourage a pup. It’s 50 new experiences in the first 50 days starting at 8 weeks.

Since young pups are not fully vaccinated until they are 4 months many folks wait until then to take their pup in public.  Unfortuately the most malleable time for a young dogs to set the tone for the way they look at the world is BEFORE 4 months so with a pup, especially a shy pup, it is very important to get the pup off your property.  (In our area more dogs are euthanized for behavior issues than distemper or parvo so I encourage is idea with my clients.) 

Keep it simple
Let the world come to your pup.  Have the pup sit on your lap or lay on the ground as you hangout at a coffee shop or grocery store.  Horse shows, dog trials, or other events that have a variety of activity going on would be great for the pup to watch.  They don’t have to “engage” with everyone but “experience” the place and the people.  Noises, sounds, and smells will be overwhelming.  Let them soak it up. 

Food
Bring some food that you can share with the pup for “brave” behavior or give the food to other folks to share with your pup. Brave behavior means the pups is engaging lightly with the person (sniffing, reaching out to the person). If the pup is so shy they are hiding you need to have a different approach. 

Super Shy Pups
 Beware “stranger danger”!  Never force a stranger on them.  If the pup is backing away and hiding from a person the fear will cancel out the reward.  Food from that person will have no value and possibly cause more fear.  A hand reaching into their face with food might turn into a bite when the hand goes away as the fear/tension releases.  Many shy dogs endure unwanted encroachment only to bite as the pressure goes away.  Not unlike what we see in a young dog on stock.  It’s not uncommon to see a dog rushing to bite the livestock when we ask for a flank if we have allowed too much pressure to build before asking for the next motion/flank/walk-up/call off.

With a super shy pup it is best to let them watch from a place that works for them--behid your legs, under a chair or next to you.  Food still works wonders but it has to come from you--not the stranger. And you need to be your pups advocate to keep people at a comfortable distance so you can actively "counter condition" and build a positive correlation between food and people.  

As mentioned, I use quite a bit of food when the pups are young simply because it is the easiest and most effective way to shape good behavior choices.  Other rewards are important too.  Jolene enjoys food but she has also become very appreciative of touch so I can reward her easily and often.  Mott-not so much.  Little interest in being touched.  In fact, he prefers to be a little out of reach.   He is sensitive to my presence and it is clear I have some homework to do.

Two different dogs--two different methods of building a team.

Food:
Mott and I will be spending quite a bit of time very close together over the next few days.  He is VERY food focused and our time will be spent training with food.  We will be working on tasks like lay under my feet, crawl under my legs, and other “get in my space and handout” ideas that unfold.  

Training is about the process of building a relationship and teaching the pup to use their mind--not about an end result. 
Well... the result being: trust & relationship--not a trick that will be repeated endlessly to exhaustion and become a “party trick.”  I have no interest in my dogs knowing tricks for the sake of a trick.


Touch:
Not all dogs enjoy touch the same way and I encourage people to truly look to see if it is something their pup likes--or pay attention to the type of touch your dog enjoys.  Jolene likes quiet slow lazy pets, collar scratches, and tummy rubs.  Rob likes bear hugs, Coal is a leaner and loves his head being stroked, Ace is more physical and likes more aggressive rubs.  Touch is only a good motivator if you are actually doing something that has value to the dog.  Pay attention.
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A horse friend of mine once said, “Horses are like women.  They don’t want to be slapped, but they like a good rub.” Dog are not so different. Patting on the head might be a mild annoyance to one and a flat out “correction” to another. 

I had to put a picture of June here even though she is almost 3 years old.  She was the first dog I owned who had  little interest, and actually adverse, reaction to touch.  She is a tremendous  working dog but I almost gave her back to the breeder beacuse I was baffled by what I took to be a lack of bonding.   Thank goodness I didn't.  She is one of the most talented dogs I have had the pleasure to work with.

June is still not fond of touch--and that's just fine. But then I had to find some way to work with her to build a team.  Food didn't work.  Touch was not an option.

I needed to come up with some sort of game to engage June . She and I played "tug" --a lot.  I have no other dog I've needed to bond with in this manner.  It worked for June.  I haven't played tug with her in 2 years but when she was young it was one way to get her to connect with me prior to sheep.  Once her sheep training started  there was never a question of team or partnership.  She was 100% partner. And, chances are, whe would have been fine once we started working sheep, but would I?

Why did I import pups?​

There are many wonderful dogs throughout the states and I feel fortunate to have some talented dogs in my kennel but I like to keep my eyes & ears open for good dogs everywhere.   


I had seen videos of Pat Byrne’s Lad (originally trained by Alan Moran) and then some footage of Lad’s son Tim floating around the internet earlier this year.  Pat wasn’t interested in selling Tim but he had a litter of pups on the ground who were bred the same way.   Before making my decision I dug a little deeper and found a treasure trove of videos of Lad offspring. There seemed to be a consistency in the pups by a variety of bitches--not just Grace (Mott & Jolene’s dam).  They had a bit of eye to them but also seemed free moving and cool headed so I thought I’d take a chance.  I got a hold of Pat again and imported the two he had to sell.  


I chose to bring back two pups to minimize the stress of shipping on the pups.  Pat was able to find a company willing to ship one larger container with both pups so a deal was made and I couldn’t be happier with the two little beasts

The big scary Golden Quinn.

Last weekend I was at a training clinic and I brought Jolene with me.  I had her on my lap and she was very well behaved for the majority of time.  It was proof to me that the tether was working as she was quiet, patient, and attentive. After 45 minutes (I was impressed--I expected 15-20 minutes) she started to get a little agitated as her patience worn thin.  I immediately left to walk her and put her back in a crate.  

​I believe it is important not to start a fight with a pup in the presence of sheep.  Be it a young pup or a adolescent dog seeing sheep for the first time I want to be sure NOT to correct any barking or pulling with sheep in front of them.  They are excited & keen to the action and I don't want anything to squelch their enthusiasm .  Rather, I want to see their enthusiasm maintained.  The obnoxious behaviors we sometimes see when they are young will go away if they have regular time with sheep.  Don't worry about it.  I fear more a misguided correction may cause anxiety, worry, or teach the dog not to hear me when sheep are present.  None of which I want in my dog.

Rewards for Jolene.  If Jolene wants out of her crate she sits.  In turn, I open the door.  I never teach my dogs sit on command with a verbal but I like them to understand their actions can lead to the results they seek.  Be it getting out of a crate, access to sheep, or a chance to play with another dog.   By consistently rewarding for the sit/crate door opens I never have to say sit.  I could if I wanted but honestly I never teach my dogs "sit" by command.   I generally don't teach a "down" on a verbal command either.  I want to do that on sheep but, that said, that is the first behavior I shape with the clicker. But it is in context of hanging out.  For example, if I'm sitting at my desk or watching tv I will reward all downs whilst we hangout.  More on that later.

Why no commands?  I ask the dogs to give me so much when working sheep that I like my dogs to have a lot of freedom to just be a dog when they aren’t working.  So I shape good behavor even if I don’t nessessarity ask for it.  I expect it without needing to ask, if you will.