Training a dog is easy, much easier than you'd think. Teaching flanks? Piece of cake, after he knows how to go around his stock. It's just associating a word, naming the action. It's the development of his instinct, bringing out the natural that is the difficult, time consuming part. So we have a few things to consider when we are starting a dog.
We want to be able to give commands when needed, and have him follow them. But, we don't want to be demanding or controlling with those demands, to the point we take something out of him~his natural ability. We need to be able to take control, but not be controlling.
I don't want my pup dependent on me, waiting for me to tell him what and how to do it. I want a dog to be natural, be able to think on his own. He's bred for that. So, I don't use commands, not at this stage! There's plenty of time down the line to teach "away" "come by" etc. There is something else to consider as well, why name something when it's not being done, or being done incorrectly?
Do I want to say "come by" to Jos, when he just might be going to head in the "away" direction? or going in the right direction, but slicing his flank? (wouldn't that be teaching a sliced flank?) Do I want to pull his attention off his stock, and have him worrying about what I'm saying? So I do lots of walk abouts, without saying a word. I use my position change the situation, change balance, and change the direction he goes around the sheep. I will do lots of things with him, *quietly*.
I'm a firm believer in a few things, and flexible on most others. What I am firm about is, we must let our dogs work, develop a puppy, exposing him so he "feels" his sheep, and as he grows, he can use his own instinct to control them and fix a mess. And, doing so *without* my telling him how to do it! So, I spend my time thinking of how I will create situations that will help me develop Jos to his fullest potential. Challenges that he will learn from, without being over his head. Challenges that will help his lil puppy brain develop. And I'll be quiet! shhhhh I'll be so quiet, that when I do speak, he will hear it, even tho it is softly said. Soft words, are generally calm words, which helps keep the emotion out of training... but that's for another day :-) There's time, Jos, there's time... for all kinds of things, for you to grow up, for you to learn to take direction from me. For now, concentrate on loosing the rest of those needle sharp puppy teeth!
Oh, he has so much of his daddy in him. As a pup his mom was all run, fast, hit them hard, run around them some more, what do you mean we need to stop!!!! Dad has been more of a see the stock, be the stock approach to herding. He takes it slow circling around the stock then swish he will rush in. His sire is so fast in the swish we have to be aware of his indecators which at best may be a changed look in his eye prior to the swish in. Now as an adult, Mom can wait all day for the stock to postion themselves where she wants them now. Dad is learning to read the stock better, take his time, then to use the swish swift cut in to move the livestock when they are not responding to his eye. I am learning new ideas to ponder, ways of seeing the dog, and someone who also waits until the dog is ready to begin training. Such sweet times I have reading your blog. Thanks for your insights.
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