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Stock dog training question .

H

hillsdown

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 5, 2007
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Location
Central Alberta,Canada
I want to get Nikki in a training clinic and there is a good one coming up in June in Shaunavon, Sask. and the instructors are some of the best in the world < Peter Gonnet, Dale Montgomery, Ken Mckenzie > ..

My question is how old should a pup be before you can realistically enroll them in a course and expect some positive results.

Nikki will be 7 months old and that is still quite young as far as training for a BC .. the other thing is that the clinic is a 9 hour drive away.. I just don't want to waste their time, as well as mine and my money too.

Thank you.
 
Are you kidding??? Go.... What you will learn will be paid back ten fold.. even if your dog is young it's a start and the knowledge will be well worth it... Pack that bag and gooo!!!
 
Does she understand a few commands yet?

LIE DOWN YOU SOB :shock:

COME HERE YOU LITTLE B_____ :shock: :P :lol: :lol: :lol:


.........................................


Seriously, if you have Down and Come on her and she is showing interest and form, she is ready to start on sheep or really SOFT cattle. Tough cattle and a pup her age are not a good combination for the pup's self confidence.
You should make a mini-holiday out of that clinic, you will learn from it regardless.
 
She listens quite well actually, but needs a little work with her listening ears when we are out with the cattle. She does not chase ,but rather runs around them in a counter clockwise circle, and the cows at this point find her amusing at best. She is not that big still, only around 30 pounds and still looks like a pup but she has the instinct and likes to work close to the ground.

I will have to go by myself if it is in June as hubby will have to work ,I have an email into the Montgomerys to see if there are any clinics later like in Aug or Sept. then we can go with the Rv and make a little holiday of it.

Also what do you do if your dog is in heat and you are in a workshop with intact males .. :???:
 
I got my first BC at Easter time as a weaned pup and took him to a clinic in June. He wasn't interested in the Angoras that they were using but he sure took to the sheep. We even used him to place the sheep for the trial the next day. He didn't listen worth a hoot but the long line I used on him worked. He was hooked on stock and I learned enough to get him started.
The clinic will be more for you to take home and work with your pup. But you might be pleasantly surprised at what she picks up.
 
Thanks everyone for your help, it sounds like the clinic is pretty much full . So we will try to catch one later when Nikki is a bit older.
I have no doubt that she will make us very proud; or should I say prouder, than we already are of her .. :D
 
hillsdown said:
She does not chase ,but rather runs around them in a counter clockwise circle...
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If you can get a few cattle sorted off and are quiet, and in a small enough area, it sounds like a great time to start her on directions. I'd work the "Away" or counter clockwise direction least.

I am NOT a dog trainer by any stretch of the imagination, so take this advice for what it's worth... good luck with her! :D
 
I bought a shock collar for my new dog. It's amazeing how little you need to use it to get their attention. Its a night and day differance.
 
from what i have read most trainers wait till the dog is 18 months old to start on cattle,they dont want young ones getting a scare from cows
 
cowwrangler said:
from what i have read most trainers wait till the dog is 18 months old to start on cattle,they dont want young ones getting a scare from cows
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Ducks work good to get a pup herding and then three quiet dog trained sheep should be the next step.
 
I've never gotten seriously into the stock dog training, since I've got a German Shepherd, and they have a totally different style. I have learned a few things though, that might apply here.

I think taking a young dog for a clinic is a wonderful idea. I enrolled mine in obedience when I knew darn well she was too young and goofy to really do well, but since I didn't go in with big expectations, it still worked well. You don't have to be at the top of the class to have a dog that learned a lot and made you proud. Elsa came out proudly at the bottom of her class, but she also came out as a well socialized dog who knew how to learn, and I learned how to teach her.

It was time well spent, because when she actually started growing out of her goofy teenage stage, we were both ready and able to progress a lot. This wouldn't be the case for your dog, but with mine, I had a dog who learned obedience when she was still small enough to fool into thinking I was stronger than her. :wink: Learning to walk politely on a leash is a lot easier with a 45 pound dog, than one who's pushing 90 pounds. :shock:

Elsa still ended up being a good cattle dog, but not in the border collie way. Shepherds are dogs who are bred to keep cattle in the herd, and where they belong. She's a world class gate guarder, and if you want to empty the pen in a hurry, she's the dog to call. Cattle hauling day she's worth her weight in gold.

I'm thinking if she went along with your dog to the herding clinic, she'd still be proudly at the bottom of the class. :wink: :D :D :D
 
Thanks for all of your replies ,some really great ideas. So now I need to buy some ducks BMR .. :? :lol:

I am going to start her with the llama, I will set up some panels and see if she can corral him, he is not mean just goofy. Then I may try with a few of the flush cows as they are already trained and know where to go so she just has to learn the basics to get them moving.

I am hoping that we can get together with the M's later on for some private sessions with the Nikkles, and hubby and I will make a little holiday of it.

Thanks again for your help.

She is extremely bored right now as I am not letting her come with me until it dries up a bit, and the Kit Kat is getting tired of her trying to herd her around. :wink:
What a mess out there but, at least we might get some hay this summer.
 
hillsdown said:
Thanks for all of your replies ,some really great ideas. So now I need to buy some ducks BMR .. :? :lol:

I am going to start her with the llama, I will set up some panels and see if she can corral him, he is not mean just goofy. Then I may try with a few of the flush cows as they are already trained and know where to go so she just has to learn the basics to get them moving.

I am hoping that we can get together with the M's later on for some private sessions with the Nikkles, and hubby and I will make a little holiday of it.

Thanks again for your help.

She is extremely bored right now as I am not letting her come with me until it dries up a bit, and the Kit Kat is getting tired of her trying to herd her around. :wink:
What a mess out there but, at least we might get some hay this summer.
Click to expand...
HD, I have a friend that has a chicken sitting on a basket of duck eggs. I could pluck a few out for you when they are old enough to wean. We can't wait until the ducklings head for the water to see the chickens reaction. :shock:
 
hillsdown said:
Thanks for all of your replies ,some really great ideas. So now I need to buy some ducks BMR .. :? :lol:

I am going to start her with the llama, I will set up some panels and see if she can corral him, he is not mean just goofy. Then I may try with a few of the flush cows as they are already trained and know where to go so she just has to learn the basics to get them moving.

I am hoping that we can get together with the M's later on for some private sessions with the Nikkles, and hubby and I will make a little holiday of it.

Thanks again for your help.

She is extremely bored right now as I am not letting her come with me until it dries up a bit, and the Kit Kat is getting tired of her trying to herd her around. :wink:
What a mess out there but, at least we might get some hay this summer.
Click to expand...

If you could find some cheap Muscovy's they would keep the flys down and Nikki could herd them. :D

Never heard of a dog being kicked by a duck. :wink: :lol: :lol:
 

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