Beautiful Lift

[Guest DebM]

Hi Amanda,

 

I had the pleasure of holding out for the Nursery class at the Borders on Paradise SDT on Sunday. It was an amazing learning experience and I had a great view of the field from the top. I was especially impressed with the lift on one of the young dogs - the sheep quietly lifted their heads in unision, started sedately stepping out and calmly started to move directly down the hill. In my mind, it was the best lift I saw. The young dog was your dog Clive.

 

So to my question. What methods, exercises, etc. gave Clive that lovely lift or is it natural to him? How can I help my young dog learn to perform such a lift?

 

Thanks !

[Guest Amanda]

Deb

I have been considering your kind comments. Thank you.

I am proud my dog should have afforded you such a pleasant lift experience. I like the way he lifts too.

His skill is a combination of things. He brings a natural aptitude for sheep management to his work, which a well bred Border Collie will do. He has a good feel for his sheep.

It is every trainer’s job to develop assets in a dog and sideline liabilities.

Clive had the good natural way with his sheep. As his trainer, I scolded him for causing commotion, mayhem, rattling sheep—not severely, just so, a scold. Being a smart dog, with an understanding of cause and effect, he stopped causing the commotion. When he meets his sheep, he knows to approach carefully but with conviction. He learned it at hand, before I stretched him out.

He runs out well on the way to his lift. I cannot claim to have trained that, so much as it is in him. He came to the sheep at a good cast and track, to occupy their meditative attention but not to move them. He is a very agreeable, obedient dog, who loyally pleases his hand. His nature is to try for something jiving with my desires. These traits have made him a melody to train.

You too, can scold your young dog for touching the sheep in any way that compromises their manageability. If the sheep are rushed or irritated or stung, let the young dog know. I don’t know you, but most of the newish hands I see, cannot recognize trouble that the dog has caused. Not seeing it, or tardy seeing it, undermines one’s conveying the problem to the youngsters. While you may be the exception, training yourself to see troubled sheep is urgently important to the training of a sheep dog. He, after all, will be taking the measure of your thoughtfulness, assessing your judgment, throughout his training.

As you train, respect his need to control his sheep. Respect. I suppose that brings understanding to the job, and enlightens all your steps with them. It provides him with trust to accept your guidance, to have confidence in his authority. Respect is the substance of partnership with a dog, from which much else flows.

[Guest Wendy V]

I'm thinking that this is one of your best posts, Amanda. Thank you for sharing your thoughts in such depth.

 

Wendy V