driving flanking

[Guest urbana]

Hello, How do you keep the sheep on-line without over flanking the dog?

 

What do I look for in the dog and sheep to stop the zig-zagging?

 

I can not seem to hold my dogs on a side during the drive, they keep trying to catch both sides of the sheep, so if I lie them down, they get up already flanking and send teh sheep back to where they were.

 

THANKS.

[Guest ellen]

Hi,

This can be a long, painstaking process with a flanky dog. I am still working on this with a very good young dog, who is close to fully trained. I spent hours walking along beside her. These dogs want to catch the 'heads' of the sheep they are working and they are often a bit on the light side, not wanting to walk directly into their sheep. They are probably making the sheep 'zig' or 'zag' in the first place with little subltle leaning flanks.

Before driving away you must teach your dog a walk-in or walk up command as it is fetching sheep to you.

Send the dog on a short cast. When it arrives at balance lie it down then ask it to 'walk up'. (Hopefully the sheep are not so dog broke that they are already at your feet.) In any case when the dog gets up it should move directly into the sheep. If it takes a flanking step, stop it immediately and ask it to walk up again. You should be able to tell which direction the dog will move before the dog ever gets a step in by watching its head and feet. You will not let the dog move until it steps straight in. Their should be no harsh corrections here, simply ask the dog to lie down then start again. If the sheep move so that a flank is the most logical thing for the dog to do move yourself into a position where a 'walk up' is correct. If the dog is very determined to flank it will probably appear to get 'stuck' just keep encouraging it to walk up in a nice voice, perhaps backing up a bit to give it some more room.

When your dog can do this on a fetch without throwing in extra little flanks on you, begin stopping the dog at three and nine o'clock and asking for a walk up in the same manner. Again the dog should walk straight into the sheep. You can (and should) allow the dog tiny little balancing moves that keep the sheep moving straight, but you should be hyper alert to the dog bending the sheep with these moves. When the dog begins walking straight in from the sides, have it continue on walking with you walking along parallel to the line of the dog and sheep, again insisting that the dog keep walking directly in until you ask for a flank.