Guest jigaway Posted February 13, 2007 Report Share Posted February 13, 2007 Hi Ellen, At the trials I go to, I have noticed that on the drive some of the most successful dogs/handlers have wider, sweeping flanks that don't upset the sheep. One of my dogs has burning fast flanks. Even if square, and a distance from the sheep, she still upsets them causing the drive to turn in to a chase. I have a feeling it is due to tension building. If I try to reduce the tension by keeping her on her feet, it seems to allow her to cheat and consequently she fires off a fast slicing flank. Even if she is slow pacing in a line behind them, the second I give the whistle she flanks like a rocket! How can one get slower, more sweeping flanks? Thanks Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ellen Posted February 24, 2007 Report Share Posted February 24, 2007 Hi Dan, That's a great observation. To a certain extent those fast/slicely flanks are the dog's style and you will only be able to moderate them and will have to always be on your toes as a handler to get anything different. If this dog is already trialing I imagine she has built up a pretty good habit of responding to your commands this way so it will take a good deal of time and effort to replace that habit with flanks that are easier on the stock. That said, there are excercises you can do to recondition her responses. As far as training goes I would be doing a lot of close work(within 100 yards of the dog/sheep). What level are you competing in? If she will respond to your body position to maintain balance on the sheep I would first make certain her 'balancing flanks' are open and slow. Working on the circle set your dog up so that she is far enough from the sheep that they are settled between you and her. If you have knee knockers and need to use hay for this that is fine. Lie your dog down and move to one side or the other and use either a hiss, or if that doesn't work, a very quiet, soft flank command. If she jumps up, or gets any closer to the sheep immediately lie her down again and ask for the flank again in this nice soft, drawn out voice/sound. The reason you are using 'balance' is that you don't want her to confuse your 'lie down' for a correction that she is taking an incorrect flank. This may take a long time and many repetitions. You must keep your voice calm and even. You will be retraining her to respond to this calm, even voice differently than she responds to her 'normal' flank command. Don't expect the change all in one session. If she gives you a flank that is slower/rounder than her usual flank let her continue on to balance. When you have nice, soft round short flanks on the circle (both on and off balance) you will want to be doing a lot of walking, either driving or fetching it doesn't matter which. First create that spot where she is 'slow pacing' in behind the sheep. Keep her far enough back that the speed is not increasing and when you stop her the sheep soon settle and look back to see what is going on. If the sheep are accustomed to running from your dog this may take a little bit. When you have achieved this you will begin asking for the flanks in the same way you did on the circle. Lie her down then ask for a nice soft flank. If the sheep jump that is an indication that she jumped up too quickly or tightened her flank. Immediately stop her and ask again. You can warn her with a growl before you give the flank, but be sure she doesn't get up and move before you give her the nice soft flank. When she is giving you good flanks both driving and fetching with you walking backwards, or to one side, and is taking inside flanks as well as outside (balancing) flanks nicely, drop the 'lie down' before a flank. See if she will take nice flanks 'on the move'. Generally she should be walking these flanks, not running. If she isn't lie her down, growl and try again. The important thing is you must spend the time retraining her, keeping your voice controlled and quiet, before going back to 'running a course' either for practice or competion. Only add her whistle commands back after you have consistently good flanks, then add them back by preceding the whistle with the nice quiet voice command. Try to keep your whistles quiet and easy too. Moderating your dog's flanks is going to depend on conditioning her response to your voice and whistles, and not allowing her to take a bad flank. You must build a new habit in her and always go back to the training field if things start to slip. Best of luck Ellen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jigaway Posted February 25, 2007 Report Share Posted February 25, 2007 Hi again Ellen, You nailed the description of my dog in your first paragraph. She is a fast pushy dog with sharp flanks. Always has been, probably always will be. To answer your question, she has been in Ranch now for two years. I would really love to move up to Open if I could get some more control on the drive. Thanks for your words on re-training/building a new habit. I will try your advice and let you know how it went. Best regards Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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