Solid There

[r b m]

I was wondering what some of you do to teach your dogs a solid there command. My dog, especially when a little tired, isn't that crisp, but she is more crisp on a whistle (sharp 'twee'). I 'think' she knows what a there is... so how do you teach your there and walk into the sheep?

[Mark Billadeau]

I teach this while doing "clock work" (flanking the dog around a group of sheep & me). When I give a there/walk-up I walk backwards to cue the dog to move towards the sheep. I'll mix it up; stops & there/walk-ups between flanks. Some of my dogs will accept the walk-up whistle as a there while others need the stop followed by the walk-up.

 

Once I think they know this concept while balancing I'll start using it while driving.

 

I prefer to use my walk-up as the there; I have two walk-up whistles for fast and slow.

 

Mark