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Teaching driving


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I have an 8 yr. old dog (well bred) that never learned the "why" of driving. He still just doesn't get it. Instead of pushing, he follows along (unless he is driving into pressure). My 2nd BC came wanting to drive and she has lots of push on her drive. I didn't need to do a lot in the way of training her to drive and boy, was I relieved. I now have my 3rd BC, 13 mos. just learning how to drive. She lacks push. I can see she just doesn't get it. She wants to follow and continues to try to slip around to their heads. I hate to stop her and get on her since she is lacking the push I'd like to see.

So, I guess what I am asking for are exercises to encourage her to push and understand what driving is all about. She is bidable, flanking well, and has a pretty 100 yd. outrun. Thanks.

Suzanne

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There could be 2 or 3 different reasons that the dog doesn't have push. One possibility is the dog has no push naturally, possibly your dog has had so much flank work that it works laterally instead of forward, or possibly the dog was pushed out to much when it was first started and thinks that it shouldn't come in on the sheep.

 

You want to make sure you are as much help to the dog as you can be. You will want to walk beside the dog to encourage her to walk in to the sheep, flank your dog out and walk in again making a hexagonal shape. Another thing that helps is to back up to a fence - fence, you, sheep, dog, and tell the dog to get em up or hissing her in to encourage the push. THis will teach your dog to come onto the sheep on command or when invited. Then use this same command when she doesn't want to come onto the sheep when you are driving, being careful not to let her slip around. Be careful that she doesn't work laterally instead of forward.

 

Good Luck - this should help -

Vergil

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There could be 2 or 3 different reasons that the dog doesn't have push. One possibility is the dog has no push naturally, possibly your dog has had so much flank work that it works laterally instead of forward, or possibly the dog was pushed out to much when it was first started and thinks that it shouldn't come in on the sheep.

 

You want to make sure you are as much help to the dog as you can be. You will want to walk beside the dog to encourage her to walk in to the sheep, flank your dog out and walk in again making a hexagonal shape. Another thing that helps is to back up to a fence - fence, you, sheep, dog, and tell the dog to get em up or hissing her in to encourage the push. THis will teach your dog to come onto the sheep on command or when invited. Then use this same command when she doesn't want to come onto the sheep when you are driving, being careful not to let her slip around. Be careful that she doesn't work laterally instead of forward.

 

Good Luck - this should help -

Vergil

 

I see we are moving on to the next expert. Thanks Vergil for the tips. She may be a pup without "natural" push. She has a very relaxed manner about her. If I do the fence, me, sheep, dog, hssss.....I can tell you she does have BITE! Things may change as she matures. I'll keep looking for driving exercises she can understand and keep the driving down to short intervals. Other suggestions welcome. :0)

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