AKC asks you to run cattle on what is essentially a sheep course, with judging rules based on sheep behavior. No matter how good the dog, one cannot hope to be able to put down a qualifying run unless you start with pretty nice cattle. Same goes for any line course with sheep scoring.

The ASCA course has obstacles that are better for cattle and is only a quasi-line course with the judges giving a lot of weight to the actual work done by the dog. Thus, one can successfully use a wider range of cattle in ASCA. You generally want to avoid cattle that only a small percentage of dogs are able to work. Not only do you not want injuries, but one also wants to avoid stock that will psychologically harm a dog through their sheer aggressiveness.

Breaking Cattle
When breaking stock, use strong dogs to prevent bad habits from developing.  Cattle must learn that they must move and turn off a dog. Not that they can ignore or escape off or chase a dog. Semi-strong dogs should only be used with a handler who will back the dog up and insure success. If a cow tries to chase a weaker dog, the handler should be in there administering a crook correction to the cow. Strong does not mean aggressive. Dogs should go in when the stock doesn't move, but then pull off when they obey.  They should not be gripping without purpose, only when necessary to make the stock obey the dog's orders to move, turn or stop.  types of cattle temperaments

Types of Cattle
Range Cows - used to fighting off coyotes to protect their calves; tend to want to fight dogs.

Bull Fight Cattle - specifically bred for aggression.

Dairy Cattle - separated from their mom's soon after birth, in some areas raised individually, tend to have screwed up social behavior.

Pasture Cattle - have some exposure to people, semi-protected - are the way to go.

Heavy Cattle - initially they just stand there when approached by a dog -- just need to be taught to move off a dog, can be broken very quickly.

Light Cattle - start off fearing the dog and flee when approached, need to be taught that the dog is not to be feared, just respected. Take a while to break and need to be broken by a dog with a lot of control on it.

Keeping Sheep...care, feeding, breeding info

Some sheep owners feel that when keeping sheep in a small area, the closer to the ground they crop, the higher the incidence of worms will be.  Even dry lots where the sheep can and do 'graze' hay and grain off the ground are at risk. It also can and will increase the chance of coccidiosis, which will bloom in times of stress.  This is the main reason for rotation of traps, pens, and fields.

Alfalfa hay has been used successfully as sheep feed by many.   Alfalfa is "hotter" though and makes them drink more water. It is best to introduce alfalfa slowly to sheep so as not to cause a spasmodic intestine (hyperactive gut), and many owners feed straight alfalfa without grain.  Be aware of fresh alfalfa, especially if the sheep are allowed to graze to their heart's content, as they may bloat.

Some owners are hesitant to feed alfalfa to horses or ruminants due to blister beetles.  The beetles are what cause colic and kill the animals.  Just a few beetles will kill.  The subsequent bloat after ingestion is thought to be the reaction to the toxins being released by the beetles.  Extra care must be taken to feed alfalfa free of blister beetles.  There are precautions that can be taken plus certain times to buy alfalfa to keep it free of the beetles.

Most sheep owners will agree that caution should always be exercised when switching sheep from a poor feed to a rich feed, such as alfalfa.

Breeding and Birthing
For those sheep who you feel look close to lambing, it is a good idea to lock them in the barn in a cleaned area.  If only one looks close then lock her best friend (pick one) up with her. Once she has lambed, you can put her friend back with the rest, but lock her up for a week or two at night as coyotes are drawn like magnets to newborns. Get rid of any birth leftovers by either burning it or disposing of it in the trash.  If you grain the pregnant ewes in the box stall and lock out others, the ewes will begin to go into the box stall to wait. Grain any that are pregnant the last few weeks at least and then first several months of nursing. 

Once dry, lambs seem very tough. Also if you have mechanical power clippers you could show trim the pregnant ewes on their sides so if more are pregnant they can still all fit into barn (...wool takes up quite a bit of space.)  It is very important to remove wool around the bag so lambs can find the tits and also around the vulva and under tail so as to minimize 'goop' that sticks.  Additionally, try not to keep ewes where poultry run about, or you will run a high risk of getting navel problems.  If it's too late, then have iodine or bentadine ready and really soak the navel area with at least 7% iodine dip for 3 full seconds after birth.

Some sheep breeders take the kids, once born, immediately into another area with an overhead heat lamp, while the mother is collected for colostrum and then put into the adjoining stall.

and have found the straw to be a little easier and cleaner. Just a personal preference. I do have free range poultry in the barn..in fact their favorite perch is on the goats! I've never had a navel infection in a kid. Every kid gets turned upside down with a navel dip cup and 7% iodine for 3 full seconds immediately after birth. My kids are never allowed on the teat. They get taken from the mother and put in a small "corral" made from 4 hay bales with an overhead heat lamp. The mother gets whisked onto the milk stand for colostrum collection and then put into an adjoining stall. Does get a full bucket of warm water and about 2 cups of warm oatmeal with molasses added. At least if we have lambs....I won't have to bottle feed them 3 times/day. Someone reminded me about tail docking. EGADS....I hadn't thought of that. We'll face that if the time comes I guess. At least they don't have to be disbudded (my least favorite activity).

Ram lambs generally reach puberty between 4 and 7 months. Ewe lambs of most breeds reach puberty between 6 and 9 months. However, some breeds tend to be earlier (such as Finn sheep: as early as 3 to 4 months) or later (such as Merinos: often 16 to 20 months).  Ewe lambs (and ewes) tend to have their first heat of the season with the second ovulation. There is usually a so-called "silent heat" with the first ovulation.

If the flock is getting too "heavy" behaviorally, some sheep breeders will cross to a "lighter" breed for a year or 2, and vice-versa, avoiding Suffolk and Barbs, but using sheep like Cheviots & Jacobs crossed with Hampshire & Kathadin.

AKC Approves Herding Instinct Test

The American Kennel Club announced the addition of a Herding Instinct Test to the AKC Herding Program. The test was approved at the August AKC Board of Directors meeting and will be effective June 1, 2002.

"We are always pleased to add an event in the Performance Department. This test is the perfect opportunity for owners of herding dogs, Rottweilers and Samoyeds to test their dog's skill at a very basic level," said William Speck, AKC Assistant Vice President for Performance Events.

All clubs currently approved to hold AKC Herding Events will be eligible to hold the new Herding Instinct Test.

Note:  AKC will require that a dog be on a line/lead until it proves controllable in HIC tests.  See further requirements below.

VWR:  Why did AKC approve a Herding Instinct Test?  Some time ago, AKC said that HIC tests could not be held by a Club on the same day at the same location as an AKC member or licensed herding event. This ruling was made in part because of problems which had occurred at some instinct tests (injuries, overuse of the stock, etc).  Many of the clubs who had been offering these tests protested. AKC then said the clubs could have these tests if they are listed as a non-regular class at a member/licensed event.  Subsequent to all of this, AKC decided to "formalize" instinct testing which are held at or in conjunction with AKC herding events and to incorporate the HIC into the whole of the AKC Herding program.

New AKC Herding Changes - Just a Few Notes…

HS (Herding Started)
Now in Started you're starting at the intermediate post, but the handler is allowed to leave the dog and go halfway to the sheep, or anywhere between there and post "A" which is 15' from the set out (45' from the "top" of the arena).  The handler can do this before the sheep are set, or wait for the stock handler to leave, and then tell the dog to wait and leave, or simply doing an Intermediate fetch and not bothering to go partway.  The rules say that the handler may move to ANY location on the centerline between post A & B to start and may move ANYWHERE within the zone during the outrun lift and fetch (the zone being defined as the area between the post A & B).  So you can chose whichever of the 3  options you listed that suits you and your dog best. 

HS dogs at AKC trials on course A will need to learn how to do a wide, deep, calm gather and to stop at the top in order to give the sheep time enough to think. Other levels should know this also.  Perhaps, this would make those ‘bad’ sheep, good sheep, if people understood this. 

To be successful with AKC A course a large dog needs to have the widest and enough he can get away with full speed outrun.

Notes on B Course:  The handler leaves the post and then LEADS the stock and dog around the remainder of the course in a FETCHING manner" (emphasis added). It then adds that the handler may not enter the pen. Other than the pen, there are no penalties in B for walking thru any of the obstacles.

HI (Herding Intermediate)
The outrun rules were changed.  The handler stays near (within 15 ft) of the advanced cone, and drives the sheep to the Y.  The dog has to be able to work the stock without a fence line on the fetch.  It works pretty well, but if the stock don't want to be at the set out, you need to ask in the handler's meeting what the LINE is for the handler and the dog on the fetch.  (i.e., do you take the stock in a line from the lift to the advanced post or take them to where they were supposed to be at the set out and then to the advanced post.  Chances are most judges will tell you to take them from “where they are” in a line to the advanced post.

Some herding enthusiasts have found the following helpful when a dog (who previously couldn’t get enough sheep), has lost interest.  This method can be used for dogs that were hesitant or even absolutely convinced they did not want to work stock due to a perceived bad experience.  ‘Lawn chair training’ can be quite effective.  In most cases, it's important to do the "sitting" part, remaining in your chair. 

Lawn Chair Training 101
Get yourself a lawn chair, a good magazine, and something to drink.  Put your stock in a small pen that your dog can't get out of.  Put the lawn chair in the middle of the pen.  Pour something to drink and turn the dog loose and set down and try to read with one eye, watching the dog with the other.  Every time the dog pays some

attention to the stock, praise her.  If she chases the stock, praise her.  If she grips, praise her.  As long as she is not bouncing stock off the fence, anything she does is good.  Teach her that it is all right to work any time.  When it is time to quit for the day, don't force or command her off the stock -- just pick her up and praise her some more and gently carry her away from the stock.

When you feel the dog’s desire to work is back in place, then start very slowly and gently teaching the dog where and when not to work.  If you over do it, the dog may stop working all together again.  The dog will be much more fragile now.

When using this method for dogs with perceived bad experiences, it can minimize the effect that the human had in the situation.  For instance, a dog could associate not working stock with their attempt to please their human whom they thought had corrected them for herding.  This would normally be the case with a softer dog.  In this case, you would remain sitting in the lawn chair in a 50 x 50 pen, and a handler would work the dog around you until the dog accepted that you were not the ‘Boogie Man’.

In the case of a bitch shutting down, it may be the dog’s thought that she wasn't supposed to work stock because of the way you had handled her during her heat cycle when she was a little ‘confused’ hormonally.  After she begins looking confident moving around stock and the handler was able to be standing, you still may need to work on change of direction, making the leery direction (away or come-by) the only choice for her to make, and just at the point she chooses the correct direction, the handler should squat way down and ‘disappear.’  Eventually, within a few sessions, the dog should go both ways, yielding to human pressure.

Lawn chair training is a viable training tool for dogs that seem to have some ghosts that they cannot shake which are interfering with their ability to turn onto stock, or to manage situations that they perceive to be over bearing and insurmountable.

Training Outruns Using the Second Person Technique
by Jane Johnson (Easy's Place) reprinted with permission

With the second person technique, you set up your dog and yourself (the first person) at the handler's post, with the stock the appropriate distance away.  The second person will stand somewhere between the handler and the stock, usually closer to the stock.  The second person's distance from the dog and the centerline, and direction away from the centerline, depends on many factors, including how narrow the dog tends to run, how much and where the dog tends to cut in (if applicable), level of training, dog's mood that day, etc.

While it is the handler, or first person, that actually sends the dog (one command only, please!), the second person has sole responsibility for pushing the dog out and enforcing the stop at the top.  (Note to first person: don't forget to give the stop command at the top or second person has nothing to enforce!)   

The second person must do all the work, typically pushing the dog out by pressure with the crook (tap, tap), but if necessary, running toward the dog and pushing him out that way.  If the outrun is completely bungled in a way that is not correctable by the second person or can no longer be recognized as an outrun by the dog, simply call the dog back and start again.
 
The second person should not allow the dog to reach the stock unless he has done it right.  "Right" means the dog has done some semblance of a flank to the correct side (if only at the last minute) and gotten behind the stock.  If the dog gets the stock the wrong way, the incorrect action is positively reinforced.

TIPS:
Always make sure your second person is positioned and ready.

Keep it simple.  This exercise is about the outrun.  Minimize opportunities for mistakes, but if they happen, cut the dog some slack.  Otherwise you may find yourself inadvertently working on the fetch, disobedience, or some other issue.   

Position the dog correctly.  Encourage the dog to go the correct way by "pointing" him in the correct direction, and generally on the arc of the "circle" or pear shape he should take, adjusting as circumstances dictate.

Position yourself correctly.  In the beginning, face the dog when you send him.  Stand directly in front of the dog, then take two steps straight back (along the line between dog and stock), then one step away from the direction the dog is sent. (In a go-bye outrun, with you facing the dog, he will run toward your right as you face him.  Therefore take two steps back and one step to your left.)  Put your crook in the hand away from the direction the dog is sent, i.e. in your left hand for a go-bye outrun.  These things "invite" the dog to go in the correct direction because there is nothing blocking him.

A Dog Who Becomes Too Mechanical

If a dog becomes too mechanical, staying far back off the sheep for the wrong reason, here are a few tips:

• Find someone with light sheep and pretend the dog is just being introduced to the sheep.  Start over in other words.

• Get the dog ‘jazzed’ up – by making your voice faster and excited.

• Teach the dog how to grip heads and heels.

• Skip walkabouts and do just outruns until the dog is working without commands.

• Forget commands:  forget ‘go bye’ and ‘way to me’. Forget the stop word. The problem oftentimes with the AKC HT and PT program is its encourages mechanical behavior, and mechanical is only good if you have a fast dog and you are an expert handler.

Qualities of A Stock Dog:  Balance, Power and Style
VWR note:  Not sure where this information came from, but the copy I have dates back to 9/92 with initials JHK/NCH

Balance:  The dog's inbred, instinctive knowledge of where to be to influence livestock properly when moving or holding them.  Balance is the dog's ability to judge where to be to influence and counter the stock's movement in any direction:  It is a mistake to think that the "balance point" is exactly opposite the flock or herd from where the handler is standing.  When the dog's fetching, for example, the livestock may be "heavy" to one direction or another, wanting to go left or right rather than in a straight line to the handler.  The dog's innate balance should tell it to work the stock from the correct distance and at whatever spot on that "heavy" side is appropriate to keep the stock moving steadily on a straight path to the handler.  Likewise, the dog may be balancing to the left or right of the flock when driving it away form the handler, or in any direction.  Balance is very obvious when the dog is fetching, working stock into a pen, shedding, or working stock that tries to break past the dog.  A dog without inbred balance will not be able to control livestock with quiet authority from a distance.  Balance is tied to the dog's "eye" and is instinctive:  You can help a dog discover and use his balance through proper training, but you will not be able to train or create balance in a dog that doesn't already have it bred in.

Power:  A strong dog with power uses eye contact to establish authority over stock and exert control from a distance.  A powerful dog will be able to work stock from farther away than a weaker dog, thus maintaining more control because he's always in a position to counter and control the stock's movement in any direction.  While the strong dog conveys confidence through his eye and style from a distance, he also will be willing to walk steadily up on the face of any stock without rushing, diving in, or biting unnecessarily.  A powerful dog will walk up on the face of a challenge, gripping the stock's face only if necessary to move the stock or in defense.  When stock tries to break past the powerful dog, he'll throw himself off the stock (often called "putting in a good turn") to prevent the stock from getting past him, and then walk up steadily to exert authority and move the animal.  A powerful dog may have a "go ahead, make my day" attitude of confidence that intimidates stock, but he should less often have to use force (his teeth) because he convinces and controls them with a dare or threat rather than a bite.  Livestock are quick to sense weakness or lack of confidence in a dog and will not respect it as readily.  A weaker dog may not use its eye well, may dive in to bite from farther away, may flip to the rear of a challenger (or flank) to bite, or may even bite the stock standing next to the individual that challenges the dog.  The weak dog's tail may fly up rather than being carried low.  A powerful dog might make stock nervous unless he works well off the stock and is enouraged to use a down a lot and moves quickly or jerkily when it gets up also will make stock more nervous than a powerful dog that stays back on its feet and keeps things moving at a steady pace.  The best combination results from good training of a good, strong dog.  Sometimes people confuse power -- how the dog affects stock -- with the dog's personality or how it responds to the handler.  Power is seen in the dog on stock.  A dog with a strong or soft personality may not be strong or weak on stock.

Style:  The dog's body position, "eye" and method of moving creates style through which the dog establishes contact with the stock.  Extreme, exaggerated eye or crouch that causes the dog to "stick" or constantly flop up and down; or the opposite extreme, a dog with hardly any eye and no crouch; both cause problems.  A dog without any eye has a hard time establishing contact with stock from a distance and as a consequence must be in close to the stock before they respect it.  When it is in close, the dog loses control  A dog that "sticks" or is extremely slinky may be "clappy" and hard to get to approach stock with quiet, powerful authority.  Sometimes a young dog will lose confidence and style when it gets in too close to balance properly, is confused, or has been pushed to hard to harshly treated in training.  Style is connected to eye, balance, and power.  It is the quality in the dog that also makes it pleasing to watch when working.

Typical First Lesson

First, you will normally be asked to complete the trainer/instructor's release forms before beginning, which says basically that you'll hold them blameless for injuries incurred while on their property, and make handlers responsible for damaged sheep.

Dogs can either start on sheep or ducks, it depends on the dog.  The first lesson on sheep is typically in a small (50 x 50') area that has a gated triangular pen in each corner, so there are no square corners for sheep to hide in. The sheep themselves are a mixture of breeds, with the most docile ones used, also known as 'Velcro sheep', or ' knee knockers.'

Unless the owner has already done a fair amount of herding themselves, the trainer/instructor will take the dog into the arena. The dog enters the arena on leash and a set of sheep are released from a pen. The dog's owner may or may not be in the arena too. Now a lot depends on the dog -- keen dogs are taken off leash and allowed to approach the stock, more hesitant dogs may need to be walked up on leash or have the owner do a bit of stock chasing themselves before the dog shows interest. Not a lot is asked of the dog early on except to be interested and possibly circle -- if it does more -- great. Calm working of the dog, with lots of praise and encouragement, are best.  Usually the trainer/instructor doesn't care if the dog barks, or comes in to sniff, or even does a little wool pulling. Mostly he wants the dog to be keen and have a good time. Now if a dog gets too aggressive, he'll use a length of PVC (or other similar article) to push or 'shoo' the dog farther out, just keeping the pole at the dogs front shoulder to widen it's turns. When the dog shows it is getting tired, the lesson is over.

Dealing with Jittery, 'Bolty' Sheep

Oftentimes dogs initially have an inclination to come in closer when stock are 'bolty'.  In part it is a chase reaction, but it is also in part a desire to "hurry and catch up".   With decent training and experience, a dog can learn that this doesn't work to get in close and that going wider is better.  Sometimes, if the stock are "jittery" the dogs oftentimes seem to lose their training and start blitzing into the stock.  Dogs are incredibly good at reading the subtle cues about how pack members, prey and others feel.  Sheep, especially, as a prey animal, are very good at reading canine cues.  A nervous sheep creates an excited nervous dog which creates a more nervous sheep, which can spell disaster.  Other factors which can create the jitters: strong winds, flapping tape, moving stock to a new site, or sometimes the jitters ‘just happen.’

Misc. Training Tips

In training, it is better to set up sheep to run away to something is, than sheep that always start coming the moment you send the dog.  Then on the day of the trial when you send the dog to gather the stock and they bolt across the pasture, the dog is more apt to think of them as ‘normal sheep’. He doesn’t flip out, thinking he will lose them, and he also goes wide enough. 

Also, it does some good to give an advanced level dog some practice at dog breaking ‘crazy’ sheep.  This can be done along a fence line.  First, send the dog to get the sheep.  The sheep will bolt to and past you.  Stop the dog at you and watch.  The sheep will stop when they get to the fence.  Then when you send the dog again, and he brings them to you and they bolt past.  You stop dog at you.  Do this over and over for as long as it takes working just on widening the dog out.  Once the sheep don’t run away, then start having dog drive them a distance. That usually perks them up to at least wander away. Call the dog back and send on him on outruns. Soon you have sheep that do perfect stays from wherever your dog left them.

A good driving drill is to put out a row of buckets or pylons. The closer together the harder to do. Stand in various positions and weave the sheep back and forth around the pylons, then back. This takes very good concentration on the part of handler and careful reading of sheep. 

To make sure your dog will take his flanks correctly, gather the sheep and at various distances from you have the dog circle the sheep in either direction - sheep should remain in one place and not move about.

Also, working from a fetch line have your dog stop somewhere between the pickup and handler and then take them in one direction, turn around, take them in the other direction, then back to the middle and then to the handler.

Using a Long Line 

Oftentimes, a trainer/instructor will put a long line (20-40') and a harness on the driving dogs to force them to stay behind the stock, to teach the 'come out', as well as teaching aggressive or hyper dogs to calm down.

Also, some individuals have found using a long line helpful for a short time in the early stages of training to help the dog find the comfort zone. The dog is allowed to position himself wherever he thought the pressure might be, but was not allowed to dive bomb the stock or to move forward past the middle of the last sheep. Once the dog settles down to work, the line was discontinued.  A more experienced handler could probably use a crook more effectively, but some find a long line less stressful on the dog than banging a stick in front of his face.

On the flip side, some judges have commented when they've judged dogs trained in this fashion (using a long line) in the HT, PT and Started classes, whenever the sheep retreat to the exhaust pen, the dog watches them go. In other words the dog has learned to stay behind sheep, but has not learned to balance sheep. For a dog  to be useful, he must be able to balance sheep. To qualify even at the basic HT level, your dog must be able to balance, unless you trial on obedience trained sheep.

Other herding experts argue that the problem of the dog not being able to balance may not be a function of using the long line, but rather of the handler never letting the dog really take control of the stock.

One well-known herding expert likes to use a 20' long lead, round in cross-section, with a woven surface and fairly soft (i.e. not your typical hard laid-cable type shank), maybe as much as an inch in diameter. The larger cross section is supposed to do a better job of transmitting force than a skinny line, when he sends or "snakes" down the lead shank to communicate with the dog (for example if it knows what "down" means but chooses not to comply).

A long line and harness can be used to teach the 'come out'. With  dogs, who are compulsive gathering dogs and like to drive stock along the fence line, they may try to find ways to get tighter on the fence, making the stock come to the handler.  Using the long line, the handler walks more towards the middle of the pasture as an attraction to the dog (who was supposed to be parallel driving).  Whenever the dog would try to pull a sneaky and pull stock off fence, the handler would say 'come out' and give a jerk. Soon the handler should be able to verbally correct dog without anything.

Another herding expert likes to use a long line for his dogs, as they tend to be compulsive, gathering dogs that can be overly
aggressive to the stock and can be hyper. He trains them in a
circle pen and teaches 'walk ups' and flanks and downs. What's good about this method is the dog learns to be calm, 'walk up' 
and how to flank.

Gripping

Many herding folks feel that a dog should be taught to grip on command.  Oftentimes, when training a young dog - gripping is automatic. This may not necessarily be attributed to the dog knowing how or when to grip properly, but it usually arises from insecurity on the part of the dog. The one occasion where a young dog is most likely to grip, is when the sheep are taking off as fast as they can and the young dog, afraid of losing them, grabs a mouthful of wool and hangs on for dear life. This in not a warranted grip and this kind of behavior should be discouraged right from the beginning. 

In most cases, grips are uncalled for -- even with sheep that refuse to lift, a dog can deal with them simply through the correct use of a small flank. If the dog is moved just slightly and the pressure on the sheep changes, often those sheep behind the obstinate leader will turn away. Once this happens the lead sheep will often turn and follow rather than stand and confront a dog alone.  Many folks feel that when working this type of sheep that the answer lies in keeping the dog well off.

Sometimes a sheep will move along quite nicely if the dog is exerting light pressure on her but will turn and fight if pushed too hard. In most cases a grip on a trial field will get you disqualified.  The reason being that if your dog has to grip a sheep to get results and nobody else's dog did, then the problem probably arises with the dog. If you do require a grip (at a trial) then most judges would far prefer to have it given on command. The key in these situations is to have the dog grip in a totally dispassionate way. He must grip and let go and then return to work just as if he had been given a flank or stop command.

One reason some folks may have for not letting a dog grip on its own
is that they believe it encourages laziness and a lack of patience in a dog. Why would a dog fool around with trying to move sheep in a quite and workmanlike way, when he can just dive in, grip and get things going?

The pressure of working sheep and the pressure of the trial field will sometimes make many dogs resort to gripping. The dog has to learn to work properly without resorting to "cheap grips" and to learn that gripping is, for the most part, not an acceptable way in which to handle sheep.

'Walkabouts'

'Walkabouts' can be useful in training your dog to teach a dog not to over flank the balance point, so that he loses his sheep.

A kind of ‘walkabout’ can be seen at the AKC test events, HT and PT, and HS.  Oftentimes the problem though with this sort of walkabout is when people train for the tests/trial -- they walk endless miles along a fence or down the middle of arena (HT), telling dog to slow down and stay behind.  This isn’t letting the dog learn about sheep, nor is it anything about balance.  This training is more about training a dog to follow sheep that follow the person.

A 'walkabout' scenario:  You walk along and you see dog starting to come too far towards the 9 o'clock area, so you do a real quick turn towards 7 or 8 to intercept the dogs path. Now the dog has lost his sheep and has to zip back to cover them.  As the dog whips around he passes the 6 o'clock area at warp speed, you now makes a turn in the other direction towards 3 or 2 o'clock. So rather then a circle you are zig-zagging all over.  Do circles, figure eights, serpentines -- but never in a straight line.  This teaches the dog to cover the sheep and to find the balance point and change with it to cover the sheep and to hold the sheep to the handler regardless of the changing balance.  In order to do it properly and not lose the sheep the dog has to change with the balance point. 

As you wander in the pasture with your dog and sheep, widen the dogs out.  The walking I do is designed to allow dog to learn about sheep. The only command I use is "get out".  Even on the flanks (half a outrun) say “get out” only until dog is further along because you want the dog concentrating on the sheep and not on your words.  When the dog is going away, simply say "away" for example.

So every time a dog goes to over flank the balance point he looses his sheep. Soon he gets a better feel for balance and stops overrunning because he has now learned that if he does overrun -- he's lost his sheep.  You won't need your stick any more except to hold you up. Your body is causing the dog to change directions.  As you get good at this, you can get very smooth and casual about it.

Eventually you'll want to practice walking straight lines, but first get
the balance part down solid.  If you are walking a straight line and dog is rushing stock to push them on you, then run thru the stock at the dog which forces him back out and around. You have to do it right so that dog is caused to go out and around.

During walkabouts you can also teach ‘pace’ to a dog.  Once the dog knows pace, he can do an outrun and fetch stock appropriately.  The dog that does a decent outrun but cannot pace (or rate his stock on the fetch) obliterates the advantage of that good outrun.  So, during the walkabouts the dog is given information about when he is moving too quickly towards his stock and that very typical problem is corrected right off the bat.

During walkabouts, a handler can also enforce behaviors like a down or stop.  Teaching a dog to stop anywhere around stock is an invaluable skill.  I like to walk right through the sheep towards the dog, allow the dog to get around to the new balance point, and stop the dog on that new balance point.  Most dogs are far more likely to stop when they are on balance.  So, a new handler can learn where balance is by asking the dog to stop and seeing where the dog settles before assuming the down, sit or stand.   It hones the skills of the handler who may not have a sense of balance, yet.  It also helps the dog stop at the "lift", if that is what the handler wants.

A dog can find it stressful is when he doesn't know what his handler wants or expects.  Walkabouts should not be a free-for-all, where the dog is allowed to do what ever he wants.  It is a good place to teach pace, and to allow the dog to feel what happens when he flanks and over flanks around stock.  Many handlers tend to compensate for their dog's errors when the dog over flanks.  They move to position themselves close to the sheep to "cover" for the mistake.  Instead, it is important to show the dog the ramifications of this over flanking by going in the direction from the stock which highlights the error.... this should leave a gap where the stock could escape.  The dog should then be encouraged to cover his stock before they "get away".  It's important to be very keen during this training and allow the novice dog to win and cover the stock, not allow the gap to be so large as to let the stock escape and have the dog repeatedly lose.

Walking about with stock is one of the best ways to understand the concept of balance. Until one understands that, one can not really understand herding - nor the use of a herding dog for stock management.

How To Handle A High Energy (High Drive) Dog
and Using the Packed Pen Method

The following ideas were compiled from various herding enthusiast's discussions...

"I also like to walk the fence with hyper-type dogs. This way the dog can't circle. He'll over wear but when he flanks far enough up the side to stop the sheep, then you stop and look at him and he should soon figure out that progress only happens when he's at the right place. Sort of the same idea as in tracking training. You don't follow a dog that's bounding all over, you only follow a dog that's got its nose down to the track."

Using the 'Packed Pen Method'
The pen needs to be full of enough sheep so that the sheep don't act scared, leaving just enough room for you and the dog and just 'hang out' in there (saturation therapy). The dog can't work them as it's too crowded. You can correct him for gripping without yelling and the dog can learn that sheep are usually harmless and that you like them and would appreciate it if he was at least polite to them.

Don't come out until the dog acts relaxed. If he grabs a hold, just growl at the dog and give him a thump. There is also an advantage to using Dorset, Hampshire or Suffolk sheep in full wool. Those are the breeds that you can easily group in a small pen and they just pack together and go to sleep.

With the hyperactive and impetuous type dogs, you need to be in the pen with the dog. With other types, this still should work but you can use other alternatives, like having them 'down stay' at the gate opening.

Realize that with a dog that's been hyperventilating for some time, one session might not show any progress at all. Don't quit, just don't let the dog work sheep until the dog can relax in a pen full of them. You need to use your imagination and give any new method enough time to work. It's hard to evaluate when a given method isn't working, but can usually determine this by whether it's making the dog worse.

If you can't find enough of the right sheep to pack into a pen, another trick that has been used is get someone to lay a sheep down and have a couple of friends of the dog settle down with the sheep and stroke it and coo over it. Allow the dog to sniff or lick, but get hostile if the dog tries to taste. Your goal of course is to get the dog to relax in the presence of sheep. A relaxed dog is ready to listen.

Once the dog relaxes in the packed tight pen, remove a few sheep and see if he's still relaxed, if not - don't progress until he gives up (thump when needed). Then help him remove sheep from pen -- wait a bit, and then help him re-pen the sheep. Have the pen in a corner if possible on the fence so it's easy to pen. Do this until the dog is acting sensible.

Loose Eye Breeds and Balance

According to various herding enthuasists...
Loose-eyed breeds (such as the Rottweiler) want to fetch and they do have balance, but it usually is a much looser balance and often not so readily evident as it would be in a dog which has the settling effect resulting from "eye", such as a Border Collie.  When loose-eyed dogs begin to settle and get back out a bit through experience and training, they still will not be crouching and eyeing, but the fundamental commonality of behaviors will be more evident. This is why, even if the balance isn't so readily apparent, the training should proceed in accordance with its being there.  For instance, although the average loose-eyed dog will be harder to stop than the classic Border Collie that practically sets itself, it nonetheless is important in early training to ask for the stop (or the steady) when the dog is in a position of balance. The dog will be more willing to comply, and its sense of balance and precision of balance also will be strengthened through experience and practice. 

Whether using a long line or not, it is important that the early work of a dog being given all-round training should be concentrated on working with and developing balance and gathering ability. In this way, with dogs whose gathering behavior is already strong, training is more efficiently accomplished. With dogs whose gathering abilities are less evident or less developed, one is still working with their basic natural tendency, but strengthening it rather than diminishing or even squelching it (and risking frustrating or turning off the dog).

As for driving, once the dog understands controlling the stock, know its flanks well, stops and steadies reliably, and knows that 'walk up' means go directly to the stock from whatever position the dog is in relative to the stock, it can work on driving. True driving is accomplished by the handler being able to steer the dog who steers the stock. 

Early and solid balance work is important. Being more able to read the stock through having had thorough practice in balancing and covering the stock, the dog will have a better foundation for all phases of its training and work.

Where is the Balance Point?

When moving stock along a fence in AKC and ASCA events the balance point is rarely behind. The dog needs to be to the inside (towards center of arena) of stock and usually behind. Stock will come off the fence repeatedly because the dog is behind but on the fence.

Balance point is generally behind the sheep only when leaving the barn. When returning to the barn the balance point can be in front of you; and when walking past the barn balance can be to the side of you.