How to Train Stock Dogs

Stock dogs the hardest working canine companions on the planet. Used to herd animals such as cattle, sheep and goats, stock dogs go through a rigorous testing and training process before they are ready to hit the field. Training your own stock dogs can be a bit of a challenge, but the companionship and assistance they offer is well worth the effort.

Instructions

1. Teach your dog a basic set of obedience commands. Sit, stay, come, down and heel are a good foundation for any stock dog, since your dog needs to obey you whether he is working stock or not.

2. Familiarize your dog with your animals when he is young. Your dog needs to be confident while working with stock, and a dog unfamiliar with animals may balk or shy when asked to work them. Start with small animals such as ducks and geese and work up to sheep and cattle as your dog gains experience and confidence.

3. Work your dog on the basic concept of balance within the herd. Balance is the distance at which the dog works the animal. If the dog is too close, the herd will scatter. If the dog is too far away, the animals will separate and go their own ways. Balance is achieved when the animals do not move and the dog is in control.

4. Corral your stock, preferably ducks for a "green" dog, in a small pen to teach the dog the come by command. Come by means the dog moves clockwise no matter what the stock does. Walk with your dog in a clockwise direction and give the command come by. Repeat this until you can stand in the middle of the pen and the dog will come by without your help.

5. Reverse your direction and school your dog on the away to me command. This command means the dog will move counterclockwise from the handler. Walk the dog counterclockwise while giving the command away to me, praising him as he learns to move without you.

6. Open the gate to your pen and let your dog work your ducks forward. Give the dog a command such as up or go, meaning he should walk behind them to move them through the gate. Ask the dog to wait while you step through the gate so that your ducks don't scatter.

7. Stand back and give your dog his commands to move the ducks back into the pen. Tell him to come by or away to me depending on the movement of the ducks, taking care to have him wait if he gets too close. Walk up slowly and close the gate once the ducks are all back in the pen.

8. Move your dog onto larger animals such as sheep and cattle once she is comfortable working birds. Always be sure to start her our slowly and watch her closely to make sure she is safe and moving the animals properly. Praise her for a job well done and you will have a proficient stock dog in just a few short training sessions.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure that you use gentle animals when training a "green" dog. Many larger animals can be particularly nasty to a green dog and you do not want your dog to get injured while training.

• Never hit or strike your dog. Working stock can be confusing, and you always want to use positive re-enforcement while working your dog.

Resources

• Stock Dogs
• Stock Dog Training