Today, I am going to continue on the theme of: “Training the Dog You Have”, as I was finally able to get out and have a training session with Grace. She is the dog we have been following in the training series, Training the “Not so keen" dog.

As a trainer, I need to ensure I do all I can to build up my dog’s weakness or lack of ability. In other words, give them a fair shake, at becoming a decent working dog. It is up to me to provide the training experiences that will BUILD UP my dog.

This is why recording your training sessions can be so valuable. As I watched the most recent session with Grace, I picked out some important points that I will CHANGE for her next couple of sessions. Watch Part 3 of the training series below.

Part 3: Training Again After a Break

What I would change:

• I need to get her around the sheep, without running straight at them.

• I want to encourage her to circle, without nipping any heels.

• When I “shhhh” her to keep her enthusiasm, she is slicing, nipping.

• I would like her to stop/pause as she turns onto the sheep and brings them to me.

• I want her turning on her haunches cleanly to change directions.

Now that she is showing some commitment to working, I don’t want bad habits forming. I will need to show her how to keep enough distance from the sheep so that she can circle properly; however, I still need to keep up her enthusiasm.

In other words, at the moment, she is a softer, sensitive type of dog; however, this doesn’t mean she can’t develop habits that will hinder her progress. With these types of dogs, it is a constant balancing act to encourage, yet also have her learn how I would like her to act and move with the stock.

I need to steadily build good habits and techniques that will form the base of a solid foundation for Grace.

P.S. In case you missed the first two videos in this series, click here to watch it now.

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