By Viki Kidd
Photo credit to Anne Wheatley and are of Anne's young dog Liv.
I was introduced to the long long-line method of starting pups &/or dogs by one of the masters of sheepdog training and trialing – 3-time Supreme Champion Bobby Dalziel from Selkirk, Scotland. It was a light bulb moment for me – it just seemed to make so much sense.
The philosophy behind this method is to allow the excitable newbie pup or dog to be able to move forward or towards the sheep and then follow them as they move away; to allow them to feel in charge of the stock from absolute day one. Rather than starting out in a somewhat confrontational stance of being between the youngster and his sheep, pushing him off the sheep, the pup is allowed to move forward and feel the stock. There are no sticks, hats or rolled feed bags at this point. Everything is kept as positive as possible.
It is important to note that long long-line training is not meant to replace the traditional circling exercises that teach flanking, appropriate distances off the sheep, point of balance or short gathers. It is done to complement those skills to provide a greater understanding of the big picture for the youngster.
The long line is at least 100 feet long (200 feet is preferred), thin, and able to move easily thru the grass. The handler is behind the dog controlling the forward movement with the line running through their gloved hands like a fishing line. The handler maintains a tautness to the line so the dog can always feel a connection to the handler. The dog learns from the 1 st day of training that the handler can control the pace, prevent over flanking and most importantly can stop or lie them down, anytime, from behind. Almost immediately the dog learns to listen to the commands because they can keep their eyes on the sheep. The stock become more amenable as they realize the dog is not chasing or threatening them. Being more relaxed, the stock’s more natural movement off the dog allows him/her to feel and appreciate ‘the bubble’ sooner.
I like to start training with the line in a smallish paddock/pen (the one here at Handy Dog Farm is approximately 175’ x 80’) until the dog is stopping themselves on the line, (usually about 5 -6 sessions) and maintaining the follow position behind the sheep. At that point we move into the next size field and extend the line out farther and repeat the lessons learned previously. At the longer length the dog begins to experience and enjoy the sensation of ‘driving’ as the youngster follows the sheep around the field. This early ‘driving experience’ reduces the dog’s urge to slide around the sheep and maintain the bubble when their actual driving training happens. The familiarity of being behind the sheep, ahead of the handler, reduces their intense desire to go around and gather the stock.
Weaning off the long line to a shorter 30-foot line that drags behind the dog begins when the dog can pace and stop themselves in the bigger field and is quite responsive to commands from the handler. This shorter line stays on for quite a long time (months possibly) to ensure dog can always be caught and to remind or reinforce the skill learned on the longer line.
I have started numerous Border Collies and few other breeds, and ALL have responded positively to this method. Some, yes, take longer than others to accept the line, but dogs with really good feel for their sheep absolutely shine. They LOVE being able to come on to their sheep and you can see their confidence rise with each session. I can’t imagine introducing a youngster or new dog to herding training any other way.