By Patrick Gosselin
When I was asked to write an article providing tips on how to train a sheep dog, my thoughts went back to a little blue book someone lent me when I was a NN handler. The book provided insights from top North American handlers, winners of prestigious trials like the USBCHA Finals, CBCA Championship, Soldier Hollow, Meeker, Bluegrass and more. I remember opening the book with anticipation of finally figuring out the right way to do things. After a couple of chapters, I quickly realized that although there were some common themes, everyone had their own definition of what the right way should look like. I couldn’t find consensus regarding topics such as when to start a pup, kennel versus living in the home, round pen versus open fields, farm work versus drills, starting with balance or flanks or lie down or drive and so much more. Since then, I went to various clinics, listened to numerous online contents, trained with several top handlers and have come to the conclusion that there is no one size to fit all recipes for success in sheep dog training.
In fact, in many cases, the decision to take one route versus another is often influenced by factors such as the type of dog, the preferred style of handling, the training facilities, finances, work and family commitments to name a few. The only thing these handlers had in common was that they had a system. Each one had a good idea of the standards they wanted to achieve and how they were going to get there, breaking the process in small steps along the way. If all these handlers achieved success using different methods, perhaps having a system is just as important as the system itself.
One of the benefits of having a defined system is it will help your dog. Imagine you are a young pup introduced to your handler’s system and everyday you witness a certain pattern, repetition and progression in your training. Your handler is confident with a calm temperament as he believes in his system and knows that things will fall into place eventually because it always does. As a pup, you get the chance to become familiar with a skill while staying motivated because your handler always introduces the next level of difficulty for that specific skill when a certain standard is met. You find that one skill is complementary to the next and it all makes sense to you. Now imagine your handler is just winging it, going from one thing to another, expecting you to read his mind and succeed with whatever he feels like introducing that day. If the training goes well, he is ecstatic because he wasn’t expecting anything. If the training doesn’t go well, he starts doubting if you have what it takes to make it. Sometimes, you repeat the same thing over and over because gathering the same sheep in the same field to the same post makes the handler feel secure. Having a plan makes the handler dependable, consistent and trustworthy to his dog. The dog becomes 100% focused on what the handler is trying to teach him and is more than willing to try. On the other hand, not having a plan promotes confusion, frustration and boredom. The dog might still be trying but is more preoccupied with the handler’s irregularities than learning or perfecting a skill. When the dog is all in, progress comes quickly and the complicity with the handler is strong.
Sage learning to lift with confidence at home
Another benefit of having a defined system is it will help you. Imagine if as a handler, you took time during the off season to think of one thing you could change or add to make your system better. Once you decide what that thing is, you integrate it to your existing system and commit to it for at least one year. At the end of that year, you evaluate if that one change is worth continuing or not. Every year, you repeat the things that are helping your dog succeed and avoid the things that aren’t, gradually defining the system that works for you and your dog. You resist the temptation to do things for short term gains because you know that a certain practice will hurt you in the long run. You also resist the temptation to quit on a fundamental that will undoubtedly serve you well down the road. Now imagine if as a handler, you follow trends and change your approach after every struggle, clinic or advice from another handler. You have good intentions and want to succeed but you are trying things out of desperation and without true conviction. Or maybe you just gave up, repeating the same system year after year in hopes of better results. Having a system will enable you to determine the effects of your decisions on your team’s performance.
Kina working cross drive at home
Constantly changing systems or not having one gives you little input to improve. Note that changes are not limited to technical aspects, they could include the size and breed of your flock, the quality of your training area, the number of trials you enter, the type of dog you breed or purchase, the duration of your season, etc…
In conclusion, training via online courses, webinars, clinics, lessons and mentors is more accessible than ever in our sport. My tip to you is to be curious about the various systems successful handlers have developed over the years and experiment with them to ultimately build your own. If you like the way a team behaves on and off the course, perhaps that handler’s system could be the foundation of yours. Reach out to that handler and try to have the clearest possible picture of what, when and how they do things. As you build your system, be honest and objective with the strengths and flaws it may have today and continue to refine it making small changes as needed. Be patient with the process, give your team the necessary time for change to happen. Finally, be mindful that even the best continue to improve their system, it’s a never-ending process so don’t give up.