I came off the large sheep pasture with our one and half-year-old Border Collie, Moses by my side. The world-class sheepdog trainer continued to talk as we walked toward Lori our other dogs Skye and Balde who were also there for training. A colleague also waited by the field with her dogs for her turn. We were in upstate New York for a day trip to get pointers for training for our two older dogs who have lots of experience and they were the only dogs that were supposed to come with us. Moses was resting in the SUV when we loaded up at home and his almost all-black color blended into the interior so much we took off with him! Minutes into the trip we realized our mistake and decided to take him with us. Caleb would stay at home and use three years old Tara as his “chore dog” to move our sheep and poultry to and from pasture while we were gone. No goose control on this day as the very busy spring moved to a bit quieter period.
With years of working, training, and living with Border Collies under my belt I felt it a good time to see what this great handler could teach me. And she taught me plenty. There was a lot of different techniques to consider, steps of training to know and understanding each dog’s own individual nature to incorporate. Top-notch teachers in the Border Collie world, sheepdog world all have their own ways, but maybe the world-class folk have a definite step by step approach with teaching methods to achieve that. I do well enough with my Border Collies both for chore work at home and for the goose control work and for sheepdog trailing. I have been working on getting better and better and why not? Is it not good to know what you’re doing? Is it not the best way to teach kids skills in school a way that is natural and would give them tools to live and handle their lives? Do we not want to be successful? And do we not want to be kind while living and working?
“My dogs need to understand that they must be kind to sheep”, she said, as we continued to walk off the field.” That is the only time they hear it from me”. Not that my dogs weren’t, she was just making a point about always being kind and supportive to her dogs while she was teaching them skills. She is also a goose control contractor and I know this applies to geese she works for clients too. When you work sheep or geese, job number one is to lower stress to a minimal level. Our dogs will understand this as they grow to adulthood and or be taught from pups ways to herd that take care of sheep and geese that are not harmful at all. This has were the skill the training and preciseness in the work come into play.
As Moses my teacher and I walked off the field we felt that something had been accomplished. In fact, I think my Border collies and I had learned quite a lot in that afternoon’s training. We neared the waiting dogs and people and Moses turned his head up toward me and gave me his great big smile. It is great to work together and have things go well, learn, and grow. We sat on that edge of the great big field as the sheep happily grazed our dogs rested and got to know the other dogs there a bit more. Now it was time for my colleague to work with her dogs. The teacher got up and started teaching again. I can’t tell you how I admire that dedication. Lori and I gave our Border Collies a bit of time to roam the nearby fields and do their business. Then we loaded Skye, Blade, and “stowaway Moses, and drove home.