WHEN IS IT THE RIGHT TIME TO START YOUR PUP?
There are a few things you can do with your puppy before they are ready to train on stock. These are skills and behaviors you are shaping for the rest of their days. The more enjoyable you make your pup to be around, the more time you will want to spend with them. Building your relationship and foundation of trust will stay with them for the rest of their days. So what can you do?
Learn to crate.
Learn to understand a leash.
Learn their name.
Learn simple commands such as a recall, sit, stand, etc.
Learn to be on a tie out.
Learn simple patience exercises like sitting for their food.
Learn to understand pressure and release.
Don’t confuse discipline with punishment. There is nothing wrong with a well behaved puppy, all the while having an opportunity to be a happy dog. Dogs thrive on structure and understanding what is being asked of them.
Reducing bad habits such as chasing/stalking cats, barking at birds, working horses, and finding their own entertainment will help get you the most out of your dog!
WHEN A PUP IS READY TO START… they will show some degree of mental maturity and their tail set will drop when the come into contact with the stock. They won’t take offense to correction on stock. They are keen to work the stock.
WHEN A PUP IS NOT READY TO START… they show excessive barking and tail flagging - this demonstrates a lack of confidence or play mentality. If they turn tail, take off when you apply pressure in the form of a correction when they are wrong. If they are resentful of pressure, you need to go back to your foundation and help them understand what a correction is. Singling an animal out. I don’t get too worried if a pup does this their first time on stock, but I am conscious of it for their next work and try to prevent it from continuously happening. It is a habit that can become intoxicating for a young dog and they can revert to it later on when training gets more difficult.
I want my correction to bring out a positive mentality such as “you are doing it wrong, let me show you how to do it right”. Our correction should be there to support them into finding the right answer.
YOUR PUPPY IS STARTING TO MATURE, NOW WHAT?
Every pup is going to mature at a different rate, even littermates. Starting around 7-8 months old I will start exposing pups to gentle sheep and see what they want to offer. It is important to understand that a young dog needs to be willing to accept pressure in order to train on them. It can be difficult with a young, keen dog that looks ready to start because they want after the stock. However, if they need corrections that are bigger than what they can mentally handle we can set them back. I prefer to see what a dog has to offer, and work with that. I find forcing them to take the training too early can burn them out and they can potentially shut down. I want my dogs to be as keen at 10 years old as they were at 2.
When I start to see that the dog is wanting to control the stock, have a thought process, instead of a high octane chase, I will begin training. All dogs will look different. If you are open to it, and willing to see it, your dog will tell you what they can handle.