TRAINING YOUR KELPIE

 STEP-BY-STEP LESSONS

In our opinion, most people approach sheepdog training from the wrong angle. Instead of teaching the dog what you want him to do in simple progressive lessons most handlers throw the dog in a paddock (or yards) and hope he is a good worker. Undoubtedly the handler ends up with a dog that does a few things right, a few things wrong and generally learns a lot of bad habits along the way that are never cured.

Why do it?

We have known handlers that have had more than a hundred dogs over a period of a few years. We have even known handlers that have had over a hundred sheepdogs at the same time! Sure they will get results on a handful of dogs but the others have their life ended prematurely. This is not the sign of a good handler. Australians as a rule don't appreciate good sheepdogs. This is mostly because as a country we have always had top quality workers. The attitude is thankfully changing and that is reflected in some high prices going for top line working dogs these days.

The newcomer to sheepdogs usually asks for a pup from his neighbour or local farmer with a mob of dogs. No one ever stops to think he probably has a mob of dogs because none are any good and he hopes at least one will work on any given day. The idea of throwing a dog in with sheep and hoping for good results is a mug's way of working. You can work and train in a much more efficient way that gives you a good dog without too much effort.

There is no trick to this method. It is based on the way we learn ourselves. You wouldn't ask your four year old daughter to solve chemistry equations, would you! That's because you know it will take time before she learns enough to understand difficult things. Sure she may have a natural ability to be good at chemistry passed on by her parents but you are still aware that she needs to learn the alphabet, then to read, add & subtract and so on until finally she has progressed steadily at a pace she can handle & understand. One day she may be a Professor or a Scientist but today she is just a little girl that wants to learn but doesn't know how to begin ...... It is exactly the same for dogs. Teach them progressive lessons! 

We teach our dogs slowly. We try to avoid the temptation of showing off when the dog is young. We like to see the dog make mistakes. We never think of these as faults or a big disaster. They are a normal part of the learning process. It is wonderful to watch a dog trying to work out how to do a job. We encourage the dog and allow him to learn from his mistakes. We make sure he clearly knows what is right and what is wrong without harsh punishment.

A great number of handlers are quick with the shouting, throwing sticks and punishment but they seem to overlook completely any praise. If the dog is not praised then he doesn't learn that he is doing the right thing. In any lesson we try to always have at least two or three times more praise than chastisement. If on a particular day the dog is making more than the average amount of mistakes we change the lesson to an easier one where the dog can succeed and gain confidence.

Never allow your dog to get into bad habits. Dogs are strongly governed by habit. Once they start doing something wrong and you allow it to happen it is going to be a huge job to train them out of it. Professional handlers have people come to them with dogs that have had bad habits for months or even years, like biting or rushing the sheep and they expect the dog to be cured in a matter of hours. In many cases it is too late to change the dogs habit. It would take a massive amount of training time.

Another important piece of information is how hard it is to train a dog. Many handlers say it is easy and this gives new trainers a false impression. It's not easy by any means. If you want a top working dog, it is one of the hardest things you'll ever do. It will take time, knowledge and incredible patience. It can take years just to have a good understanding of dogs. You must have a clear head when you work and put 100% into each lesson. You can't turn off and think about other things or you'll miss something. You have to always be focused on what you are teaching and what the dog is doing.

You have to anticipate what your dog is going to do. You must train at least a few times every week and you must have some sort of lesson in your head before you start. Some of the top trainers will work with their dogs every single day in cold heat and rain. If you are not totally committed you probably won't get the dog you dream about.

There is a great deal of satisfaction in training a dog that becomes an outstanding example of the breed. It makes you proud to work in front of others and to be able to say you trained him yourself. Unfortunately some people may love their dogs but never be good trainers or handlers. If you think you may be one of those people then spend some extra money and buy a well started or fully trained Kelpie. The money will be well spent.

BREEDING & TRAINING

Many new kelpie handlers ask about the importance between breeding and training. Usually the majority of breeders will say that 80-90% of a good sheepdog is the breeding but a dog trainer will say 80-90% of a good dog is training. They can't both be right.

The reality is that breeding only makes up a very small percentage, probably 10% or even less but it is the genetic foundation of the dog and therefore extremely important. The genes determine the colour, build, temperament, ability, behaviour etc. of your dog. There are millions of genetic combinations and they will give you desirable as well as non-desirable aspects of your dog.

The training however is also extremely important. Often you can train a poorly bred dog, at least to some degree. On the other hand, there have been very well bred dogs that have never amounted to anything because the handler did not or could not train them properly. So no matter how well the dog is bred if it is not trained to its full potential then even the very best breeding is completely wasted.

TRAINING  LESSONS!  GENERAL OBEDIENCE LESSONS PROBLEM CORRECTION TRAINING SHEEPDOG LESSONS    At the Noonbarra Stud, we also do private lessons in sheepdog training and general obedience with all breeds (and cross-breeds) of dogs. We also can help with bad habits, negative behaviour and general dog problems including fear and aggression in dogs. We teach all aspects of sheepdog work including Yard work, Field work, Trial obstacles, balance, distance and steady work, basic training, starting puppies, backing, casting, fixing bad habits etc. With obedience we teach getting general control and respect from the dog, Basic formal commands such as ‘Sit’, Down, Stay, Come, Heel, Stand (Stop), and general manners, problem behaviour and control issues.  Other types of training may be able to be arranged either by us personally or through additional dog training professionals.  Private  Lessons One on one instruction - tailored to each handler and dog. General obedience - Problem solving or consultations - $150 per session Stock Training lessons with sheep are  $150 - Per session With one dog these sessions usually go for two to three hours, depending on stamina of the dog. They usually include assessment and discussion on dog, Two or three practical lesson periods of training, intro to sheep, instructions, tea, coffee breaks etc. Accommodation is not available at the Noonbarra Stud but there is a good hotel and a guest house in nearby Manildra at good rates and luxury accommodation available in nearby Orange, Cudal, Molong and Parkes from $25 a night. See Accommodation __________________ We can also travel to you and train your dog if required. 35 cents per kilometre. Free travel can be arranged on certain days in the Orange-Manildra-Parkes district. Please enquire. WEEKLY BOARDING & TRAINING COURSES .. $350  When we have the space and time we offer a boarding/training solution as well. This is a 7 DAY intensive course in training your dog while your dog stays with us. We can do general obedience training, socialising, correcting bad habits, stockyard work or paddock work with sheep. Most customers send their dogs via plane to Orange airport. We can get very cheap rates on flights for you. Others prefer to drive to the Noonbarra Stud. You can also include a one hour (or more) training session at the beginning or end of your dogs stay with us.  (Ask about discounts for multiple hours with boarding course). Additional days after first week are costed out at $40 a day for full board and training. A one hour handler/dog training session added into the weekly training course is discounted to just $50. There are also discounts available for customers that have Noonbarra Kelpies for training. Dogs used to being outside are kept in good sized insulated runs and kennels at night and in the daytime, they are with us or in an exercise yard playing. Dogs used to being house dogs are kept inside at night and in the day will either be with us or in an exercise yard playing with other dogs. We are good at getting a dog's trust. All the dogs we have had here so far (many years) see it as a fun holiday and they return home much better dogs for the experience.   Mary & Stephen Bilson - Noonbarra Kelpie Stud. Gumble Road Manildra. Ph. 02-6366 1641 Email us www.noonbarra.com

It works the other way too. It is a waste to put a lot of time into training a dog that is not well bred. Although there are millions of combinations of genes, to make things simple, lets say for example that you want your dog to bark a lot when he is working. If both parents barked and all four grandparents barked and maybe all 8 great grandparents barked then there is a very high chance your pup will bark. If however the opposite was true and all the ancestors were silent dogs then there is a very good chance that you could train the dog until you were exhausted but you'd never train him to be a good barker. It is the same with all the various working and behavioural traits.

 

New 4th edition (2008) of this very popular manual designed for all Kelpie owners of every level from raw beginners through to experienced trainers. This practical manual deals with everything involved in owning and training a Kelpie to ensure he grows up to be a well mannered, obedient dog.

The book is not about training on livestock! It deals with general obedience training, socialising your Kelpie, feeding, crating, toilet training, preventing problem behaviour, dominance issues, car travel, bathing, digging holes, stealing food, walking on a lead, coming when called... and much more.

Over 100 pages.

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Noonbarra Stud Video This video shows the Noonbarra Kelpies working at all aspects of sheepwork including Droving, Mustering, Sheepdog Trials and Yard work. There are also special sections on Kelpies as companion dogs and pets and a section on Kelpie puppies. It shows our dogs interacting with children and strangers and being indoor dogs. Professionally finished with Titles, commentary and music. Includes cover case and colour insert. For more detailed info see our video page. Click here.  $15.00 includes FREE postage (World wide).