AHBA events?

If you can gather sheep from a short distance (I forget what it is, twenty feet maybe?) - dog doesn't need to be perfect in outrun, just get them without undue chaos - then wear around a short course, you will be fine in JHD.  The best practice is to gather the sheep and then just settle them in front of you, and praise your dog for keeping them settled.  If your dog gets the notion that that's the ideal picture then he'll take care of you as best he can.

I had an AHBA trial at my place.  It was a blast.  The people are so nice and casual and as a farm owner, it was nice to host a venue that was so stock-oriented.  We had Kathy H from Iowa, up your way, as one of our judges, so you might see her there. 

 OK, well he can do an out run - although I'm working on getting him to do it more controlled (he still likes to charge). And he can keep the sheep in balance in front of me while I walk around the pen. I don't know about re-penning though. That is listed as one of the requirements in the JHD test. We've never done a re-penning before. He will walk, stand and lie down though so maybe he can do it.

For JHD your dog doesn't really even have to do an outrun. If he will hold a stay, you can leave him wherever, and then position yourself so that your dog just has to walk up. I encourage people to train for a controlled gather before they enter a JHD test, but it isn't really a requirement. And if the approach is a little messy, but there isn't any gripping or wild chasing, you can still pass the test if you get everything under control efficiently. Again, I encourage people to train for more than just the barest minimum requirements, but split happens with beginner dogs and handlers, so don't feel like the run has to be perfect to pass. Besides maintaining control, and completing the three obstacles you also have to show that your dog will take a stop command somewhere on course. The stop can be a stand, sit or down. At the repen your dog has to hold a stay while you pen the sheep. The sheep used for JHD tests are generally so schooled that all you have to do to pen them is get them to the gate, and get the gate open. They will almost certainly go in on their own. So, if your dog will hold a stay while you open the gate, and while the sheep "escape" into the pen, you shouldn't have any problem. Try to position your dog off to the side so he isn't pushing sheep on top of you while you are trying to open the gate. If you can position him so that he's actually pushing the sheep away from you a bit that's even better, but many beginner dogs have a very hard time with holding this position since their focus up to this point has been to bring sheep to you. And don't try to get fancy here leaving the gate wide open as the sheep enter the pen. Get that gate shut as soon as the sheeps' butts are through the opening. One of the biggest temptations for the beginner dog is to charge into the pen to bring those escaping sheep back out to you. So don't focus on making the dog stay, or correcting him if he gets up from a sit to a stand or whatever. Just close the gate.

 Thanks for the advice!! That is very helpful. I am worried about the pen. I will see if my trainer can set up some exercises for us. Neiko is not used to holding the sheep still for any length of time. He will do a stand stay or down but I've been making them very short so that he doesn't have the opportunity to break.

 Probably then what I'd work on over anything else, is helping Neiko see the "ideal picture" of sheep settled at balance.  Just get him to stop and hold the sheep, while you talk to him nicely and tell him what a good boy he is.

The biggest deal with the repen is making sure the sheep don't run you over before you open the gate for them!  Your dog's job is to hold them AWAY from the gate while you open it for them, then let them in without chasing them in there.  Most times this part at the very least will require a stop.  If you can ask your trainer if he or she will let you set out hay or feed while Neiko holds them off, that can help him see the point of that exercise and really enjoy it.  Aussies like to know the WHY of what they are doing.