Dog Community

Sheep Training Videos - Really Nice

Posted : 6/23/2009 8:52:49 AM

My friend Denise put several videos up which show the progress of a young Border Collie from 8 months to 22 months, in sheepdog training. It's a little technical but pretty easy to follow with the video. The last ones are really awesome even if you don't have an interest in sheepdog training at all. They are beautifully shot and Denise's voice, both narrating and while speaking to her dog, is very lovely and nice to listen to.

The first one is here:

Starting May's training - eight months old - http://vimeo.com/5237059

Follow the links to the rest of them, in order of May's age.

Note how it's generally Denise's choice to set May up for success, and make something easy, rather than forcing her to do it, or punishing May until she does it to avoid aversive pressure.

JackieG

Posted : 6/25/2009 4:13:39 PM

I only watched the first two so far but I certainly agree with you about her lovely voice. May's lie down was much faster and without any obvious effort on the trainer's part in the second vid, unlike the first one. lol I can't wait to watch the rest. Fascinating stuff to me and I have no desire for a herding dog, no desire for a herding dog, no desire for a herding dog......lol but I love to watch them work. Thanks for sharing.

brookcove

Posted : 6/25/2009 4:44:51 PM

Denise said in her comments on the Border Collie Boards that this series grew out of a desire to document her search for a less confrontational style of training. May comes from a line on her mother's side of VERY stubborn dogs that will respond to pressure by simply fighting, leaning harder to get their own way. So the usual methods of "pushing a dog out" further off the sheep, or running at the dog yelling, to get it to stop, were something she didn't want to use.

Instead, she wanted to explore ways to use the sheep to suggest to May herself, the easiest way to do something, was also the thing Denise wanted.

Sowilu

Posted : 6/25/2009 9:27:16 PM

Great!! I will have to take some time to watch it, I haven't forgoten about my idea brookcove.