The fundamentals of sheepdog training

Sheep and cattle dogs play an essential role in many small-stock and livestock operations. Janine Ryan discusses how to get your dog training programme off to a smooth and confident start.

- Janine Ryan

The image of a sheepdog herding a flock of sheep is synonymous with small-stock farming across the world. Herding dogs have been an essential part of livestock production since the late 1500s, according to historical records.

Sheep and cattle dogs are generally controlled using different whistles to indicate which action the farmer wants the dog to perform. While sheep and cattle dogs rely on instinct to herd animals, training is still required.

Andy Nickless has been training sheepdogs since 2002. He is based in Worcestershire in the UK, where he runs seminars for farmers on how to train their dogs.

Nickless says one of the first challenges farmers run into is the aggression of their sheepdogs when first faced with a flock of sheep.

“Farmers are often shocked [that upon] first encountering stock, [their] dogs turn from being sweet animals into rampaging ‘killers’.”

Not all dogs are this aggressive, he says, adding that aggression is not necessarily a bad thing: indeed, it is this hunting instinct that makes a dog a good herder. However, the farmer needs to be able to control the dog quickly and so limit injury to the stock.

“Getting the dog and sheep under control is probably the most difficult part of the process.”

Farmers need to remember that their dog does not actually want to kill the stock. It’s not a sign of a vicious temperament; it’s simply a case of the dog’s hunting instinct kicking in (where the dog sees the sheep as ‘prey’). Once farmers understand this, training will become easier.