Harford's Apprentice

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LIE DOWN/STOP command(For a working Collie can be the same command as Drop, Sit)The Stop command is an absolutely essential first step in training a sheepdog. You can’t learnto drive a car without knowing how to use the brake and you can’t become a sheepdoghandler without being able to stop your dog on command. All dogs, no matter how skilledthey eventually become, take time to learn this fundamental task, so be patient here.To train the Stop command I’d take the puppy for a walk on its lead, then stop and quietlygive the verbal command for STOP while nudging it downward to lie down. I’d let thepuppy stay there a few moments, then say ‘That’ll do’ and allow him to stand up followed by‘Walk On’ as we begin to walk forward again. I’d keep repeating this exercise by giving aquiet verbal Stop command every twenty yards or so. Once it understands what it is expectedto do on the Stop command, a small tug on the lead when saying Lie Down or Stop, will beenough to encourage it to lie down. The aim is to have the puppy reacting correctly to theStop command before moving on to the next stage. The dog should feel comfortable whenit responds correctly to the Stop command so praise it when you let it up from the lie downposition.This will be enough for the first few short training sessions. I’d take the puppy back to itskennel rather than let it run around freely or play with other dogs after training. Allow it tothink about what it has learned and be ready to want to do better, and so impress and pleaseyou, next time.Take as much time as it needs, weeks or months, to train the dog on this. Wait until it islistening to you if you have no success early on. Patience is the key here and will influencehow the dog matures and learns.STAY commandOnly after the puppy is consistent in its response to the Stop command, would I introducethe Stay command. Keeping the puppy on a long cord, I’d ask it to lie down by using the Stopcommand we’ve been practicing earlier, then walk away while giving the new command,Stay. I’d only walk away a short distance to begin with but extend the distance to twenty yardsor more over time to test its ability to stay when left. At this early stage I wouldn’t call the dogto me after the Stay command, but would walk back to it and continue to take the dog for awalk, stopping frequently to repeat the exercise. I’d let it run on the long lead between timesto keep it fun, but then test its ability to repeat the Stop and Stay exercise when asked.10
RECALL commandAlthough from a very early age the puppy will have been encouraged to come back to itsname, you can now begin to teach it a working recall voice command such as ‘That’ll Do’ ora short soft whistle command. Use this after the Stay command and with your puppy on along cord until it is consistently obedient on the Recall.11
Page 1 and 2: HARFORD’S APPRENTICETeaching the
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Page 5 and 6: An introductionYou have a young dog
Page 7 and 8: Some dogs showing excellent potenti
Page 9: STAGE 1As with any young dog, a Bor
Page 13 and 14: STAGE 2The youngest age to contempl
Page 15 and 16: STAGE 3At around 8-12 months old yo
Page 17 and 18: Whether in the open field or in a p
Page 19 and 20: (Some people crunch a paper bag or
Page 21 and 22: There seem to be two main ways to t
Page 23 and 24: Movementup field4STOP 2The dog will
Page 25 and 26: Look backOnce the dog understands t
Page 27 and 28: Some dogs have natural authority wi
Page 29 and 30: The Importance of WhistleCommand So
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Harford's Apprentice

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