Harford's Apprentice

STAGE 3
At around 8-12 months old your puppy may be ready to move on to some early
stage herding commands and skills. The actual age of your puppy is less important
than its proficiency on basic commands, its physical development and strength
and the level of enthusiasm it shows for herding.
FIRST
FEW MONTHS
Socialising &
Essential Basics
Walking on a lead
Stop | Stay | Recall
4-6
MONTHS
Introduction
to Sheep
Observing
reactions & Recall
from sheep
WHEN
KEEN
Early Herding
Skills
Right from left
‘Head of sheep’
Close Fetch
WHEN
READY
Working Standard
Herding Skills
Outrun & lift
Fetch/Drive & Shed
Look/turn back
‘Silent gather’
Thinking for
itself
Remember that it is much better to train your dog for ten minutes every day than expect it
to perform well after a longer training session given just once a week. Repetition reinforces
the dog’s understanding of what it has already been taught so give it the satisfaction of doing
something well, before being taught something new.
As you go through each step of this training, look for the dog’s strengths and weaknesses
and take time to think about how you will need to help it understand what you mean it to
do – only then will your commands make any sense. Dogs do not think like humans do, and
every dog thinks differently, so it is important to have the patience to find the best way to
explain to the dog what you expect of it, rather than impose your will as its “master”.
New skills you can begin to teach at this stage are:
Understanding its left from its right
Come Bye command – Go Left/Clockwise & Away to Me – Right/Anticlockwise
Going to the ‘Head of the Sheep’
Bringing the sheep towards you in a controlled way
Get Up & Walk On commands
Controlling its speed
The difference between stop and walk; refining Stop and Take Time commands
15