Developing a Thinking Dog… A homesteader / farmer / small rancher came with his Aussie the other day. The dog was nice and talented. We talked about his goals and…
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The 2024 Working Aussie Futurity is in the books! The event went out without much of a hitch. Ten amazing trainers and dogs met up in Frost, Texas to share…
There is no such thing as perfect, that’s for sure. Several people have recently asked me about my set up. So it forced me to create some content. I like…
Sarah has been a wonderful new voice for the working Aussie for a few years. A protege of Elvin Kopp, she has a systematic take, a great way of explaining…
Reprinted with Permission from Stockdog Trainer, Dec 90/Jan 91 by John C. Rossy, Lecoma MO I’ve been raising sheep and training my own dogs for a number of years, including…
ALLOWING A DOG TO LEARN by Michelle Weese, Lock-Eye Border Collies What we as stock dog trainers like to do most is COMMAND. “Go bye, way to me, down, walk…
TRAINING THE OUTRUN ON THE AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOG by Steve Waltenburg, Trails End Kennel Training the outrun actually starts with the introduction of the dog to stock. From this point…
TEACHING THE “STUBBORN” STOCKDOG TO LIE DOWN Mary Taggart Morrison Many beginning trainers have difficulty getting their stockdog to lie down when they tell him to on the stock. Teaching…
CONSIDERATIONS AND CAVEATS ON FINDING A HERDING INSTRUCTOR With Apologies to Everyone From Whom I Have Stolen Ideas and Advice by Kay Spencer So, you have an Australian Shepherd and…
PRE-HERDING TRAINING by Anne Shope Many people we’ve come across do some puppy preparation for herding; the normal sits, downs, stays, and walk up. Specifically, working on the down away…
SELECTING A PUP FOR STOCK WORK by Tony Rohne with help from Red Buying the right pup is the backbone of a good training program. Without the proper homework, just…
TRAINING THE ESSENTIALS by Charles O’Reilly Common Mistakes In the last issue I covered two of the more common mistakes that owners of working dogs make during the first year…
STARTING DRIVING by Melinda May, Dicky Renn, Jamie Burns, Maarten Walter, Kathi Schwengel Melinda May— I have a problem training the drive . . . mostly on sheep. I can…
FIXING THE OUTRUN: INITIAL SHAPING Question and Answer Forum from Ranch Dog Trainer Magazine by H.J. Cannon Jr. and Kent Kuykendall QUESTION: In most training articles the pup always gets…
FIXING THE OUTRUN: CROSSING OVER Question and Answer Forum from Ranch Dog Trainer Magazine QUESTION: I have a dog that I sent to the trainer. He stayed 3 months and…
FLIPPING AWAY ON ONE FLANK by Melinda May, Anne Jespersen, Tenley Dexter, Marsha Westerman Melinda–I’m looking for suggestions on positioning and timing for how to correct a pup that is…
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT, NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT AND PUNISHMENT by Kirk Moses (Working Aussie Source note: Kirk Moses is a successful trainer and handler of Border Collies for sheepdog trials, who at the…
QUESTION AND ANSWER: STARTING COWDOGS ON SHEEP? YES OR NO? Question: I just got 2 pups, two different breeds. I have 280 head of momma cows and 60 replacement heifers….
TRAINING A YOUNG AUSSIE TO RUN WIDE ON STOCK “PLAYING THE GET BACK GAME” by Mari Taggart Morrison Probably the two biggest complaints I hear from Aussie owners at training…
CREATING A TRAINING PARTNERSHIP by Mari Taggart Morrison Training a working sheepdog is an art form as well as a sport and necessity. We marvel at the racecar driver’s abilities,…
USING “AGGRESSIVE DOMINANCE” TECHNIQUES WITH CLOSE- RUNNING SHEEP DOGS by Mari Taggart Morrison The ideal gathering dog is one who runs as wide as we ask him to so that…
WHAT, WHEN, AND HOW an interview with Australian cattleman Tony McCallum by the staff of Ranch Dog Trainer Magazine Working in different types of terrain, most of it heavy timber…
THE WORKING AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD: DEVELOPING HIS POWER by Terry Martin In the last article about using Australian Shepherds as cattle dogs, we discussed a few ways of introducing your pup…
ENHANCING HEELING INSTINCT by Terry Martin I certainly appreciate the contact I have had from the readership with ranch dogs. Several of you asked for ideas about how to get…
THE AUSSIE STYLE AND OUTRUN by Terry Martin I have said the ideal Australian Shepherd is one who will grip both the head and the heels. Every ranch or farm…
SOME COMMON MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE WHEN TRAINING THE LOOSE-EYED DOG by Dana MacKenzie The term “Loose-eyed” refers to dogs which do not work with the intense eye or concentration of…
THOUGHTS ON DRIVING by Dana MacKenzie Some thoughts on driving: 1. From about the third exposure to sheep on, as I enter the training area on lead, I ask the…
WORKING CORNERS by Butch Larson The purpose of working corners is to build confidence and to teach your dog the correct way to approach livestock in a tight spot. So…
DEVELOPING THE WHOLE CATTLEDOG PART SIX: Side Commands by Rusty Johnson I will include this part of the series because this is what everyone wants. It seems like everyone is…
DEVELOPING THE WHOLE CATTLEDOG Part 3: Beginning Work by Rusty Johnson If I remember right, we left off last time socializing. Before we move on I want to state: “Even…
DEVELOPING THE WHOLE CATTLEDOG Part two: Socializing the Puppy by Rusty Johnson So, you’ve decided what kind of dog you want. You selected a breeding that filled the requirements of…
THE WHOLE CATTLEDOG: part one: picking a pup by Rusty Johnson I am writing this series for those people who, like myself, love, honor and cherish their cattledogs. With the…
BUILDING STRENGTH IN A YOUNG DOG by Rusty Johnson Let me say first on this subject, that training a dog is like sculpting a beautiful statue. The statue was there…
GETTING A STOP by Anne Jespersen Question: I wanted to start herding and slowly I am, but how do I get my dog to stop on command? Once she is…
TEACHING A DOG TO TAKE TIME by Herbert Holmes As with all lessons on anything, I do not believe that a particular method is 100% for all dogs and/or people….
“UNBRIDLED ENTHUSIASM” or TEACHING TO GRIP by Mark Hodges Ad Astra Halcyon or “Hallie” had a firm grip on what the command Get Ahold meant in the context of our…
REBUILDING CONFIDENCE by Laura Hicks Confidence. It is such an all encompassing word. A dog needs it to work stock well. It is also something that is developed and built…
PREPARE YOUR HERDING DOG PROPERLY FOR HIS WORK: The Importance of Avoiding One-Sidedness by Linda C. Franklin Frequently I notice in testing dogs for herding instinct that a dog is…
TRAINING THE UPSTANDING BREEDS : Inside Flanks by Linda C. Franklin, Belgian Terveren breeder/trainer A few of our upstanding breeds are referenced as droving (driving) dogs as opposed to fetching…
TRAINING THE UPSTANDING BREEDS: Driving by Linda C. Franklin, Belgian Terveren breeder/trainer Provided your upstanding dog is now comfortable with and efficient at going to balance on an inside flank…
BALANCE AND PACING by Bruce Fogt Throughout the entire training process and the life of the dog, I am always trying to build balance or keep it in the dog….
CONCEPTS IN DRIVING by Tenley Dexter I like to use middle of the road sheep to start driving with, not too light and not too sticky to the handler, the…
HARDHEADED by Roy Cox Many dogs are referred to as Hardheaded by their owner or trainer due to the undeniable fact that the dog has never fully given himself over to…
TRAINING SECRETS OF THE PROS by CynDee Cooper They must have secrets! They consistently train dogs that are useful, willing workers. Some of their dogs have become legends. “They” are…
PUTTING A LOOK BACK ON A DOG by Ian Caldicott I very rarely go out to train or work dogs with the thought that “today I need to work on…
STARTING THE STOCKDOG An interview with Sherry Baker by Kay Spencer For fifty years, Twin Oaks Australian Shepherds in Galt, California has provided ranchers and stockdog trialers with sound, stock-savvy…
CONFIDENCE AND BITE by L.R. Alexander Just because a dog bites the nose and heels of an animal does not make him a cattle dog. He can have balance, speed,…
