Lambs good for training pups
Lambing is looming closer and if you have a young dog that isn’t showing much enthusiasm for sheep take advantage of the window of opportunity this season offers.
I’ve mentioned before that I feed my pups twice a day, so whenever they go back to the pup pen after being loose, they are at my feet wanting to get in: warm milk and food is hard to resist.
I also find food great for teaching a pup to lie down and wait patiently, learning the command ‘stay’. When a pup is around 7 – 10 weeks old I hold a small piece of something tasty on the ground to coax the pup to lie down. The meat is hidden in my hand and as the pup tries to find it I gently push down on the shoulders.
As soon as (and this is important) the pup’s brisket touches the ground I immediately say ‘stay’ and release the meat. Timing is critical. By saying ‘stay’ the moment the pup’s brisket/belly touches the ground it will associate the word with the lying-down action. Saying it while it is in a standing position, with you trying to get it down, isn’t the right time; the right time for easy learning is the exact moment it is in the lying position and not before. Giving the meat at that exact moment rewards the action.
Stand the pup up, and repeat all. Do this at least six times in each short training season. After a few times, if you are doing it correctly, you will need only to put your hand on the ground and the pup will lie down. If you point with your finger as you do it, the pup not only learns that ‘stay’ is to lie down but also, if you point to the ground, it will lie down. I find both very useful.
If you say ‘good girl/boy’ as you release the food, the pup is associating those words with a reward from you for something well done. Later when the pup starts working stock and you want to praise it at the very moment it does the correct thing, those two words will work wonders. Over-use the words and they will mean nothing and you will sound like a cracked record.
Once the pup understands that ‘stay’ is to lie down, withhold the food for a few moments.
In time you are aiming for: you standing upright, pointing to the ground, ‘stay’ and the pup to lie down, patiently waiting for your approval. Walk backwards a few paces and stand still before walking back to the pup and rewarding it for staying. That is important – reward it at the staying position.
If you call it to you, you are rewarding it for coming to you, not staying.
When it is lying still don’t keep saying ‘stay’, only say that if the pup starts to stand. It is up to you to be alert and anticipate it getting up; don’t wait until it is up and walking to you; say ‘stay’ before it is up on its feet.
Once it well and truly understands the word, lies down immediately and stays for a minute or two, then you can stop the treat and ‘good boy/girl’ becomes the reward.
This is the only training I do with food; I don’t want dogs looking for and expecting it other than at feed time; words of praise or stroking are just as effective.
It winds me up seeing ‘townies’ with treat pouches strapped to their waist dishing out titbits for every command their dog obeys; do they give their child a sweet every single time they ask something of it?
• Anna Holland is teaching people dog training. For more information www.annaholland.co.nz or Ph 06) 212 4848 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
