We have all heard the saying,” Work the dog in front of you”
This is fine if you really understand the dog in front of you.
Reading the sheep is important but reading the dog is even more so.
When I first look at a dog, I like to just observe. Is he nervous, anxious, over-keen, or struggling to go one side or the other? Does he have enough eye or too much?
Does he respect the handler or is he just doing his own thing? Can the handler influence him in any way? Does he lack drive, how much pressure can he take?
Quite often if I don't know the handler or they lack experience, I will work the dog myself and try to understand what he is thinking, and how much he understands.
Some people like to have too much control on the dog before he starts working and this can cause the dog to be too mindful of the handler so he doesn't work to his full potential. Some dogs are the opposite and the handler has no influence at all.
There is little point in training the dog until we understand his nature, strengths and weaknesses, his temperament and trainability and how much or how little drive he has. Also whether he has any physical issues that are hindering him. Is he scared of the sheep, if so he may be barking, bouncing and panicking a little. Does he move more easily one side or the other? (most dogs favor one side and sometimes this can sort itself out if we encourage the dog to go on his weaker side early on.)
When I am working a young dog I like to carry a rake or a shepherd's crook. This is only for guidance or to protect the pup or myself from the sheep, and maybe as a block for a really unruly pup. If he is worried about this, to the point that trying to influence him is going to put him off then I just try to use body language to position him. However I always carry either a plastic shepherd's crook or a rake, perhaps in a neutral position. I think it is important that the dog learns to cope with it early on, even though I may not use it in the early stages.
I once worked a dog who was very fearful of the sheep to the point he would get to a position and fly in so fast he was a little dangerous. (To me, as well as the sheep, and I am always mindful of my safety) It was so important to read the signals before this happened. In this case it was just a slight flattening of the ears, a tail lift, and the mouth opening slightly before the rush. Being aware of this allowed me to intervene before it happened. The same if the dog is slicing at a point on his circle, its important to intervene before this happens as its too late afterwards.
Anxious dogs need to be trained in a manner so they develop confidence and learn they can move the sheep without overworking. Choice of sheep is really important. A knock from a bolshy sheep can put a pup off for a long time, they need to have sheep that move off them easily.
At the other end of the scale is the confident dog who is going to take charge unless we keep on top of him. For dogs like this I like to intervene early and let him know I am in charge and the sheep are not his play toys.
We can cover up and improve some problems with training but the issues still remain. The dog is what he is and we cant change his inherent nature. We need to learn how to work with it and adapt our training to suit him. If we cant do this then perhaps we need to find a different environment for him where he is more suited to the handler.
Its useful to watch other dogs, on the trial ground or whenever you are in an environment with different dogs working, or even online videos. Try to read the dog and work out what might happen, and whether the dog is coping with the situation at hand. Also how the handler deals with the issues, and whether you though it was correct or not. Its a great way to learn.
