How to Train Your Australian Cattle Dog to Herd

Hello, There are pros and cons to having him sleep near you or apart from you. A dog who gets used to sleeping further away can adapt better to not sleeping with you later, but to properly potty train you will need to hear pup cry during the night to take them outside a couple of times during the night at this age. I would recommend purchasing an audio baby monitor to use to listen for that crying to ensure potty needs are met, or having pup sleep where you can hear them and move the crate once they are old enough to sleep through the night consistently without needing a potty trip - knowing that there will probably be a week of crying again at first when you make that transition later. Do whichever option you prefer. Six months is generally when more formal training happens; however you can begin desensitizing him to the cattle by carrying him around them, keeping a safe distance, giving treats for calmness and good responses around them just to avoid fear of them later. You can also start teaching obedience commands that will later be used around the cattle. I would reach out to your local herding clubs and seek their advice as well. There are often multiple ways to go about training. You will find that certain methods work better with certain dogs and their readiness, and what you feel able to teach, and others aren't for you. It can be very helpful to connect with others who have gone before you on this and learn from them in person. For the chewing, I recommend combining a few things, and to let you know that it's developmentally normal and will take time to outgrow. The main goal is to protect your home and prevent this from becoming a long term habit instead of something puppies grow out of. First, teach the Leave It command. Second, use sprays like bitter apple or bitter melon on objects pup returns to again and again, limit freedom to times when you can supervise and enforce commands like leave it, and give pup hollow chew toys that you can fill with treats, to teach pup to prefer those due to the food, over household objects. When you crate pup that can be a great time to give a dog food stuffed kong so pup only has that as an option to chew and finds it rewarding due to the food, which helps build a habit of chewing their own toys and preferring those over your objects. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Aug. 3, 2023

Hello Victoria, I would go back to using a long training leash to direct her during training practice for a while, then you can enforce commands when she gets distracted. I would also teach a Come Bye and Away To commands, using the long leash to direct her, when she chooses herd from the front instead of behind. She may be doing that to avoid a kick from behind. Many dogs will go to the front of the animal to stop the animal and possibly turn the animal another way. Once the animal is turned, she should learn to be at their side or behind though, leaving enough space to avoid a kick. Pup might also need a There and Get Back command if pup is working too close or you need pup to basically just perform half of a come bye or away to command to get pup behind the animals. https://herding-dog-training-border-collie-sheepdog-dvd.com/sheepdog-terminology-and-training-commands/ When training this, I would choose a well trained, patient horse when you have pup on lead. One that won't spook or kick easily. If you have other livestock pup is being trained on that are gentler, you may want to start by practicing on the smaller livestock before transitioning practice to the horses. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Jan. 20, 2022