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Flanking Off Balance When Fetching


Guest BelgBC
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I have a problem with both of my dogs when they're bringing sheep to me and then I want to flank them to take the sheep somewhere else. Not really a problem but something I'm trying to teach them and we don't seem to be getting it.

 

When they're fetching the sheep and are directly behind the sheep on a balance point that would bring them to me, they refuse to flank, or may flank a few steps and then come right back behind the sheep. So if I didn't want the sheep to continue straight towards me, the dog insists on bringing them to me anyway.

 

If things are stopped or the dog is already off balance they're okay with it. But once they start fetching and things are moving, no way, they have to stay at balance and bring me the sheep.

 

Suggestions?

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Guest Carol Campion

To train this effectively, go back to doing it from wearing and don't try to get it done yet on a fetch where the dog is trying to keep " hold" of the sheep. If it is a dog with a lot of balance, once they get them balaced to you, they don't want to let go of it.

 

Let the dog flank around the sheep. As soon as it gets to balance, you stop, stop the dog, and then flank it again and make it go slightly past balance and then stop it. Then ask it to flank a little farther on around. When it does, stop it after a few feet (dog will be at about 2 o'clock). Then YOU get yourself across from the dog and let it continue to fetch.

(This is not the end but a means to the end. You are helping the dog be rewarded for coming off balance when you put it back on balance by YOUR moving rather than the dog falling back in line to where it was.)

 

Once it will do this, then repeat the steps while you keep moving yourself backwards with the sheep. Remember to stop the dog before each flank so you can get its attention. This is important because if you flank it "on the fly", it will filter what you ask through what it is trying to do and will not take a clean flank or will not take the flank at all. By having yourself now moving and the sheep moving, it is a temptation for the dog to not flank because it will be trying to keep its hold at the balance point. If you were successful while things were still, you have the first step toward achieving it on the move. At any point the dog does not flank or stop as it was asked, stop it and make it wait before you ask it again. You need its attention and the dog needs to forget about what it wants and think about what you want. Remember, once it takes the off balance flank, stop it and you balance to the dog (which means you need to pivot) and continue.

 

Once you can be successful with this exercise while on the move, begin actually sending your dog on a longer outrun. Let it fetch the sheep a little bit, stop it and then flank it off balance. Remember to ask it to stop at the end of the flank so it does not return back behind the sheep. You can remove discomfort in this by you moving across from the dog to make it right. That way the dog isn't merely learning to overflank or overrun its outrun.

 

This is the oddest part-your balancing to the dog until it is willing to take off balance flanks. Once it begins taking these flanks readily-which it will after a while, you can either flank it all the way around behind you, or 1/4 of the way around, or anywhere really (you are in a great position to start a drive) or you can stop it and flank it back to the original balance point and then continue with the fetch.

 

The next step is to get the dog to take the flank and hold that line. You need to make sure that once the dog flanks off balance on the fetch that you stop it at the end of the flank and not let it fall back behind the sheep. If you ask it to walk up and it starts back, lie it down. It needs to learn that "walk up" doesn't mean to flank and vice versa. It also will learn that when you stop it, it needs to listen because more information is coming.

 

This may be confusing to get a picture of. Let me know if it makes sense!!

 

These dogs understand so much more if you can break things down into steps to help it understand.

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