08/08/2026
🐕🦺 PRACTICAL TIPS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR WORKING DOG’S TRAINING & WORK 🐑
Getting the most out of a working dog isn't always about doing more training. Sometimes it's about doing less, but doing it better.
A good working dog needs clear communication, consistency, confidence and, most importantly, a handler who understands what they are asking of the dog.
Here are some practical things we believe can make a big difference.
1️⃣ Know what you want before you start
Before you put your dog on stock, know what you're trying to achieve.
Are you working on a stop? A flank? Holding a mob? Driving? Balance?
If you don't know what you want, it's very difficult for your dog to understand what you expect.
Clear objectives create clear training.
2️⃣ Keep your commands consistent
If "over” means over today but something different tomorrow, your dog has to guess.
Use the same commands, whistles and body cues consistently.
One command should have one expected response.
3️⃣ Reward the right moment
Timing is everything.
When your dog does something correctly, release pressure and let the dog know immediately.
Don't wait five seconds and then praise them. The dog needs to understand exactly what behaviour earned the release.
Pressure on.
Correct response.
Pressure off.
That timing is one of the most powerful training tools you have.
4️⃣ Don't constantly interfere
One of the biggest mistakes handlers make is trying to control every step.
Sometimes the best thing you can do is stop talking and let your dog work.
Give your dog the opportunity to think, read stock and make decisions.
You don't want a dog that only works when the handler is constantly telling it what to do.
You want a dog that understands its job.
5️⃣ Watch your own body position
Your dog isn't only watching your commands.
They're watching you.
Where you stand, where you move, how quickly you approach stock and where you apply pressure can all influence the dog's movement.
Sometimes the problem isn't the dog.
It's where we're standing.
6️⃣ Learn to read livestock
A good working dog handler learns to read the stock as well as the dog.
Watch their heads, ears, movement, pressure, bunching and direction of travel.
If you can see what the stock is about to do, you can position yourself and your dog before the problem happens.
Good stockmanship makes good dog work easier.
7️⃣ Don't train every mistake
Not every mistake needs correcting.
Sometimes the dog simply needs another opportunity to get it right.
Constantly correcting a dog can create hesitation, frustration and a dog that becomes afraid to make a decision.
Ask yourself:
"Does this need correcting, or does the dog need another chance?"
8️⃣ Build the foundations
A dog that has a solid foundation will generally have something to fall back on when the pressure increases.
Stop.
Come.
Lie down.
Wait.
Recall.
Flanks.
Driving.
Holding.
These aren't just obedience exercises — they're tools that allow you to communicate with your dog when you're working stock.
9️⃣ Don't overwork your dog
More work doesn't automatically mean better work.
If your dog is mentally or physically tired, the quality of the training can quickly decline.
Finish while the dog is still thinking, listening and wanting more.
Leave them wanting another run.
🔟 Change the environment
Don't only train in the same yard with the same sheep.
Different paddocks, different stock, different distances, different terrain and different situations all teach the dog to think.
But don't make everything difficult at once.
Build difficulty progressively.
1️⃣1️⃣ Give the dog time to mature
Not every dog develops at the same rate.
Some dogs show natural ability early.
Others need time to develop confidence, eye, balance, strength and understanding.
Don't compare your young dog to someone else's finished dog.
Train the dog in front of you.
1️⃣2️⃣ Don't confuse pressure with punishment
Pressure is part of working livestock.
Good training teaches the dog how to respond to pressure and, just as importantly, teaches the handler when to take that pressure away.
The release is often just as important as the pressure itself.
1️⃣3️⃣ Learn when to walk away
Sometimes the best training session is the one you don't finish.
If the dog is confused, you're frustrated or the stock aren't cooperating, don't keep drilling the same problem.
Put the dog away.
Think about what happened.
Come back another day with a better plan.
1️⃣4️⃣ Build the partnership
The ultimate goal isn't simply to have a dog that obeys.
It's to have a dog that trusts you, understands you and wants to work with you.
That partnership takes time.
It comes from consistency, patience, clear communication and allowing the dog to develop confidence in its own ability.
🐾 THE BIGGEST TIP OF ALL
Don't always look at the dog first. Look in the mirror.
Ask yourself:
Am I giving the dog a clear instruction?
Am I positioned correctly?
Am I applying too much pressure?
Am I releasing pressure at the right moment?
Am I asking too much?
Does the dog actually understand what I'm asking?
Our working dogs spend their lives trying to understand us.
The least we can do is make the effort to understand them.
At Merrimajeel Working Stockdogs, we believe good working dogs aren't created by rushing them.
They're developed through Trust, Patience and Partnership. ❤️🐕🦺
