Jake's Fancy Footwork & The Magic Of Balance

What does balance look like in herding? 

When you watch this video, you'll see Jake use some pretty fancy footwork to stop these determined ewes from rejoining the flock!

Each time he stops them, he has hit the point of BALANCE. 

Balance is fundamental to herding. It's how dogs control livestock, and how we reward our dogs. 

When you play fetch with your dog...that point where your dog grabs the ball...SO REWARDING!

When a herding dog hits the point of balance on stock they receive a huge reward - CONTROL.  Herding dogs LOVE control. We reward our dogs by allowing them to balance sheep, and we correct our dogs by taking away the opportunity. 

If Jake goes past the point of balance, the sheep will get past him and rejoin the flock. If Jake comes up short, they'll keep running. Once the sheep realise that Jake has control...they stop trying to escape. 

Balance is what makes a beautiful outrun, lift and fetch (I'll talk about all of those in future blogs!) magical. Even though your dog and sheep might be several hundred yards away - if your dog understands balance - they'll bring those sheep straight to you. Your dog continuously adjusts to balance the sheep on the end of their nose. It's a combination of instinct and training. I never get tired of watching it. 

There's a lot more to training a dog to herd than finding balance (so much more, which is why I LOVE working with herding dogs). However, balance is at the root of everything we do when training dogs to herd. 

Around the farm

We had the shearer out this past weekend. It was a great day - and I've got the bruises to prove it! 😆 50 sheep got fresh hair cuts. We spent a few hours helping the shearer - thank you Patrick! Of course there was food. My god Chelcii - that pulled pork! 🤤 Then we spent the rest of the afternoon working dogs.

I also "borrowed" dogs from Chelcii and Christine for my Whistle Whistle! course. You'll never guess what it's about! 😉 Christine's dog Rye came out on top, and he's going to be a movie star! Rye is looking for an agent. Call him. 

Check out 👉 Whistle Whistle! and see Rye in action!

While I train my dogs for trialling, this keeps me hooked. Training stock dogs is more than a sport...it's a lifestyle. Spending the afternoon with friends, sharing tips, goofing off, and hanging out with the mutts is my idea of a perfect day. ❤️