I just got back from a herding seminar. What a hoot. I’m using both my dogs at the same time now and so was shown how each dog has a strong side and that I should think of my dogs as one being my left hand and the other being my right.

I loved it! By the time we were done I could have the dogs running opposite circles around the sheep at the same time. Also having them move the sheep with one pushing from behind and the other to the side at the eye to hold the sheep in place.

Shorty was doing some interesting things...He had decided he didn’t want to work and was wandering off so I downed him and asked Junior to walk up BUT Junior wouldn’t budge. It was pointed out to me that Shorty was telling Junior not to work. All this time I thought Junior was just getting sticky. You know all the problems with Junior sticking didn’t start till I had Shorty out in the same work area!

The minute I told Shorty, “knock it off”, Junior popped right up and started working!

This happened not once every time it was our turn to be on the sheep. At first I didn’t believe that this is what was happening but after the 3rd time it was so obvious I just had to laugh. Dogs just facinate me so much! Shorty is missing all about 5 teeth starting across with one of his small front teeth around to his first main molar. Thank god Kelpies have a lot of teeth! (a lot more then GSDs) Anyway because his missing all those teeth he is much more confortable working on the right side of the stock. I’d never have even noticed this but for the observation of my mentor doing our clinic.

At first I was trying to keep him on the left and Junior on the right. Shorty was doing all kinds of advoidant behavior, my mentor had me switch the dogs around on a hunch and Shorty started working again no problem.

Anyone else have this problem when working two or more dogs together where one dog is giving silent messages to the others not to work? At one point Junior was so upset by Shorty that he was trying to leave the work area. Each time I told Shorty to knock it off Junior would go back to work! I couldn’t see any change in Shorty and if I’d been training them on my own I would just have assumed I was having a problem with Junior and thought Shorty was being an angel just laying there and staying put.

BTW, Shorty is gradually becoming more confident and all you guys suggestions were a big help. Thanks! Jean