Alice White
Old English Sheepdogs are very smart and learn quickly, so with the right approach to training, it will not be difficult to achieve obedience to a puppy or an adult dog.
You can start preparing for training your pet immediately after the puppy is in the new home. It is important to build a trusting relationship with your pet, try to develop in him the desire to take care, but at the same time do not allow the animal to show signs of dominance. For this, the pet must learn to respect the owner, to respect the boundaries. Representatives of the breed tend to please the owner, but if they do not consider the owner a leader, they will not deem it necessary to obey him. Trusting relationships are built through contact through communication, games, joint walks. At the same time, one should not forget about socialization, the pet must adequately perceive other people and animals, change in environment, and not react to external stimuli.
An Old English Sheepdog puppy should be trained as early as possible, accustomed to a collar, leash, and eradicate the habit of pulling. The first commands that the baby must learn are “sit”, “lie”, “forward”, “stand”. Gradually, you need to move on to more complex work teams.
Most Bobtails love to spend time actively, you should not deprive them of this pleasure. If possible, then you should develop the natural instincts of the shepherd dog, let her perform the functions of a herding dog. Some dogs, while grazing sheep or other animals, show initiative, that is, they are independent, while others carry out their actions, focusing on the instructions of the shepherd. In teaching your dog to graze, it is important to reward the natural behavior of the Old English Sheepdog by gradually practicing new and more challenging tasks.
For a start, training is best done with a small flock of sheep to find out what the dog is capable of, how it behaves. Usually, the first acquaintance with sheep ends with the dog chasing the flock, which is quite normal.
The basis for successful training is positive motivation, which consists of praise and treats, consistency, and the dog’s interest in training. Commands are given in a calm but confident voice, correct behavior is always encouraged by a treat.
In the process of training, the Old English Shepherd Dog should never be scolded, especially when the pet cannot do what the owner requires of him. Otherwise, the pet will not only lose confidence in the owner but also lose interest in the classes. It is not the dog’s fault that it fails to master this or that exercise, but the owner, who is not good enough as a trainer. Learning is easy if the right method is chosen.
