There are two
drives the German shepherd herding dog must have not
only to succeed in practical, everyday sheep herding
work, but also to excel in HGH herding competitions
which demand independent performance. They are (1) “total
attraction to the sheep”; and (2) “genetic
obedience”. These drives are genetic, can be selectively
bred for and are expressions of the prey instinct. The
higher and more balanced these drives are, the higher
the level of performance the skilled shepherd can bring
out in the dog without compulsion training. NOTE: By
compulsion training I mean: to compel a dog to do something
it does not want to do either because it is not in him
to do it or because it is not yet ready to do it.
“Total attraction to the sheep” is a specific
and focused aspect of the prey instinct. It is an intense,
almost obsessive, form of the prey drive, which is expressed
by behaviors to possess and control sheep to the exclusion
of all other prey objects. An example of a dog with
this high drive is one which, when in the presence of
sheep, does not care about anyone or anything except
“counting the sheep” and one which literally
“laughs” with pure pleasure while working
the sheep. Expressions of this drive can be seen when
observing the behavior of the selectively bred herding
dog patrolling the boundary of a graze. For example,
the dog (1) moves energetically along the boundary;
(2) is totally focused on the sheep in the graze –
never taking its eyes off of them even when reversing
direction; (3) literally has a “laughing”
expression on its face; and, (4) carries its tail high
while working. “Total attraction to the sheep”
is the fuel that keeps the dog working tirelessly all
day – the higher this drive, the higher the octane.
“Genetic obedience” is an aspect of the
pack drive, which is the social part of the prey instinct.
It is expressed as a strong willingness to please the
shepherd and to accept the shepherd as the leader. “Genetic
obedience” is the breaking and steering mechanism
the experienced shepherd uses to “direct”
the high drive and natural behaviors the dog brings
to herding out of the prey instinct. A dog with “genetic
obedience” only needs to be shown by the shepherd
what the job is to be done and, once he understands,
does the task willingly, reliably and, above all, independently
– this is “education”. A dog with
this drive not only wants to work, but it wants to work
in cooperation with the shepherd. Trainers with a “master/slave”
mentality toward the dog are an affront to the genetic
make up of this kind of dog. On the other hand, a dog
lacking in “genetic obedience” needs to
be commanded by the shepherd and often, in the beginning,
compelled to obediently perform the same tasks whether
it wants to, or not - this is “training”.
Both of these dogs will be able to herd sheep, but there
will be a significant difference in performance between
them. For example, the dog with “genetic obedience”
whose instincts are “directed” will learn
to work reliably and independently in cooperation with
the shepherd; while the dog lacking in “genetic
obedience” which is trained to obey will learn
to remain reliant on commands from the shepherd.
Often, in the beginning, compelled to obediently perform
the same tasks whether it wants to, not – this
is “training”. Both of these dogs will be
able to herd sheep, but there will be a significant
difference in performance between them. For example,
the dog with “genetic obedience” whose instincts
are “directed” will learn to work reliably
and independently in cooperation with the shepherd;
while the dog lacking in “genetic obedience”
which is trained to obey will learn to remain reliant
on commands from the shepherd.
It is up to the shepherd to decide which kind of dog
he is most comfortable working with. If the shepherd
does not feel comfortable “directing” the
dog’s instinct because he only knows how to control
a dog with obedience commands, then he should not work
with a dog bred to have “genetic obedience”.
According to Manfred Heyne: “dogs with high drive
attraction to work sheep and “genetic obedience”
are jewels. They do not need commands, nor do they respond
well to commands. They only need to be “directed”
to bring out best in them. Commands to such a dog create
an adversarial relationship between the dog and the
shepherd, whereas “directing” the dog’s
instincts and drives creates a cooperative relationship
in which the dog works better with the shepherd and
at a much higher level.’
My interest in herding is the German shepherd dog.
What excites me is watching the selectively bred, basic
instincts of the dog come alive around sheep. What challenges
me is learning to “direct” that instinctual
prey behavior through “genetic obedience”
into the appropriate sheep herding behavior necessary
to serve the shepherd without losing the power and energy
of those instincts in the process.
We all know what training a dog is. It is teaching
a dog a word or a signal that tells the dog to do something.
There is dictionary full of commands used by trainers
to tell the dog what to do. Because there is a training
command for every step a dog takes in herding, and,
because harsh compulsion methods are sometimes used
by herding trainers to make the dog obey a command even
before the dog fully understands the task, training
can, and usually does, effectively shut down any flashes
or independent work a dog might show right from the
beginning especially in a dog with strong “genetic
obedience”.
At the moment I am receiving my herding education
from Nicky. Several years ago I tool Nicky to Germany
for six months and watched him learn to work proudly
and independently. Let me try to explain from my own
experiences at that time and since what I have learned
about working with the dog’s instincts.
I bred Nicky and so had the ability to familiarize
myself from the very beginning with each of the puppies
in his litter. By the time they were 8 weeks old I knew
the personalities and behavioral characteristics of
each one. I selected Nicky as the most promising pup
in the litter and luckily Nicky chose me. Choosing me
was my first sign that Nicky had inherited that strong,
“Willingness-to-please”, genetic drive.
This drive would develop into “genetic obedience”
as Nicky matured. For the first nine months to a year
all I did with Nicky was develop a trusting relationship
and let him learn what pleased and displeased me from
the tones of my voice. The only commands I taught him
during this time were “Come” and “Stay”.
That was all I did prior to introducing Nicky to sheep
in the field.
Nicky was 20 months old when I took him Germany to
start his basic herding education. I was able to stay
with him for only the first 3 or 4 weeks to get the
“feel” of starting a dog myself. The first
thing we did was to introduce Nicky to the boundary
after the sheep had already been brought to the graze.
Nicky was taught in no uncertain terms, preferably by
tone of voice but physically if necessary, that he is
not permitted to go over the boundary into the graze
for any reason. Nicky was taught this by being kept
on lead until he demonstrated consistently that he had
learned to respect the boundary and that if he did go
inside, as often happens stating a high drive dog, he
would respond immediately to a stern “Pfui!”
from the shepherd by getting right back out again. Once
Nicky had demonstrated all of these things on lead,
he was taken off lead on the boundary and allowed to
work free. Rule #1: the dog must earn each increase
in freedom and responsibility given to it.
Graze for any reason. Nicky was taught this by being
kept on lead until he demonstrated consistently that
he had learned to respect the boundary and that if he
did go inside, as often happens starting a high drive
dog, he would respond immediately to a stern “Pfui!”
from the shepherd by getting right back out again. Once
Nicky had demonstrated all of these things on lead,
he was taken off lead on the boundary and allowed to
work free. Rule #1: the dog must earn each increase
in freedom and responsibility given to it.
The boundary is where Nicky would learn to use his
instincts, control his drive, develop his confidence,
work independently and hone his herding skills all by
himself with nothing more that occasional “direction”(tone
of voice and crook signals) from the shepherd. There
would be no shouting of commands to make him do anything.
If Nicky wanted to sit on the boundary and do nothing
all day, that was OK. In fact that was exactly what
Nicky did for the first 2 ½ days after being
set free on the boundary.
As soon as Nicky had been set free on the boundary,
he had to be corrected one time only in no uncertain
terms for using that freedom to run in, grip a sheep,
refuse to let go and refuse to come out when called.
That correction was Nicky’s wake-up call that
there were definite rules to this game and that he had
better learn them or he would lose his freedom to work.
The decision was Nicky’s. Did Nicky want to work
enough to learn?
The strict orders given to me after correcting Nicky
and placing him back on the boundary were to: stand
on the boundary; watch the sheep; and, totally ignore
the dog. This was a real hands-on lesson in patience
for me. For 2½ days neither Nicky nor I moved
on that boundary. Looking back on it now it was comical,
but then it was excruciating. Only Nikko, Nicky’s
father, worked by himself while I played statue on the
boundary.
The first day Nicky sat on the boundary with his back
to the sheep, ignoring me, just literally starting up
into space. The morning of the second day, Nicky still
sat on the boundary but now he had turned slightly so
that he could watch Nikko work out of the corner of
his eye. The afternoon of the second day, Nicky sat
on the boundary facing in and watched everything. The
morning of the third day, Nicky stood on the boundary
watching Nikko. The afternoon of the third day after
about ½ hour of watching, Nicky just started
working – moving back and forth along the boundary
with total focus on the sheep. During the whole 2½
days, not a word was spoken – Nicky had learned
whatever he learned all by himself.
From the moment Nicky had earned his freedom on the
boundary, figured out the rules and decided to work,
his drive and confidence increased steadily. Although
at first he was only allowed to work one side of the
graze, the same boundary that the shepherd was on, Nicky’s
drive and power increased along with his intensity and
focus on the sheep. As his drive and focus increased,
so did my anxiety level. After all, there I was, standing
on the boundary watching my dog’s prey instincts
come alive with increasingly higher drive and all I
had to control him with were the words “Come”,
“Stay”, “Pfui” and “Brav”.
I clearly remember muttering to myself “Please,
God, let there really be such a thing as “genetic
obedience” and PLEASE, God, let Nicky have it!”
I was becoming increasingly anxious about the possibility
of losing control of the dog. So, I learned Rule #2:
stand on the border facing the sheep with your back
to the dog, keep still, keep quiet, and, above all,
do not say anything to correct the dog until you see
exactly what the dog’s intentions are. Something
like an occasional pounce into and back out of the graze
to startle the sheep is acceptable – it is fun
for the dog and allows him to get a feel for his power.
Beginning education must not become Marine Corp boot
camp – it should be fun, and, the dog must be
allowed to test his power and influence on the sheep
as long as he does not run into the graze to chase and
grip.
Once the dog has shown that it wants to work, the
boundaries of the graze become the classroom for the
whole first year of education. The dog is allowed to
do anything it wants to as long as it does not run into
the graze to chase and grip sheep – inside the
graze the dog knows that the shepherd will enforce the
rule on the dog. The dog, now, must learn for itself
that outside the graze its job is to set clear boundaries
for the sheep and that it must enforce those boundaries.
The sheep are allowed to do anything that they want
to inside the boundaries – outside the graze the
dog must learn that it is its job to enforce the boundary
rule on the sheep.
The pack order has been set – (1) shepherd,
(2) dog, (3) sheep, and, the physical order has been
set – (1) sheep inside the boundaries, (2) dog
outside the boundaries. The shepherd’s task should
only have to be: (1) to make sure that the order is
maintained;(2) to watch the dog learn herding skills
for itself by testing the effect its behaviors on the
boundaries have on the sheep in the graze; and, (3)
to support the dog when necessary if the sheep challenge
it before it is experienced enough to deal with the
challenge. No commands. No noise. No training. No confusion.
The dog must respect the shepherd. The sheep must respect
the dog and trust the shepherd.
Every behavior, instinct and skill necessary for herding
is in the selectively bred dog from birth. During the
first year, all education is done with two commands
on the boundaries. That is all that is needed to “direct”
the dog’s drive and instinctual behavior. No commands
are used to make the dog perform any task. The dog must
WANT to perform. If he does not want to work, his education
is finished and he is retired. All the shepherd has
to do is let the dog develop this behavior on his own
on the boundary with as little interference as possible.
The dog is left alone on the boundary with the shepherd
there only to make sure it does not get into trouble.
In this way, instead of being nagged to death by training
commands, the dog learns for itself through trial and
error how its behavior influences the sheep. Then, after
a year of building confidence and honing newly discovered
herding skills on its own on the boundary, the dog does
not need to be told, for example, what to do to move
the sheep, the shepherd only needs to show the dog where
to move them, and, the dog does not need to be told
how to stop the forward movement of the flock, the shepherd
only needs to tell the dog when and where.
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