Ask an Expert. Back Off!!

Back off!

Here is what we do:

If our pup doesn’t come to us, we go to them. If our dog won’t lie down, we go forward through the sheep and insist. If our dog is tight, we march toward them. Rarely does this get us the desired end result. We asked our expert, Norman Close, what we should do instead, here is his response:

What we should do:

Back up. When I help people with their young dogs, I spend a great amount of time dragging them by their shirt backwards. Lol. It’s one of the most common mistakes I see. We all want to go forward to help or fix a situation, when really we need to be moving backwards to take the pressure off of the dog. Yes, we must go forward at times to make a point, get into position, or give a correction, but the lesson is truly learned from the release of the pressure, not the pressure itself. This often happens when you are teaching a young dog to widen out. While they go around the sheep, you go with them, following the dog to the point that you are almost orbiting too. This results in the dog rushing to the other side to get back into balance with you, as you have now changed the balance point. Instead, if you moved into a position to help the dog, and instantly backed up when they gave to the pressure, the dog would not only realize that they were right to widen out, but would also have time to do so, easily getting to balance, and holding his side, confident that you also have yours.

If you are always walking forward or worse, through the sheep, to correct a dog that won’t stop, you are making it actually harder for the dog to stop. From the dog’s perspective, you are saying stop, while begging his instinct to do what comes natural, go to balance! If instead, you continue to move backward, holding your side and using your voice instead of your body (given he knows the command), your dog will be in a position to actually want to stop.

Lastly, when a dog won’t come to you, yes, you need to get their attention, but then immediately move backwards to release the pressure. Taking off the pressure lets the dog know what was wrong, and more importantly, what was right.

Often times it is the helpful, kind hearted people, that will unknowingly lean on their dogs with forward body language, resulting in constant pressure. Similarly, a horse that has been ridden in the same manner can become tough mouthed and sour from the constant pressure, even if the pressure is from a mere child. Likewise, putting a constant amount of pressure, with no release, can make a dog confused, steal their joy, and make them harder to handle than they naturally would be. So don’t forget, in order to go forward, it is imperative that you back up !

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