Basic Training Information
for
English
Shepherds
For generations the English Shepherd has been bred to be a general
all-purpose farm dog. They are eager to please but are usually bored by
repetition, resistent to dominant forms of training, and often quite
stubborn.
So here are a collection of training tips gathered from various sources
that seem to work well with most English Shepherds. This is only a small
overview and should not take the place of an obedience class, but it might
help English Shepherd owners pick an obedience instructor with the right
approach for this breed.
But first, a few words from the web master...
My dogs are not well trained. They are well socialized and well loved
and they get along with most people and dogs they meet but they are not
well trained. They don't jump on people, or beg for food, or run off - but
they are not well trained. Compared to many dogs I meet they give the
appearance of being obedience champions but believe me, they are not well
trained. I am just lucky.
But after years of living with intelligent, long haired dogs I have a
a couple of really firm beliefs about training and dog stuff in general.
- First, don't buy anything at all, not even a single dog biscuit, from
any store that sells puppies. I don't care if they are giving stuff away,
don't give them your business, don't even lend them your warm body to give
the appearance of support. I'm not going to go ranting on about pet stores
but if you have questions you can
email me and I won't lecture but I will try to explain my reasons.
- Support local businesses who seem to really care about animals. If
you can't find a good one locally, I wholeheartedly recommend
Doggone Good! . Quality products
at reasonable prices presented on a well designed web page. The
SitStay GoOut
Store is another good
place to buy. A percentage of your purchase price is donated to NESR when
you shop via this link.
- This is a "martingale" collar. It is also called a "Champagne" (by Premiere)
or a "Combo" (by Lupine
). Properly adjusted it fits loosely around your dog's neck without without
interfering with its beautiful ruff. But when pulled tight it becomes unslippable
without fully choking your dog.
Martingales can be a challenge to find but this English Shepherd owner and
web master strongly recommends them. Lupine
"Combo" collar is beautifully made and comes in many nice patterns so
if your local pet supply store carries Lupine products they can get you a
martingale. You can also purchase Premiere brand martingales at the
SitStay GoOut Store
Finding a Martingale is worth the effort.
- And give Clicker Training a chance, it's an
amzing training technique!
.... and now back to the training tips...
