“The dogs will learn from their mistakes,” says Wyoming sheep rancher Laura (Taliaferro) Pearson, “just like anyone does.” Crediting the dog training skills that she’s picked up to stock dog clinics put on by specialists such as Jack Knox, Pearson now uses her dogs to help herd sheep on her ranch near Kemmerer, WY.
In a recent interview with Haylie Shipp, Pearson said that her family has always had Border Collies. With the skills she’s now putting to use, she’s able to use them to more of their ability.
So how do you train a good dog? She had these tips:
1. Correct their wrongs.
Timing is crucial when it comes to training a dog. If they’ve done something incorrectly, they need to be made aware immediately. Postponed corrections are only met with confusion.
2. Allow mistakes to be made more than once.
It may take a dog repeating the same mistake for them to realize that they are acting incorrectly. Allow them to make a mistake more than once and, each time the breach is made, correct it.
3. Praise?
Pearson says that she doesn’t use treats or vocal praise when a dog does well. The dogs reward is that it gets to stay working with its stock. It is bred to work and being allowed to fulfill that mission is the reward they get.
Very modest in her own abilities, Pearson encouraged anyone interested in stock dog training to attend clinics. She goes to at least three per year. “I learn something new every time,” said Pearson.
© Haylie Shipp 2015
