Teach Your Herding Breed to Be a Great Companion Dog: From Obsessive to Outstanding

First, as background: I’m experienced with dogs of various breeds, and have trained labs, terriers, and companion breeds. I have significant experience around herding breeds, but only with a recent new addition to the family have I begun to accumulate experience training one. It’s a different ballgame. I new it going in, and adjusted accordingly. But I learned relatively quickly that my adjustments were not enough. I added a couple new books to my dog-centered collection, but continued to search for more—and especially better—advice/knowledge about training a herding dog in a non-farm environment. What I was searching for I found in this book. <Teach Your Herding Breed to Be a Great Companion Dog> is one of the top two or three dog training books I’ve ever encountered. Indeed, it is so good that I may find myself recommending it to owners of non-herding-breed dogs, simply because the larger lessons learned help an attentive reader to see beyond the training of a herding dog on to other breeds, other animals, and, at least equally importantly, into the mental habits of humans. The author has brought intellect, passion, compassion, and experience all to bear on the topic, and delivers knowledge and instruction clearly, succinctly, and thoroughly. She addresses very well the importance and means of puppy socialization, and how to deal with a dog that was not properly socialized as a pup. She briefly but completely covers the necessary knowledge about learning theory and its application. She guides the reader to practical perspectives and dispenses useful, well-grounded information and principles. I’m a tough grader—I quibble with Shakespeare, Steinbeck, and Hemingway, so sure, there are bits here and there I’d change, but that’s only reflective of the very nature of things. The book, like the training of a dog, is a human effort, and human efforts are seldom any more perfect than a dog’s, properly considered. This book gets an enthusiastic A+. I’m very pleased to have found it. The fact that less than 24 hours after it’s arrival I’d finished reading it—and then started again, with pen and paper in hand—also says something strongly positive about it. I very strongly recommend it to anyone adopting a herding dog and wanting it well socialized, trained, and happy.

Very helpful, I found out why some of the training styles did not work as well for my dog, Mini Aussie! Now I've learned how to teach him to learn self control! Will take time but we are already seeing some positive changes when he is around my toddler! Thank you!

This book brought insight into the type of dogs I have- they are different than any dog I've ever had. It offered great tips and tricks. I got a little bored and it is taking forever to finish as some of the stuff is just too much ..but it's easy to skip over what you don't need. Overall it's pretty good

After 30+ years of Labradors, this time we went with a Cardigan Corgi, mainly because we are now older and he is smaller but still has that "big dog" look. I never even considered that a herding dog would be so different from a retriever. A dog is a dog, right? Well, no. In addition to the expected challenges of a puppy (our corgi is five months old now) after being used to elderly labs, we now have a dog that wants to chase bikes, cars, and the vacuum cleaner. I never connected that to his being a herding dog until reading this book. Now I realize I have a bigger challenge ahead than I anticipated, but also a great opportunity to develop this little guy, who is clearly intelligent, eager to learn, and full of energy. This book provides a lot of practical commands to teach as well as explaining how herding dogs think and why they are the way they are. I would definitely recommend it, particularly if you are new to herders.

This is book is more than just outstanding...way more. It should be required reading for anyone with a herding breed. I only wish I had read this before our Border Collie came to us and especially when he was a pup. I can see how so many of the mistakes I have made could have been avoided. I have ten books on dog training and four of them are border collie specific. This one is by far the best! Dawn's writing is style is terrific. She doesn't waste your time, no, there is so much she has put into this that I must really read slow and take it all in. How she is able to fit so much into a paragraph where others would take pages lets you know that she not only knows what she is talking about, she has a rare gift as a writer that few really are blessed with. This book is truly that, a blessing to anyone seeking to know more about herding dogs, especially one like my border collie, Tux. Beyond Dawn writing this outstanding book, she is way more than an author. I reached in near desperation about a question about Tux's physical- mental state and how it is effecting his behavior and our lives. To my surprise, she responded! Unbelievable, generous & just outstanding she is! I have raved to others about this book & now after that, I may have to buy and hand these out to repay Dawn for her time and let her words benefit other as much as me. Anyone looking to benefit themselves or their dog and all that it surrounds , please do your dog & self a the delight an service of buying and reading this book. It really is the best out there.

I got a border collie and she was not interested in being potty trained. As much chicken and hot dogs I treated to her when going potty outside, for 6 months, she kept going inside. Also got very aggressive toward strangers at about 5 months. Book did not address either issue. I’m 53 and have raised 7 perfect dogs that were great with new people and potty trained within weeks.

This book was a quick read and hit on some great points for herding dogs. Easy to understand.

It is a good read. Herding dogs are definitely not for everyone. While the book can prepare a person for some things, others just have to be experienced with these dogs. We have had herding breeds all our lives, great dogs, definitely a lot of work.

Excellent in sense of promise, I’ve gotten this out of the garage and saved it, on my bedside to read. In the future I will be re ready to train herders. (I’ve had Collies, but this may yet still have a nugget of knowledge that eluded me..)

I wish I’d had this book a few years ago! I rescued a herding breed dog and struggled to understand him. Now that I am getting a border collie puppy, this book has explained so much! Looking forward to practicing the training tips that are so clearly explained. I have already recommended this book to other people. I love it!

It is well-known that Corgis work by nipping heels (her Majesty's footmen can confirm this!) but this is the first book I have seen that mentions the fact that German Shepherds work by patrolling the flock and do not round it up. So full marks for that!. As a lifelong GSD owner I had high hopes for the rest of the book, but after the introductory chapter the drovers, heelers and patrollers seemed to be neglected and the suggestions and exercises were geared towards the requirements of the herders that work by rounding-up - in particular as the Border Collie (which was featured in almost all of the photos). So although all the content was sensible and well-presented, that was disappointing. A German Shepherd is very different to a Border Collie is very different to a Sheltie is very different to a Corgi..... For example, when learning something new, a typical GSD will stop and think to work something out, while a BC will usually keep moving and offering variations to try to get it right. I see there are other books in this series. I wonder if the Sporting Dogs book similarly ignores the special requirements of the pointers, flushers and trackers to concentrate on the retrievers - as it appears that Golden Retrievers are the breed of choice for Obedience in the USA. So to sum up: an excellent book if you have a breed that rounds up such as a BC or Working Sheepdog. Less use for other types of herding breeds.

It is so informative, even if you feel like you've ready everything about puppies. It has also helped me identify and work with border collie behaviours in my BC-ACD mix, and has been very validating / normalizing of certain challenges that come with our dear BC! Definitely recommend this book.

Good specific suggestion for the herding group breeds. Thank you for providing it.