I have been reading three different sheepdog training books at the same time.

Sheepdogs Their Breeding, Maintenance and Training By R.B. Kelley (first published 1942)

Training The Working Kelpie by A.D. (Tony) Parsons (1990)

Positive Herding 101 by Barbara Buchmayer (2021)

The first two books are getting pretty old (particularly the first) but they both have great information in them both from a historical training perspective and as a contrast to positive training. Not coming from a ‘modern’ positive training behaviour background (because I am older) I have found the Buchmayer book really useful. I admit I struggled through the first half as it is fairly academic, expanding and explaining behaviour in an academic manner. It is very formal and reads like a teaching lesson plan. When did life become so acronym driven? RAMs? Rules and Mechanics. There are so many lists I became a bit overwhelmed. Once it gets onto actual training it was much easier to relate the theory to practice. I did enjoy the relief of the Tony Parsons book which is written more in the manner of a chat with a knowledgeable, larrikin  Australian bushman. I was interested to see that Tony has just released a new book which I will buy and review once I read it. I think it is more about the history of Kelpies with less content on training than his previous books.

Kelpie: The Definitive Guide to the Australian Working Dog Hardcover – 2 November 2021

I am interested in the psychology and wellbeing of my dogs though and continue to search out new information. Current practice has changed a lot (mostly for the better) and most of the punishment based training of years gone by would no longer be acceptable. https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/ is a great site and I recommend this article on positive punishment.

A definition of positive punishment given in the article is

‘Punishment means something that reduces the likelihood of a behaviour happening again i.e. the behaviour goes down in frequency. And positive means that something is added.

So positive punishment means adding something after the dog did a behaviour that makes the frequency of that behaviour go down’.

From the time you bring a pup home, it is usual to introduce it to a collar. From fashion accessory to essential training aid dogs all need a good quality collar. As a young stockman 50 years ago, I learnt to make leather working dog ‘drovers collars’, and I still use and make them today although most people probably now prefer synthetic collars.

It is important that your dog gets used to the feeling of wearing a comfortable collar. If you use a different training collar, make sure you replace it with your dogs regular collar after the training session is completed.

Standard Collar: A standard collar typically does up with a buckle or clip and is the best collar for regular every day use. They fit pups and dogs of all sizes and as long as they are properly adjusted they won’t choke. I am personally biased to leather but synthetic collars are cheap, and water proof. Standard collars do not offer much feedback when a dog is walking on a lead, so for very ‘enthusiastic dogs’ that pull badly an alternative training collar might be needed.

Choke or Check Collar: Choker collars often the training collar of choice in previous times, but they are out of fashion currently as they are considered too harsh by many people.  Usually made of chain, these collars are made tighten anytime your dog pulls on the lead, but releasing as soon as they stop pulling. When used appropriately they are very effective, but dogs may well revert to pulling when their regular collar is put back on, so instilling general obedience, with regular positive reinforcement should be encouraged.

Martingale Collar: A Martingale collar is a softer form of a choker collar, and so they are more widely used. These collars have a broader band like a regular collar, with a second loop on the collar that will tighten as a dog pulls. This loop allows the collar to tighten but  not as much as choke collar or slip lead. It should still be tight enough to get your dogs attention.

Prong collars and shock collars are also used by some professional trainers but, I don’t endorse them. Generally positive reinforcement training methods will give better longer lasting results.

Halti collars and dog harnesses are increasingly popular and we can discuss them in another post.

It is no secret that I have absolutely no affiliation with the sea (or the sand for that matter). My wife on the other hand, claims the ocean runs through her veins: a testament to growing up in bayside Melbourne and embracing the seaside. Consequently, our holiday destinations usually involve the sea.

Our dogs, like ourselves, experience the seaside holidays in different ways. The old Jack Russell, much like myself, totters along the sand and will only get his feet wet if it’s hot enough. Far better, to lie in the sun, enjoying the view from a grassy embankment, sand-free.
The KelpieX associates the joy of the ‘ball’ with the beach; chasing it into waves, along the sand, or across the sand dunes. He digs like a maniac in the sand and frolics along the shoreline with the passing parade of dogs. He watches intensely at the shoreline when my wife does her ‘iceberger’ dawn swim thing in the cold Victorian waters.

The Smithfield is slowing down with age but enjoys the evening strolls along the beach when surf fisherman are throwing their lines into the waves, and the setting sun streaks the clouds to the east. She knows the drill at our regular holiday spot: beach walks or strolls along the grassy tracks near the Great Ocean walk tracks, coffee in town, a rest on the verandah, where she mentors the other dogs on the rules of caravan parks.

Social media, for all its faults, shares the joy (and pitfalls) of travelling with dogs, including local dog sitters who mind your dogs while you travel to nearby National Parks. Travel Australia with Dogs is one of many current FB pages – over 120,000 followers.

Our Border Collie pup Louis (Louie) was a bit lame on and off. It was so subtle it was barely noticeable, but it was persistent so we got it X-rayed. Our fears were realised and Louie was diagnosed with Osteochondritis dissecans . Surgery was recommended and so that was the start of our journey. Specialist orthopedic surgeons visit our local vet but we couldn’t get in for several months and it was just too long to keep Louie restricted. He is still a pup and wants to play.  Our first lesson, was to check the cost of operations. We had been quoted $2,500 with our local vet. A spot was available in Geelong the following week so we booked it. We thought we better check the price and it was $4,500! Oops that was just too much. The next nearest spot was in Tullamarine about 2 hours from home so we booked that and were quoted $3,200 which we accepted as we wanted it done so Louie’s rehab could start. The vet clinic we used was excellent and provided thorough care. The discharge notes were comprehensive, but like human surgery, post op you feel like you are on your own.

Essentially exercise is to be restricted for at least 8 weeks. Try telling that to a young dog. Fortunately Louie was already pretty well crate trained and he has been amazingly well behaved.

The discharge notes warned that ‘If your pet is doing too much activity in the first several weeks following surgery she will likely develop a seroma (fluid swelling) at the level of the shoulder. The best way to avoid and treat this is to heavily
limit activity’. We were so careful, but Louie did develop a seroma, which resolved in about a week.

We have started Hydrotherapy with Louie, and so far it has been an amazing experience to have help from a rehabilitation specialist. I am sure it is good for the dog, and particularly good for moral and practical support for the owners! We were worried that Louie would stress out too much, but the professional and caring approach from our provider made his first visit a completely positive experience for Louie.