Three weeks ago, I began working with a young dog who wanted to chase sheep.
A quieter approach
Instead of commands, corrections, or shock collars, I used something much quieter:
A flock of 70 sheep in a pen, safe and settled.
A long line on the dog, so no one was at risk.
My arms moving in a calm pendulum rhythm, tempo softened so as not to disturb sheep.
Food pieces placed (gently thrown) along the fence line — not as a bribe, but as markers of where the dog could move.
The dog began to follow the pendulum line of my arm and the food, learning to slip calmly between fence and flock without upsetting the sheep. The sheep themselves became the barometer: if they stayed settled, we were on the right track.
No force or luring
This wasn’t about forcing or luring. It was about creating a rhythm where dog and sheep could both feel safe. The dog started to build her own library of experiences with sheep — all the little movements, all the quiet lessons — until self-control became natural.
Today, the same dog is confidently working a flock that includes lambs. No shocks, no coercion, no fear. Just calm structure, repetition, and the dog’s own discoveries.
This is what I mean when I talk about working with a dog. You probably don’t need a dog that can confidently pass through a 12 inch gap between sheep and fence line.
However, you might like to borrow some of my work skills to use with your own dog in your own space.
Here’s how …
Shepherd School
Shepherd School is a course in which handlers (the shepherds) learn how to communicate with their dogs recognising olfactory cues and utilising gestural cues.
We don’t need sheep to do this and no sheep are involved. Dogs already have the skills required, they need to learn very little to be able to recognise key environmental features and how to act upon them. This is very useful and means that everything learned in Shepherd School is transferable to everyday life. One of our ‘shepherds’ describes it as “life skills with bells on”.
And it’s not confined to German Shepherds. We have 10 different breed types in Shepherd School and an age range 6 months to 12 years, all breed types and ages welcome.
Find out more about what we have available here and email hello@dogtaggs.co.uk if you have any questions.