Our Method
The foundation of this knowledge is understanding and utilising the social order and langauge of the dog as a pack animal, incorporating pressure and release, thus enabling us to communicate through body language.
Understanding the langauge of the dog will only be attained by studying natural behaviour. Sarah and Julie have studied dogs for years and want to pass on their knowledge to help others.
First you learn to see it then you learn to feel it!
We have worked with our dogs, taken them to the highest level of training in their work with sheep. This knowledge has given us a new perspective in the training of the pet dog due to the relationship that has to be obtained in herding sheep. When the dog is worked half a mile away from its handler a mutual respect, has to be established early on in training to ensure your dog wants to listen to your wishes, otherwise working with good control, at such a great distance would be impossible. The aim of training is to cause the dog to want to work with you.
The respect and bond that is needed between both dog and handler to perform such tasks only comes from establishing the correct balance in the relationship, so that you can encourage what you want and discourage what you don't want using pressure release techniques. This will only suceed if you understand the language and can feel when to assert pressure and when to release.
The domestic dog remains an instinctive pack animal. Domestic companion dogs relate very favourably to this technique.