Training

Obedience

When training a Border Collie, keep the command specific and simple using one clear word that is not easy to confuse with another word.
This should really apply to training any animals - or even a child but is important for training intelligent dogs to stop things going wrong.

For example if you teach your Border Collie to 'Go Back' it may be misinterpreted by the dog when you are talking in the street to a friend about growing your Geraniums in a 'Grow Bag'. Your dog backs off the pavement and into the road - potential for disaster.

We use short words like Back or Sit or Off or Down and very few paired words other than Get It and Go Free and Watch Me. Each command is accompanied by a specific hand signal.
The link at the bottom of this section will take you to a page showing them all.

Consistency is important to get the message across.  Think about the tone you would use to re-enforce the urgency of particular commands and stick to that tone when using them.
Down and Stay and Sit and Here may be commands you would expect an instant response to because they would sometimes be applied in situations of urgency so make them sharp and firm.
Bed, Eat and similar instructions associated with a pleasant experience could be given in a softer tone, but still firmly.

It is always best to train your dog yourself but sometimes you need a bit of training yourself before you can train your dog! Leadership is a key in this. You must lead and the dog must follow.
Do not allow the dog to lead you or it begins to think it's in charge.
If you are a good strong leader your dog will respect you, feel secure when you are in charge and consent to you being the boss. Consent is important - if you do not get the dog to willingly consent to instruction you become a bully not a leader. You have to learn how to train a dog and the first thing you need to learn is - how to lead.

You may want to take your dog to training classes so you get some support and assistance along with some socialisation but some Border Collies can be rather disruptive at classes unless they have been well socialised and some ground work put in on the training before attending.
We hear from quite a few people who's Border Collie has been banned from puppy classes or dog training classes.

Some dog trainers will tell you that they use the same approach for any breed of dog and some behaviourists will tell you the same. Wow. They must be miracle workers.
Our advice in these circumstances would be to look elsewhere. Different breeds need different approaches to get the best results. Individual dogs need their individuality taken into consideration.

Because the Border Collie has a far more ingrained instinctive background than most other breeds that have been domesticated for much longer they really do need a trainer or behaviourists that understands and takes into consideration these differences.
One that understands herding would be even better and best would be one that understands herding and sheep - a rare beast indeed!

You may have come across the term 'positive re-enforcement' when applied to training. All it really means is associating training with a pleasant experience, rewarding good behaviour and responses and ignoring misbehavior or simply showing displeasure with tone and body language.
The usual reward given is a small treat - a piece of cheese or liver or some strong flavoured tidbit -  training by bribery.

Border Collies are not easily bribed. They normally have more important things on their mind that snacks.
If you have shown the dog you are a leader and it respects you it will only want to please you.
This is a strong quality in a Border Collie - the need to please its handler.
Use it.

Praise your dog and make sure you show it when you are pleased.
Exaggerated facial expressions help. Physical contact helps. The right words help.
Use them all consistently and your dog will not need any bribery, it will obey voluntarily and enjoy doing it.
If the dog gets it wrong or gets distracted - ignoring it and not praising it will probably be enough to show it you are unhappy. Border Collies like their handlers to be happy so they'll try harder next time.

A mention of Sheepdogs

One of the tricks used to train a sheepdog is to let it run with an experienced dog and pick up commands, moves and behaviours from the association. It only works if you have a well trained dog for the new dog to run with.
Otherwise its a chancy method indeed.

Shepherds tend to train their own dogs but some farmers send dogs off to be trained professionally.
The drawback to this is that unless the farmer is sufficiently good at training himself he cannot continue to keep the dog in shape when it comes back with all its sides and commands in place.
The dog gradually loses its professional edge and slips into whatever haphazard method the farmer uses to instruct it.

Most sheepdog trainers will use a form of positive re-enforcement to train their dogs.
Plenty of praise when the dog gets it right and none at all when the dog gets it wrong. Sessions around sheep are kept short so the dog does not get outfaced or habitual in it's movements. Leave the dog wanting more - it works.
Any major transgression are dealt with by ending the session. There is no greater punishment for a sheepdog than to be taken away from the sheep by a handler who is not pleased with what it has done.

Training sessions of any sort are best kept short so the dog remains interested and stimulated for the whole session.

To conclude

One of the worst things any trainer can do is to use physical violence or punitive equipment on dogs they are trying to train. Even losing their temper and frightening a dog is only going to have a negative affect on its behaviour.
Farmers who shout at their dogs sheepdogs will end up with a confused, frightened dog that is too afraid to concentrate on the job in hand.
Owners  who shout at their dogs will end up with dogs that do not respect them and will not obey them for the same reasons.

This is not to say the dogs will not love them.
An abused Border Collie will still love its handler and seek reassurance from them but it may also snap out and bite them or even attack them with intent when they are frightened enough and cornered.

A bit of love goes a long way.