In 2007 The Sheepdog Training Center was started.

Dogs are taken in between the ages of 10 months to 24 months. The basic training takes about 8 weeks. It is very important that the dogs are keen to work sheep; they must have been stimulated with sheep (read more in the articles section). Dogs must know their name and should not be scared of people.

All dogs must have had all their vaccinations and be dewormed by a vet.

Basic training consist of the following.

Gather of sheep: Dogs will be taught to gather small flocks of sheep over a distance of about 100 to 150m

Stop: A good stop command

Drive: Although this is very early in the dog's life it will be taught to drive sheep for short distances with the help of the handler

Basic flanks: Dogs will understand basic flank commands, but they will not be able to flank off balance

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Important points

Dogs are not fully trained; it takes up to two years to do that.

Both dog and handler need experience.

The handler will have to practise these tasks with small flocks of sheep until he and the dog understand each other.

Remember that training is a process that never stops.

You cannot expect the dog to work big flocks of sheep at this stage.

It is important to remember, every dog is an individual and their temperaments all differ.

It is up to the handler to make sure the dog stays on the right track. At sometime the dog will need corrections.

This will help

There are two things that can help you have a successfully trained dog

1. Good breeding. You can do everything in the world but if the breeding is not good, the end result will show it.

2. Raise your dog correctly. I cannot stress this point enough. In the Article section, you can find tips on the correct way to raise your dog. Remember the more effort you put in the more you will get out of your dog.