This pup is experiencing his first day with goats. The helper dog is off camera to the right, ready to intervene and control the livestock. It is important for the helper dog to keep the goats close by and fairly quiet. We don't want the pup to tire, learn to chase or get hurt. The body language of the goats mirror that of the pup. All are displaying some fight or flight signals stimulated by the newness of the situation.

She is three months old. Her tail hung low, strength in shoulers, dropped head and ease of stride hint of the presence of a working dog. This frame of mind will be encouraged, needless repetitions of circles discouraged. She is an appropriate distance from the goats, with an arc in her body and weight carried to the outside. As she enters their flight zone, positioning herself toward the front of their shoulders, the goats begin to turn. The trained helper dog is nearby.

We take to the woodlands when a young dog is capable of keeping a small herd together. The helper dog is always at hand, yet not always visable, allowing the trainee to do as much as possible on her own. Trees and terrain encourage the dog to widen out naturally. The goats are grazed on undergrowth while the trainee keeps them from straying too far. She will learn to use her presence, increasing pressure only when necessary, to move the goats to the next grazing area.

The wise goats gravitated to stonewalls where they attempted to evade the young dog. They created an opportunity for the handler to teach the dog to navigate obstacles. The dog was encouraged to read the goats, hold ground with her presence and use pressure only if necessary. She gained confidence in herself and in the handler.

Under command, this dog eagerly swam a straight line across the pond to stop and hold the goats. Previous training in the woods and fields, navigating obstacles and learning when to use presence or increased pressure, has given her confidence in herself as well as in her handler.

A solid working relationship based on mutual trust, earned through building block lessons, has readied this dog to flank, circle, stop, hold, push or drive the goats wherever necessary. She is now mentally and physically prepared to do the same with a large herd.

The same goats pose a challenge on the trial field. With confident presence and skills to read the savvy goats, the dog navigates them through the course. She has acquired courage to push the goats and accountability not to push more than necessary.