How to Train My Blue Heeler to Work Cows

Australian cattle dogs, commonly referred to as blue heelers, are one of the most versatile breeds in the dog world. Blue heelers are highly intelligent, agile dogs that love to work and have enough stamina to work for hours on end. A well trained blue heeler can move an entire herd of cattle without much guidance, although training an independent herding dog does take consistency and dedication.

Instructions

Teach your blue heeler basic obedience commands starting at 8 weeks of age. Train the puppy simple commands including "come," "heel," "sit," "lay down" and "stay" to give you an increased measure of control when starting on actual cattle. Heelers are extremely intelligent dogs, but they are also very focused and may ignore their handler if not well versed in obedience.

Slip a buckle collar over the dog's head and clip a leash to the D-ring on the collar before introducing the dog to animals. The blue heeler's strong herding instinct encourages it to indulge its prey drive and chase the animals without your consent.

Train your blue heeler to watch the heeling stick. The stick acts as a visual aid, with the handler pointing the stick in the direction the dog should move. Sit the dog by your side and press a soft dog treat to the end of the stick closest to the ground. Move the treat slowly to the right in front of the dog's face, telling the dog "away" until it smells the treat and follows the stick. Work the dog to the left as well, giving the command "come bye." Let the dog eat the treat as a reward, and repeat until the dog is routinely moving in the correct direction when it hears the "away" or "come bye" commands.

Turn a small flock of ducks loose in a small pen and walk your dog into the pen. Tell the dog to "walk on" or walk toward the ducks, and drop the leash to give the dog some working room. Let the dog walk the ducks forward, giving the "away" or "come bye" commands if the flock wanders right or left. Tell the heeler to lie down after the flock has been moved 20 or 30 feet, then call the dog back to you to finish the exercise. Heelers are hard workers and will move the flock continually if not called off. Work with the ducks in short 20-minute sessions each day until the dog is moving the flock correctly.

Transition the dog to cattle when it is confidently herding ducks. Turn one or two cattle loose in a large pen and walk the dog toward the cattle. Heelers are very vocal and bark when excited, so don't be surprised if your dog makes an excessive amount of noise while working cows. Command the dog to "walk on," moving within a few feet of the cattle. Move the dog left and right as necessary, pointing the heeling stick in the direction you want the dog to move. Once the dog is comfortable working small groups of cattle, turn the entire herd loose to watch your blue heeler's cattle herding skills shine.

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