Care of your Nerunder Kelpie

"Here"

2-4 months

As soon as you get your pup spend the first few months building up a relationship and setting the ground rules. It's only in the first four months that you can truly socialise a dog i.e. it learns to accept you as an equal (as another dog, if you like.) Also the first four months are the fastest learning period in a dog's life. So don't waste time! A good relationship is established very quickly if you are careful to adapt  the tone of your voice to suit the message (it's not what you say but how you say it). A grunt of displeasure is more easily understood than an hysterical "NO!" As well as "Sit", "Here" and "Heel" it's a good idea to teach the pup "That'll do" which means stop whatever you are doing and relax. This command is very useful as, later on, it teaches the dog that you, and not the dog, decides if and when it is work time.

ignition                                                                                   

       4-12 months

The dog must be kept in an secure area (e.g. dog pen) when you cannot keep an eye on it. Preferably somewhere with a view so the dog does not feel isolated. This maxim really applies to the whole of the dog's life but is especially important with the young dog. A working dog with too much freedom will always be harder to control and most likely develop bad (sometimes fatal) habits such as chasing cars (or any moving object actually.) During this period the young dog should be familiarised with its work environment with its freedom of movement dependant on the amount of control  you have over it. At some point (it may even be the first time!) during these familiarisation sessions ignition will occur (a sudden, quick movement of the animals is usually the cause) and the dog realises 'the meaning of life'. It is after this point that the fun stuff, work training starts.

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last update: 2010-08-19