07/02/2025
A Good Stop
A stop is an important tool to training a working border collie. In fact, it became a very important focus on the few dogs I trained after my first dog. My first dog had a decent stop, but he’d occasionally blow one off that would cause a good run to fall apart. So, when I started my next few dogs, I swore they would have a perfect stop.
Now I’m not so sure. I realized as I trained and handled more dogs that focusing so much on a good stop can hinder a dog’s ability to feel and control their sheep. I was using a lie down as a crutch instead of teaching clean flanks and pace. Who cared if my dog bumped the sheep on that flank, I could stop them anyways and probably still make the gate.
Now I have goals to handle a dog that is constant contact with their sheep. Smooth and quiet but also quick and responsive. It’s a moving target and not always achievable in every run but I find as I train more dogs the less and less use I have for a stop. I can always get it when I need it but now it’s rarely needed.
It’s funny how things change over time. I think it’s what I find so addictive about training working border collies. The perfect picture is always evolving. The more you learn the less you know.
This is not a campaign to get people to stop lying their dogs down, quite the opposite. I think a good stop is extremely important, all my dogs have one but as their training progresses it becomes less important. Next time you’re handling your dog, and you lie the dog down, ask yourself why you did it?
