This course will help you build a solid relationship with your young dog, it will solidify your relationship with an older dog and create focus on the handler when exciting things are happening around you.
Lifetime access to this course - use it with each new dog
Post videos for feedback and ask questions on the lessons as you work through the course
No pre-requisites for this course - you can do it with any dog
Access to our private community - just for students
A solid foundation is critical to good teamwork with your dog. This course is an introduction to the foundation you will need to work your dog on stock. All of these exercises are done without stock - we believe that it's important to teach commands away from stock to the extent possible. This keeps your dog's arousal level lower so they can focus and learn.
Work through all of your basic commands with increasing distraction
Begin teaching your directional commands and releasing pressure
Start teaching the walk up
“I was having a really hard time with herding until I met Dawna and Megan. The ICE method soon had my out-of-control dogs working calmly and instinctually. Dallas and Ty both became a joy to work. During my long illness, Dawna took one of my dogs, trained him, and took him to Border Collie Nationals. He won a high in trial and a reserved high in trial. Their camps are something I look forward to every year. People find it hard to believe when I tell them some of the things that our dogs accomplished at these camps.. when Dawna and Megan say we’re going to learn to trust our dogs, they mean what they say. They will teach you to value and appreciate your dog. You will learn the meaning of their favorite saying. “You don’t always get the dog you want, sometimes you get the dog you need”. Many thanks to Dawna and Megan, they taught me how to be a real handler.”
Kim W.
“I have been trying to be successful in herding for many years. The challenge was working a different breed - Swedish Vallhunds - and being a green handler. Things came together when I was able to start to work with Dawna and Megan. My dogs have achieved so much more than I ever thought possible with their training. Two of my dogs have achieved multiple herding championships and are the first two dual champions in the breed. We continue to improve and I look forward to every lesson, camp or clinic. There is always an aha moment and to watch the confidence and skill build in my dogs is truly a joy.”
Michelle F
“Dawna & Megan have the unique ability to train the human as well as the dog. On a deeper level, they honor your dog’s instincts as well as acknowledge your relationship with your dog. They never give up and they devise some pretty inventive ways to achieve training objectives! Seeing the joy in a dog working stock is priceless; I’m truly grateful to Dawna & Megan for giving that blessing to our dogs.”
Brenda H.
