Are you training, or working? Working and training are very different. Working is a casual session with a young dog that keeps things fun, but also while being responsible for the sheep.
Training is well training. Training is giving information to your canine partner to help them understand what is expected of them in the handling of the sheep.
Working young dogs vs training can be quite counter productive. If you are training outruns during a training session things need to be taught, but if you go the next day and send the dog and accept mediocrity then that’s the bar you set.
Communication has to be clear. Things need to be taught, enthusiasm needs to remain, however… if you are in the middle of a project, such as training an outrun, mediocre work can’t be accepted.
If you want to work vs train (time constraints, etc) you need to just cruise.. don’t send on things that are a work in progress if you aren’t willing to follow thru that day. Go on a walk about, fetch figure 8’s drive a circle, but don’t inhibit progress of the things you are “training on”.
It’s a disservice to the both of you when you muddy the waters. Each session should have a goal in mind.
When I’m training dogs I rarely just work unless one isn’t keen, then it’s just building drive. When you commit to training you need to stay with it. I’m talking about yearling dogs, not broke dogs (disclaimer)
If you and your partner haven’t committed then you can free for all, but business is business and should be kept to such. If a training commitment has been made.. no I don’t go drill dogs daily, but I do pick up where we left off the day before and have a very regimented agenda in my program.
Working is nothing more than playing.. training is training.. 2 completely different things that need to be graduated to as the dog becomes responsible in working the sheep. Keep in mind we train dogs to work sheep responsibly. Sheep should always be the main concern and how the dog is treating them. Dogs here get to “work” when they’ve shown responsibility toward their stock, otherwise, welcome to training day.
Don’t muddy the waters, if you don’t feel like training, then don’t do things your training on, do stuff they already know and what they are good at. Working pups that just start as sheepdogs in training, need not be mixed with “working”. Train your dogs, work your dogs, but Focus gives focus, don’t make things blurry. Be straight forward in the task at hand.