my year old australian shepherd female

Question
she does quite well herding and minds very well goes after cow occasionally the only thing is at times when I ask her to heel she will just stand there looking around with no interest whatsoever what do I do about that ? I reward her each time she does well, and never punish her for doing  wrong thanx Tom

Answer
Hi Tom,
I'm not an expert in herding, as my dogs are used for therapy dog work and tracking, but as a trainer, when my dogs ignore a cue, the first thing I ask myself is "Did the dog hear me?".  Next, I ask myself, "Did he understand the cue?" (This is usually where most folks get in trouble - they think the dog knows what was asked, but maybe he really isn't fluent in the behavior.)  I'm glad you are interested in positive training and use of minimal correction.  If you are trying to get her to come back to heel during herding work, my advice would be to speak to a good herding trainer about how to accomplish that behavior within that framework so that you don't dampen her desire to work.  But, if you are referring to simply getting the dog to heel or at least walk along with you at your side, then you can try the free lesson on loose leash walking or heeling at www.clickerlessons.com, or even buy one of Shirley Chong's tapes on competition heeling using clicker training (Tawzer Dog Videos).  If you don't know a stockdog trainer in your area, check the ASCA page and contact a local stockdog breeder - they usually know the judges and trainers in their areas.