when to start training border collie puppy

Question
Hello- we have a nine week old border collie pup and a 8 year old working border collie. We trained our first border collie and he is a great dog, but we do not even remember when we started. We use him on the farm with the sheep and cows and thats what our new puppy will also do. when is to soon to start working with her? We do not want to get her out with the cow to early and get her scared of the animals or hurt.

Answer
Hello Kristin,

I would definately wait till your pup is 8 months or more before training on cows.  If you'd like to start training earlier (usually about 6 to 8 months), you can purchase a couple of ducks or some small sheep.  Just make sure you protect your pup whenever you're working in tight spaces.  Working your older dog with your younger one will most certainly help her to gain confidence in what she does.

Thank you for your question.

Ann Jordan
Border Collie Coach