RENO, Nev. – Some people have horse sense, but Elvin Kopp has dog sense.
The rancher from Westerose, Alta., has been working with herd dogs for 25 years, winning championships and teaching others what he has learned about handling livestock.
Kopp said he has worked with about 4,500 dogs, some of which were his own and others through clinics he has offered since 1985.
Most recently, he demonstrated low stress cattle and dog handling techniques at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association convention in Reno, where his three-year-old Border Collie, Cody, wowed the crowds.
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Kopp said it all comes down to people appreciating these dogs, with their strong genetic instinct and desire to gather livestock.
“It is really understanding what makes the dogs do the things they do and making it easy for them to work within that instinct,” he said in an interview between demonstrations.
He also emphasized that while the dog has to learn the person is boss, those learning to work with dogs must also be willing to make personal changes in their attitude.
Kopp attended his first working dog seminar in 1982. He was so enthralled with the experience that it became part of his life’s work.
When he is not teaching others, he is breeding and training dogs on his purebred Red Angus ranch, where he also runs an intensive summer grazing program. Working cattle on horseback with the dogs is part of a normal day’s work.
Before he became educated in dog handling, he could shout three commands: “Sic ’em. Lie down. Come.” That didn’t work well.
Today, he uses six commands in a quiet tone and sometimes a whistle. He prefers using several word commands and reinforcing positive behaviour. He sticks with the traditional herder’s commands of “that’ll do” so the dog comes to him, “lie down,” “come by” to turn the herd clockwise, “away to me” to turn them counter clockwise and “look back” to go find more.
A dog listens to the tone of voice. Some commands sound harsh so Kopp prefers phrases that are softer, more positive and more likely to increase the dog’s willingness to listen.
The dog’s success is partly instinct and partly training.
“Even within the breed there are dogs that don’t have the instinct,” he said.
Kopp advises producers who are looking for a dog to check out its parents because the working instinct is heritable.
His training methods start with slow-paced, short exercises when a dog is about a year old.
“Mental fatigue is always harder on them than physical fatigue,” he said.
While some handlers do not allow their working dogs around the family, Kopp believes that is establishing dominance that does not work.
On his ranch there is time for play and affection around the family, but then there is time for work, which must be the dog’s focus.
Another common mistake is using correction commands that sound negative. If a handler is annoyed, it can put pressure on the dog. The dog submits and is afraid to make the next move. Commands need to be positive so the dog does not lose its desire to work.
At the same time the dog needs to understand who is boss, so Kopp makes his dogs dependent on him for food, affection and work.Â
He does not support picking the dog up and shaking it to establish dominance.
That will make a submissive dog more submissive and a dominant dog more aggressive. He wants to establish trust rather than have a dog resent correction.
Working with livestock means building trust and respect between man, the cattle and the dog.
“You can get a good experience and not-as-valuable experience. If you’ve got bad cattle, who made them bad?”
When dogs approach cattle, they instinctively lower their heads. Respect has to develop between them, and the dog has to have confidence.
Among the first lessons is getting the dogs to learn how to turn a cow’s head rather than grabbing at a heel and risking injury. If a dog gets kicked its first time out it may not want to go back.
Kopp wants his dogs to have a good, safe working life without broken legs or concussions from being kicked.
“I have never had a dog end his working life because of injury,” he said.
