牧羊训练教程,写的不错

If you want to train a border collie to work sheep, you should understand that it's a long term project and put aside any desire for instant gratification and results. Having said that, you'll find there are times when the dog's progress can be meteoric. 
想训练边境牧羊犬放羊，首先应了解这是一项长期的工程，打消一切对速成的渴望。了解了这一点，你会发现有时候狗儿的进步还满快的。 
Maybe most important of all: 
A WORKING BORDER COLLIE CAN BE A TOUGH COOKIE - to train one, you sometimes have to be even tougher! 
也许最重要的是： 
一只有工作能力的边境牧羊犬可能是块难啃的骨头。想训练它，有时你得比他更“牛”才行！ 
Before you can properly train your first sheepdog, you should have some knowledge of the way their minds work and be prepared to take the blame for nearly everything that goes wrong because it will, in all probability, be your fault. It's quite rare for a dog to be deliberately disobedient - more usually, they simply don't understand what we want them to do, so their instinct takes over. 
在你能够正确地训练你的第一只牧羊犬之前，应该对他们的思维方式有一定的了解，还要准备好为几乎所有的意外事件负责，因为十有八九，错误是你犯的。狗很少故意不听话；更多的情况下，它们只是不了解我们的意图，而让它们的本能发挥了作用。 
There may be times when your dog ignores your commands and you would be justified in thinking he's just being disobedient - but the reason he's ignoring you is because he's not sufficiently bonded with you yet. He doesn't respect you sufficiently. Work on gaining his total respect before anything else. It's up to you to demonstrate that by doing as you say, the job will be more efficient and pleasurable for all concerned. This can take an awful lot of patience and understanding with some dogs - or be quite a quick process with others. 
有时候，狗会不听命令，而你理所当然地认为它仅仅是不听话而已。但是，他不理睬你的真正原因是它和你还不够默契，它对你没有足够的尊敬。赢得它全部的尊敬是第一步。你必须让它明白，如果照你说的做，工作对大家来说都会是一件高效而有趣的事情。有些狗需要主人花大量的耐心和理解才能明白；另一些则很快就能领悟。 
Not long ago, some neighbours stopped to watch a training session and asked me how I could get the dog to work so well and for so long without giving it some praise or reward. I know little of training other breeds but in the case of Border Collie Sheepdogs, the greatest rewards you can give are: 
不久以前，一些路过的邻居看到了我的一堂训练课。他们问我，为什么我既没有称赞狗儿，又没有奖励它们，却能让它们出色地工作那么长时间？对于训练其他犬种我知道的不多，但说到边境牧羊犬，你能给它们的最大奖励是： 
1) To allow the dog to work or continue working. 
2) Show the dog you're pleased with its work by the using the tone of your voice. 
1）让它们工作，或者继续工作。 
2）用语调表示你对它们的工作很满意。 
…… 
Dogs need to be corrected during their training but it's important to note that just as we humans hate being bellowed at all the time, so does a dog - and just as we're more likely to be cooperative if we're instructed in a civil tone, so's our canine friend. (I wish I could remember this more often, myself)! 
在训练过程中，狗难免会被纠正，但有一点是必须重视的：我们人类不喜欢整天被人吼，狗也不喜欢；在别人礼貌的指导下，我们更愿意合作，我们的狗朋友也一样（但愿我自己能把这句话记得更牢一些）！ 
To train a sheepdog from a puppy is a long process and will take you through various stages from euphoria to utter despair. Sometimes, you'll think your dog can read your mind and at others, you'll feel utterly humiliated and think the dog's forgotten everything you taught it. You must be prepared for this (just like us) and remember that the bad times will become fewer if you believe in your dog and yourself. When you hear someone say: "I had to get rid of Fido - just couldn't stop him (doing this, that or the other)". What really happened is that they couldn't work out the reason Fido was behaving the way he was. 
从幼崽开始训练牧羊犬是一个漫长的过程，你会经历从兴高采烈到彻底绝望的各种阶段。有时你可能觉得狗能读懂你的心思，而其它时候，你又会认为它把所学的一切都忘得精光，因此感到羞愤异常。对此你必须做好思想准备（就像我们一样）。记住，如果你对自己和狗有信心，不愉快的次数就会越来越少。某人说：“我不得不放弃Fido——怎么也没法阻止它（干这干那）”，真实的情况是，他们没法找出Fido行为背后的原因。 
The most important attribute a dog trainer can have is patience - the next is determination. 
对一位驯犬师来说，最重要的品质是耐心——其次是决心。 
…… 
When does a sheepdog become a sheepdog? 
牧羊犬何时才能成为真正的牧羊犬？ 
Imagine your sheep had escaped ("surely not," I hear you cry - "our sheep NEVER escape") and are roaming your neighbour's fields. Your only dog is the youngster you have at home, just in the early stages of his training. Would you take that dog to help get the sheep in, or would you call a friend and ask him to bring his dog - leaving the trainee secure in the kennel where he can do no harm? If you'd take the trainee - because you're reasonably confident that between you, you can get the sheep back into your field, then (in my opinion) he's a sheepdog. 
假设你的羊群跑了（“肯定不会，”我听见你在喊，“我们的羊绝不跑走”），正在邻居的地里游荡。你仅有的一条狗是家里的后生，还在训练的初阶。你是带着那只狗去把羊赶回来呢，还是打电话给朋友，让他带着他的狗过来帮忙？后一种情况下，这只受训中的狗留在犬舍里是绝对安全的，也不会添什么乱子。但是，如果你有理由相信凭着你俩的合作，肯定可以把羊赶回自家的草地，因此决定带上他的话，那么（在我看来）它就是一只牧羊犬了。 
Early Training 
初级训练 
Commands 
指令 
The basic commands generally used in sheepdog training are traditional. "Come-bye" tells the dog to move clockwise whilst "Away" means move anticlockwise around the sheep. If you have difficulty remembering which is which, try this . . . 'c' stands for "come-bye" and clockwise - while "a" stands for "away" which is anti-clockwise! (Unfortunately, there are one or two small areas in the UK where the commands are the opposite way around!) 
用来训练牧羊犬的基本指令是很老式的。"Come-bye"告诉狗儿做顺时针运动，而"Away"则是绕着羊群逆时针跑。如果记不住哪个是哪个的话，试试这招：C代表"Come-bye"和clockwise（顺时针），而A代表"away"和anti-clockwise（逆时针）。不巧的是，在英国有一两个小地方的口令是颠倒过来的！ 
"Lie down" means stop but as the dog gets more experienced, it's used in many different ways and can mean anything from stop or pause for a moment - to "don't do that" and much more. Some handlers insist the dog lies down when told to - in which case they normally use "stand" when they just want the dog to stop or slow down. "That'll do" tells the dog work has finished and he must come back to you. Other commands are "walk up" which means move towards the sheep. "Steady" and "Time now" - both meaning slow down or keep going slowly. Who said dogs aren't intelligent? It doesn't matter a hoot to the dog which words we use - we could say "lottery ticket" and as long as we were consistent, the dog would work out what we meant - but if you ever want to sell your dog, it might be difficult to explain to the next handler that he had to say "lottery ticket" if he wanted the dog to move clockwise around the sheep! 
"Lie down"（字面意思“趴下”）意味着停止，不过随着狗的经验逐渐增加，这个口令可以有许多用途，含义从停下、暂停一会儿到“别那样做”，等等。有些指导手坚持让狗听到指令时趴下，这时他们会用”stand”（字面意思“站住”）来告诉狗儿停下或减速。"That'll do"（字面意思“可以了”）告诉狗儿工作结束了，他必须回到你身边。其他指令包括"walk up"（字面意思“走上前去”），代表走向羊群，"Steady" 和 "Time now"都表示减速或继续缓慢地前进。谁说狗不聪明呢？我们用什么词，对狗来说根本无所谓。我们可以说“彩票”，只要一直重复，狗肯定能弄懂我们的意图。不过如果你想卖掉你的狗，向它的新指导手解释“彩票”等于绕羊群顺时针跑，可能会有点困难！ 
How do I train my dog? 
训练指南（上） 
When you take your sheepdog pup to sheep for the first time, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that he'll behave just as it does at home. It's possible of course, but even if he did, very soon he would gain confidence and turn into a quite different creature altogether. Remember that once the dog's most basic instinct is aroused, it may want to trap the sheep and kill them. By starting the dog on sheep at an early age we can discourage this before it becomes a problem. Either way, it's up to you to stop this happening and to convince the dog that he's better off working for you than to his own agenda. 
第一次带着牧羊犬幼崽接触羊群的时候，你难免想当然地认为他会和在家的表现一样。这当然是可能的，但即使真的一样，狗儿也会很快地过分自信，从而变成一个彻头彻尾不同的生物。记住，一旦狗最基本的本能被唤醒，它很可能想要困住并杀死绵羊。从幼崽开始训练可以防止这个问题恶化。不管怎么说，应该由你来阻止这种行为，并且让狗相信：替你工作要比干他自己的事情好得多。 
At first the dog will appear to completely ignore anything you say and any commands you try to give. He's not behaving badly - just following his instinct and as you appear to want to stop him doing what his ancestors have done for centuries he'll ignore you and carry on despite your 'interference'. 
一开始，狗会表现得对你说的话和下达的指令完全不理不睬。他并不是捣乱——只是照他的本能行事而已。如果你想阻止他做那些他的祖先已经干了好几百年的事情，他自然不会理睬你的“干预”，继续我行我素。 
A dog which will lie down and then come to you without fail at home will almost inevitably ignore and humiliate you for his first few sessions with sheep. If you rant and rave at it, you'll simply make the job of convincing the dog it would be better off working for you far more difficult because you'll be confusing and frightening him. 
一只在家时可以乖乖停下并跑到你身边的狗，在训练的最初几堂课几乎都会对你听而不闻，让你面子丢尽。如果你对它大吼大叫，让狗相信为你干活是较好的选择就没那么容易了。因为你让他觉得既迷惑又害怕。 
Better to stay calm and be persistent. It's unwise to have an audience at this early stage because inevitably, things will not go to plan and if you're embarrassed or feel humiliated in any way, it will not be helpful for you or your dog. Bring your friends and family along once you're able to reliably stop the dog! 
最好保持平静，坚持训练。让人观看训练的初阶是不明智的，因为意外不可避免。而如果你因此感到羞愤，对你和狗都不会有什么帮助。在你可以随时随地让狗停下的时候再呼朋唤友！ 
Your dog will want to do as you say - and he'll hear every word you utter but his instinct will not allow him to obey you. Why should he? Any fool can see the sheep are getting away - just at the moment you're expecting him to lie down and be patted. If he can think, he'll be wondering what on earth you're playing at. But this is not the open plains of Siberia. The sheep will be there tomorrow and the day after. 
狗儿其实愿意服从命令，他也听得到你说的每一个字，但他的本能不让他听你的。凭什么呀？傻子都看得到羊群跑走了，你却要他这时候趴下接受爱抚。如果他能思考，他肯定会想：这唱的是哪一出啊？但这不是西伯利亚广袤的平原。羊群明天、后天都会在那儿的。 
Gradually the dog will begin to compromise. ……Obviously, you don't know the first thing about catching and killing sheep but OK, maybe he'll do as you say - not actually lie down as requested of course, but it will do no harm to stop for a moment - after all, he's confident he can handle the situation AND keep the peace with you at the same time. 
狗儿逐渐开始妥协……显然，你对抓羊、杀羊这种事一窍不通（而狗则是专家——译注），不过算了，也许他会照你说的做——当然不是像口令要求的那样趴下，但是停一会儿也没什么坏处嘛。毕竟，他有信心在控制羊群的同时还能跟你和平相处。 
This is the very moment when your dog begins to change into a sheepdog. It's often referred to as 'getting the stop'. From now on, you're on your way to training a sheepdog. …… 
这就是你的狗开始变成一只牧羊犬的非常时刻，经常被称作“开始（懂得）停下”。从现在起，你踏上了训练牧羊犬的道路。……
Continue to encourage good work and discourage faults and your dog will soon realise that there are huge advantages to doing things your way. He'll get much longer sessions (reward in itself) and the work will become more interesting every day - longer outruns and more challenging problems to overcome. Instead of working despite you, he'll now be listening to your every word. You'll be able to whisper commands and they will be obeyed instantly because the dog will know that you're the pack leader and you know best (usually). 
保持对出色工作的鼓励和对错误的批评，狗很快会意识到照你说的做有很多甜头。训练课的时间大大延长（这本身就是奖赏），而且工作的内容每天都变得更加有趣——跑步时间长了，需要解决的问题更难了。现在他会仔细听你说的每一个字而不是我行我素。即使你下指令的时候声音很小，他们也马上服从，因为狗知道你是这个群体的首领，（通常情况下）你知道怎么做最好。 
Now you'll begin to work as a team. And a very special team it will be indeed because both of you'll understand what the other is thinking. You'll find your dog doing what you were about to tell it to do - because he knows how your mind works and wants nothing more than to please you (and maybe he'll get a sheep for supper one day but somehow it's not so important these days). 
现在你们开始团队合作了，而且是一个非常特别的团队，因为你们了解彼此在想什么。你会发现自己还没下令，狗就在做那件事了。他知道你的思维怎么运转，并且比什么都想要讨好你（也许他还能得到一只羊作晚餐，不过在今天这已经不怎么重要）。 
Taking your dog to sheep for the first time 
狗和羊的第一次亲密接触 
When you take your dog to sheep for the first time, remember he'll only have a very short attention span - sometimes just a few seconds but more usually a few minutes. If the dog runs around the sheep for a little while and then walks or runs away to do something else (often eating sheep droppings) it's a fairly reliable sign that he's tired or bored. Try to get his attention back on the sheep but don't persist. Better to stop the session for a while - maybe an hour or until the next day. 
第一次带狗接触羊群需要记住，他只能保持非常短暂的注意力——有时仅仅是几秒，通常为几分钟。如果狗绕着羊群跑了一会儿，然后走开或跑开去做别的事（经常是吃羊粪），你可以完全肯定他是累了或者无聊。试着让他重新把注意力放在羊群上，但也不用勉强。最好暂停一会儿：一小时，甚至可以等到明天。 
It's probably safest for novice handlers to teach the dog to lie down before they take it to the sheep. This does not mean that the dog will lie down at this time - it's highly unlikely that it will - but it should respond more quickly to 'lie down' if it know what you mean. Some trainers argue that teaching a dog to lie down before you take it to the sheep can teach it to focus its attention on you rather than the sheep. If I found my dog was more interested in me than the sheep, I'd get another dog. 
对于初学的指导手，带狗接触羊群之前先教它lie down比较稳妥。并不是说在牧场上狗一定会听话——这几乎是不可能的——但如果它知道你的意思，至少反应会更快。有些驯犬师争辩说，让狗在接触羊群之前学习lie down，它会把注意力集中在你而不是羊群身上。如果我发现狗对我比对羊群更感兴趣，我宁愿换一条狗。 
If you take a novice dog to sheep and simply let him go, he'll respond to them in one of several ways. Some just lie down and stare but more usually, the dog will run towards the sheep and either straight through them or start to circle them. In the case of the dog remaining motionless and staring at the sheep, you'll need to run around them yourself. The movement of the sheep should eventually stir the dog into action. 
带一条没有经验的狗来到牧场，放开他，他可能有如下表现中的一种。有些只是躺下来盯着看，但通常情况下，狗将跑向羊群，或者穿过它们，或者绕它们做圆周运动。如果狗一动不动地盯着羊群，你必须自己绕着羊跑。羊群的移动最后应该能让狗动弹。 
After a little while, the dog reacts according to the way the sheep and handler move - so by positioning yourself carefully, you can have a great influence on the dog's next movement. By anticipating which way your dog and the sheep will move and giving the appropriate command at the right time, you'll encourage the dog to move in a certain way when you tell it to. What you should be doing is using the position of your body together with commands to help the dog control the sheep. 
过了一会儿，狗开始根据羊群和指导手的移动方式做出反应。因此，当心你自己的位置，你就能在很大程度上影响狗的下一个动作。预计好狗和羊群的移动，在恰当的时候给出恰当的口令，这是在鼓励狗儿听到命令时做出恰当的反应。你要做的是用你所处的位置和口令一起帮助狗控制羊群。 
As a novice, you'll be surprised how your dog moves and even more surprised at the way in which the sheep move. An ideal way to learn how sheep will react to where you put your dog is to drive them yourself. This is only really practical in a fairly confined space but if you're able to practice driving sheep around (alone) you'll gain a wealth of valuable experience to help with dog training and especially handling. A yard or very small paddock is ideal for the task. Once you have the sheep in it, you simply decide where you want the sheep to go and try to drive them there. Not as easy as it sounds I can assure you! 
做为新手，狗的表现可以让你惊讶万分，但更让你惊讶的是羊群的动作。想研究绵羊对狗的方位有何反应，理想的方式是自己赶羊。这只能在相对狭窄的空间进行，但如果你能练习（独自）把羊赶来赶去，那么在驯犬特别是指导方面将获得无价的经验。院子或者一个很小的牧场是执行这一任务的理想场所。把羊放进去以后，你只需决定它们要去的方向，然后把它们往那里赶就是了。我可以向你保证，做的比说的难得多！ 
If you don't have anywhere suitable to practice this, you may be able to help a local farmer when he's moving his sheep. If not, study every sheepdog video you can, taking careful note of the reaction of the sheep to the dog and handler. 
如果没有合适的地方练习，你也可以找当地的农民，帮助他赶羊。实在不行的话，研究你能找到的每一个牧羊犬视频，认真记录下羊群对狗和指导手的反应。 
Take my word for it that driving sheep is like pushing a loaded supermarket trolley. The thing seems to have a mind of its own. If you push it straight, it wants to go to one side or the other - likewise the sheep. If your trolley is determined to go to the left, you have to position yourself on its left-hand side and apply pressure diagonally to the right in order to keep it in a straight line. This is precisely what the dog has to do to balance the sheep. 
我可以保证，赶羊就像推一辆满载的超市购物车。那玩意儿似乎有自己的意志。如果你直线向前推，它就要么往左，要么往右——羊群也一样。如果购物车决定向左走，你必须站到它的左手边，水平向右施力，这样它才能保持直线。这正是狗为了保持羊群的平稳所必须做的。 
The heavier the load in the trolley, the more determined it is to go the way it wants and the more pressure you have to apply - likewise 'heavy' and 'light' sheep. Heavy sheep try to ignore the dog and go the way they want. Light sheep run away from the dog if it gets anywhere near - so for the heavy sheep, your dog must be strong-willed and able to push them hard but for light sheep he needs to stay well back and apply the lightest of pressure. 
购物车越重，它我行我素的决心就越坚定，你要花的力气也更大——同样，羊群也有“重”和“轻”之分。大群的羊会对狗不理不睬，随意妄行。小群的羊呢，一旦狗儿接近就逃之夭夭。因此，对于大群的羊，狗必须意志坚定，严厉对待；而对小群的羊则需要保持距离，施加的压力越小越好。 
The supermarket trolley is also like a bunch of sheep when you want to turn. If you try to twist the trolley in the direction you want to turn, you'll find it almost impossible but if for instance, you want to make a turn to the left, simply move yourself to the right and push - this is much like a dog flanking sheep and then walking up on them. One vital difference between the trolley and sheep is that if we want to stop the trolley, we can pull back on it. Of course, we can't do this with our woolly friends, so let's imagine we can't pull back on the trolley. We now have basically two ways of stopping it - we must either put something in front of it (again, impractical in the middle of a field) or we must run around to the front of the trolley and push it backwards. This is the most natural instinct of any border collie sheepdog (not pushing supermarket trollies) and you don't usually need to train it. 
当你想让购物车转弯的时候，它也像羊群一样。如果你想把购物车硬扭过来，那几乎是不可能的。但是，打个比方，当你想让它左转的时候，自己站到右边去推——就像狗先绕着羊跑，然后直接走向它们一样。购物车和羊群之间最明显的区别就是，如果想让购物车停下，只需往后拉就行。对我们长满羊毛的朋友可不能这样。所以，假设我们无法往后拉手推车，那么只有两个办法让它停下——要么在它前面放东西（在一片牧场中央也不实际），要么跑到它前面往后推。这是每只边境牧羊犬最自然的本能（不是推购物车啊），通常不需要训练。 
If the dog's going to work sheep, it will very quickly learn that to stop the sheep it must 'head' them. Of course, it won't actually lean on them in the way that we would stop a trolley but it will apply pressure to the sheep by simply getting in front of them. Bizarre though it may sound, you would be wise to familiarise yourself with these points before you even attempt to take your dog to sheep - but remember to return the trolley to the supermarket! 
狗在牧羊的时候会很快认识到，想让羊群停下必须先“超越”它们。当然它不会像我们推手推车那样整个身子压上去，但它知道只要跑到羊群头里就可以向它们施加压力。听起来也许荒谬，但如果你在尝试带狗放羊之前先熟悉上述几点，将会是非常明智的——别忘了把购物车还给超市！ 
The whole business of introducing the dog to sheep can be altogether more dignified and controllable if you and the dog establish who is in charge and what the proceedure will be before you get there. 
去牧场之前，先让狗明白谁是老大，再熟悉一下大致过程，把狗介绍给羊群就会更有秩序，更容易控制。 
Rather than just taking the dog to the field and letting it go, we can introduce much more control by the use of a line. If you're going to use a long lead, make sure you wear gloves to prevent friction burns when you have to stop the dog and bear in mind that, unlikely though it is, there is a small possibity that a trailing cord or lead could snag on something and injure your dog. Don't use a trailing lead or cord unless you're prepared to take this risk. 
与其把狗直接带到地里放开，我们可以用一根牵引绳来更好地控制局面。如果你用的绳子很长，记得一定要戴手套，否则你想让狗停下的时候，绳子的摩擦会让指头疼得火烧火燎。另外还要记住，长带子或绳子有可能挂在别的东西上，从而伤到狗儿，虽然可能性很小。除非你准备好应付万一，否则不要用过长的带子或绳子。 
The magic cord! 
魔绳 
One of the most useful and important accessories for training a young dog is a piece of cord with a loop at each end. It should be approximately twice the length of a dog lead, fairly thick and preferably soft. Lambing ropes (available from agricultural suppliers) are ideal - strong, correct length, soft - and they have a smooth loop at each end which is very convenient for holding. Thread the cord through the dog's collar and hold both ends in one hand (I find that holding both loops on one finger makes it easier to release the dog smoothly). You then remove the dog's lead and walk out to the sheep using the cord. 
训练幼犬最有用也最重要的工具之一，是一条两端有环的绳子。它的长度应该是一般狗链的两倍，比较粗，如果软一点的话更好。“产羔绳”（可以在农业用品店买到）最为理想：结实，长度适中，柔软，并且在两端各有一个圆滑的环，方便抓握。把绳子穿过狗的项圈，两端的环握在同一只手上（我发现用一个手指钩住两环可以更容易地把狗放开）。然后把普通的牵引链松开，用绳子把狗带到牧场。 
? 
产羔绳 (Lambing Rope) 
If the dog can see the sheep the chances are, the dog will be straining on the lead, desperate to get at the sheep. The dog will be frantically pulling and creating a stressful situation before you start, so tell him to 'lie down'. If he doesn't know what 'lie down' means, no matter, he'll have to stop because you'll pull back firmly but gently on the lead and stop him. 
狗看到羊群的时候很可能会拼命拽链子，极度渴望接近羊群。狗狂暴地拉绳子会让场面变得紧张，所以应该告诉他"lie down"。如果他不知道"lie down"的意思，没关系，你可以轻柔但坚定地往后拉绳子让他停下。 
Continue walking towards the sheep and the dog will no doubt begin pulling again. Simply repeat the procedure, telling the dog to lie down in a harsh voice and then in a progressively softer voice when he's doing what you ask. If the dog really doesn't want to know, just walk him back the way you came (away from the sheep). It will be a little tedious but if you persist with this exercise it will dawn on Fido that he's not actually going to reach the sheep unless he does as he's told - so eventually, he'll accept that he's going to have to do what the idiot on the other end of the lead says, otherwise nobody will get lamb supper tonight. 
继续走向羊群，狗儿肯定还会拉扯。重复上述动作，用严厉的声音告诉他"lie down"，当他服从的时候再把声音逐步放柔和。如果狗拒绝了解你的意图，带他往回走（远离羊群）。这可能有点单调，不过如果你坚持训练，Fido迟早会明白他只有听话才能接近羊群。最后他只好接受一个事实：按照牵绳子的那个傻瓜说的做，否则谁也没有羊肉晚餐吃。 
You're likely to get closer to the sheep if your dog's walking quietly beside you - even if his head's down and he's fixing his gaze on them like a heat-seeking missile! The closer you can get, the more chance you have of early success. The sheep are likely to stay close together and as your dog has learned to stop or lie down whilst he's in heat-seeking mode, there's a much greater likleyhood that he'll stop when you command him to. He's also far more likely to go around the sheep (rather than through them) if you can get close. In fact, a great many of the problems associated with training dogs for herding or sheepdog trials are caused by the handler not getting close enough to the sheep before sending the dog off to them. 
如果狗能在你身旁安静地行走，你就能最大限度地接近羊群——即使狗的头部放低，目光像热导导弹一样锁在羊身上也没关系！离得越近，可能越早获得成功。羊一般会挤在一起；而如果你的狗能在“热导模式”下停住或趴下，那么他当然也能在你命令的任何时候停住。若你离得够近，狗绕着羊跑的可能性也比穿过它们的可能性大得多。事实上，牧羊训练或比赛中遇到的一大堆问题，都是由指导手过早地让狗跑向羊群造成的。 
A novice handler is often over-cautious about the behaviour of a keen young dog, preferring to stop the dog at all costs but there is usually no need to worry. By carefully watching for the correct moment, young dogs can normally be stopped by command (eventually) and as long as they're causing the sheep no harm it doesn't hurt to let them run a little. 
初学的指导手经常为一只热情的幼犬的行为过分紧张，喜欢不惜一切代价让狗停下。可是，担忧通常是不必要的。正常情况下，只要留心观察适当的时机，幼犬们（最终）都能服从命令停下。只要他们没有伤到羊群，让他们跑跑也没什么坏处。 
The trick is to watch carefully for the moment when the dog's wondering what to do next. It always happens sooner or later as the dog realises there is simply no point in charging round and round the sheep forever. Eventually it will stop and look around. This is your window of opportunity. Get it right and give a sharp 'lie down' command. If you're lucky and have trained the dog to lie down before introducing it to the sheep, there is a good chance the dog will see this as the easiest option. If not, try again when it happens in a few minutes time. 
秘诀在于：留心寻察狗在犹豫接下来该做什么的时刻。当狗终于意识到没必要绕着羊群一圈又一圈地冲的时候，它会停下来东张西望。这就是你的机会了。抓住机遇大声命令它"lie down"。如果你运气好，放羊之前又已经训练过lie down，狗很有可能会觉得这是最容易的选择。否则，在它几分钟后再次停下的时候再试一次。 
When the dog lies down immediately repeat the "lie down" command in a softer voice and keep repeating it - still softer and softer until you're whispering. ... The harsh voice commands the dog to do whatever you're telling it to and the progressively softer voices graduate from a command to gentle reassurance that the dog has done the correct thing. Repeating the gentle command also leaves the dog in no doubt that you want it to continue doing what it just did. If the dog gets up again before you tell it to, go back to the sharp command to emphasise that you're in command, not him. Again, gradually soften the command when the dog's doing as you tell it. 
当狗趴下时，马上用较为柔和的声音重复"lie down"的命令，并且不断地用越来越柔和的声音重复，直到你在耳语为止。……严厉的声音是命令狗无条件服从，而逐渐柔和的声音则是在温柔地肯定狗儿做得对。同时这也让狗确信：你将来还想让它重复它刚做的那件事。如果狗自己爬起来的话，再用严厉的命令强调你的指挥地位，并在它服从的时候再次把语气放缓。 
The secret of getting a good "stop" is to let the dog go! 
让狗随时“停下”的秘诀是放它走！ 
It's vitally important that the dog learns that you're not necessarily stopping its game every time you tell it to lie down so, for a little while, be sure to reward your dog by sending it off again immediately it's stopped. A thousand voices will scream that this paragraph directly contradicts the practice of harsh voice commands followed by repeated softer voice commands. How can you repeat commands in a progressively softening voice if you also have to send the dog away immediately? 
最重要的是让狗明白：每次你让它lie down的时候，并不一定是在终止它的游戏。所以，刚开始训练的时候，一旦狗停下，必须马上允许它跑开，做为奖励。很多人会大叫说这段话和上文“运用先严厉后柔和的口头命令”是完全相反的。如果必须马上让狗跑开的话，又怎么能用逐渐柔和的声音重复口令呢？ 
In reality you need to do both to begin with and you must decide for yourself which is appropriate at any given time. 
...... 
现实生活中，在训练的初阶你需要两样都做，而且你必须自己决定什么时候做什么合适。（译注：比如，若想让狗乖乖趴下，让你把绳子拴上的话，用“停-跑”的方式就比较容易获得狗的服从。） 
... If the dog's mainly circling the sheep in a fairly calm manner, you're lucky. Simply encourage him to stay on the opposite side of the sheep to you by using really warm and friendly tones in your voice when he's in the right place and by growling or saying sharply 'Ahh-ah-ah' or similar when it comes round to your side. Don't be afraid to let the dog circle the sheep - it will knock the edge off his enthusiasm and energy - normally making the training session more controlled. 
…… 
如果狗主要是相对平静地绕着羊群转圈，说明你很走运。你要做的就是用非常温暖而友好的语调鼓励他呆在羊群的另一头，而当它转到你这一侧的时候吼它，或者严厉地说“啊-啊-啊”之类的（译注：英语中的Ahh-ah表示否定，不赞同）。不用怕狗围着羊群转圈，这可以消磨他过分的热情和能量，一般能使训练过程更好控制。 
What you should avoid is the dog circling in one direction only. Make him go both ways around the sheep to prevent him becoming "handed" - a bad habit which can be hard to stop later on. 
防止狗沿着单一的方向转圈。让他两个方向都跑，否则，一旦养成“单边”的坏习惯，日后很难纠正。