About
Teaching your dog how to relax around stock begins with balance. In this session, Gary will show you how his two balance techniques, the 360 degree balance and the tail-end balance. Both are key stepping stones to teaching patience and calm stock work whether in-close in yards or on a cast in the paddock. If your dog is rushing in to get around to the head and coming in too hard too fast, this is the session for you. Get back to basics in the round yard and when your session looks like this, you can move to a bigger yard then out into the paddock and you will have ironed out the issue. By the end of this session, you'll be able to: ✅ Understand what balance is and why it's the foundation of all stock dog training. ✅ Recognise the difference between a dog holding stock to you versus holding stock to a fence. ✅ Identify and develop both 360-degree balance and tail-end balance in your dog. ✅ Use correct body positioning to help a young dog find balance without creating pressure or confusion. ✅ Set up training situations that allow your dog to succeed and build confidence around stock. ✅ Understand why patience and progression are critical, starting in the round yard before moving to larger working environments. You'll learn how to develop a dog that naturally balances stock to you with confidence, control and patience—the essential foundation for all future stock work.