Help With Herding Commands

[Dice Smith]

I'm super excited because I have finally talked my parents into letting me get some ducks as soon as the weather gets warm!! I'm already getting things all ready for them and set up, now I'm just waiting for the snow to melt and then we have to fix our fence. I'm going to get full grown, friendly ducks who are used to dogs because I want Kodi to be able to herd them. But in the meantime I want to teach him some of the herding commands like Come by and away to me and that'll do (maybe it's weird but ever since I was a little kid I've always wanted to work with a herding dog and be able to call out those commands to him. I was a very strange child! )

So I was wondering if anyone had any advice as to how I would go about training these commands to him? And if you had any advice on how I should first introduce and begin letting him herd the ducks? He's been around chickens and young kittens before, he's super gentle and obedient with them, so I know he'll be super great with ducks I'm just not sure how to go about working him with them. I don't have access to watch youtube videos right now so I figured you awesome, wonderful, knowledgeable dog people might be able to help us out and get us started out on the right foot. Also, I'm sorry if there has already been a thread posted on this before. I'm just so excited!

 

[Dlilly]

From what I've read, ducks are great for puppies, experienced dogs, and sheep are best for new dogs. For the safety of your ducks, you should consider getting professional help. Ducks who have never been herded and a newbie dog could be a disaster, the ducks may freak out, and Kodi could easily injure them. My ducks are fine around Shiloh, but the second they sense Rory's presence they run. They know Rory is wanting them, and them acting weird makes Rory even more exited. It's best if you find a trainer or even attend a herding seminar. I'm having to drive an hour and a half to Rory's herding trainer Sunday. Honestly, I'm willing do drive at least 3 hours. I don't want to put my duck's lives at risk. (That sounds silly but ducks are really fragile)

 

[Dice Smith]

It's not silly at all, I know ducks are very fragile, I've raised them before and I don't want to or intend to put their lives at risk either. They are going to be pets first and foremost and I am going to get ducks who are already full grown and been around and already herded by dogs before. I have complete trust in Kodi, he's herded our chickens before wonderfully and they are much flightier than any ducks I've ever owned lol.

I've already searched around and there are no trainers or herding seminars in my area and it's not at all possible for me to be able to drive hours away anyway, though if I had the money and there were good herding clinics I would. I wish we could get sheep but we don't have the space for them. My uncle and his wife actually breed aussies and belgian terveurans and he herds with his dogs and judges herding competitions where he lives. He actually told me ducks for Kodi were a good idea. Unfortunately he lives in another state, but I'll ask him for more advice.