I know dogs love routine, and so I try to provide it for them. I usually get up early – 5 or 6 a.m. – and either Maria or I let the dogs out into the backyard, which is fenced. I take Red out for about an hour of herding and working together.

I bring him back and then leave him outside for an hour or two with the other dogs and then feed them. These transitions – like coming into the house to eat – are magical opportunities for training. There is no tension between Red and any of the other dogs. I don’t accept any kind of aggression among my dogs, and there has never been any. Red is no longer uneasy about where he fits in or where he should go.

In the yard, he sits next to Lenore, sometimes with Frieda. Then he stares at the back door waiting for me to show up, border collie style. Since the dogs are eager to eat, I opened the gate, give the “stay” command and then I walk back down the stairs and wait by the back door. Red had trouble with this for three or four days. When I turned my back, he broke out of the “stay” and tried to run up to me. Every time he does this, I just call him back up the spot where the original command was given and quietly tell him to “stay” again. This often took three of four commands, two or three minutes. He does it on the second command now and soon will just do it. This morning, he seemed to get it. He sat up alongside the other dogs and waited for the “come” command. Their body language speaks to how easy they are together.

Red is smart and wants to please, so it just requires patience and clarity on my part. I have never been more patient with a dog. It pays off every day. This kind of calming training is great for dogs. In order to eat, they must stay, then sit for up to three minutes. By training Red, I also sharpen up the skills of the other dogs and reinforce the behaviors I want.  The reward is breakfast and it a pleasant way to train. During the three minutes I talk to them, sometimes sing to them, give them speeches and tell them about the day. Then we all come into the house and eat.

Daily transitions are important training opportunities for dogs. They should not rush into a door ahead of me, or out ahead of me. Dogs can stay when they sit or lie down in a fixed position for up to three minutes. If they screw up, which they will do being animals, I simply pretend they didn’t and start again. I am happy training a dog again, happy working with one.