Puppies Training to have a Working Dog

It takes very little puppies training to have a working dog like my little blue heeler cross to bring an object back perfectly and precisely every time. They never seem to tire and they never seem to get it wrong. \"Right?

Wrong.\" On this otherwise ordinary afternoon down my back paddock, my little blue heeler girl taught me something that had been staring me in the face for years. Something that had troubled me without my ever being conscious of it. Something that has helped me to change my approach not only to dogs but more importantly for my work situation, to humans as well.

When I threw the ball, each time she brought it back, my dog dropped the ball on the grass further and further from my feet, then shot off down the hill in joyful anticipation of my next throw.

Eventually she just hurled it in my general direction from a great distance with not even a glance in my direction and took off again. As I walked further and further down the hill to pick up the ball and throw it again for my dog\'s obvious delight - the penny dropped.