Pup’s progress one year on: Miley the huntaway still learning to be a working dog

By Gianina Schwanecke of RNZ

In the course of the year, Miley has grown from a lanky young huntaway pup into a fully-fledged working farm dog.

Wairarapa dog triallist and stock manager Chris Shaw told RNZ’s Country Life the young dog has been making steady progress in recent months.

“She’s definitely gonna be a fabulous little work dog.”

Chris Shaw is happy with the progress 1-year-old huntaway Miley is making. Photo/ Gianina Schwanecke, RNZ

Country Life has been out on training sessions with the pair over the past year to see what is involved in the training.

Miley, one of six pups born to one of Shaw’s other working dogs Roxy last January, is the third generation in a line of huntaways he has bred.

Miley has now joined mum Roxy and big sister Duchess - Dutch for short - as part of his regular working dog team out at a farm near Wairarapa’s eastern coast.

“I don’t think I’ve trained a dog like Miley before,” Shaw said.

“I guess because I’ve got her mother, and I’ve got her sister and I had her grandmother ... I’m gonna compare and it’s a little bit out of the norm.

“You see them side-by-side and they’re completely different dogs.”

She is also slightly smaller than Shaw was expecting, though he prefers them that way.

Over the past few months, Miley has learned her walk, stop, and run whistle commands.

She just needs her “sides”, which will help with directing stock.

Shaw said since the start of weaning, he has focused on working her rather than training with her one-on-one, adding the “only way to learn is to get out there and do it”.

Miley knows most of her commands though Chris has yet to 'put sides' on her. Photo / Gianina Schwanecke, RNZ

He described Miley as being “a bit like a sponge” - quick to learn.

She has struggled in other areas though, especially when it comes to using her bark.

“Miley, she’s got beautiful noise. But it’s not what we’d call like on tap, like good consistent, flowing noise.

“This has just been a constant battle between me and Miley.”

It is something Shaw is less familiar with, especially as there are days when her bark is just what he wants it to be.

Chris is still working on getting Miley to use her free noise. Photo / Gianina Schwanecke, RNZ

He is not afraid to ask other experienced dog trainers and triallists for advice though.

“I’m forever asking questions - young guys, old guys.

“No two dogs are the same.

“You’ll always come across a roadblock and you just gotta nut head with somebody else - guarantee somebody else has had the same problem.”

With Miley, he is mindful not to be overly critical when she’s not using her noise properly as it may dent her confidence more.

At a year old, Miley's done most of her growing though she's on the smaller side for her breed. Photo: / Gianina Schwanecke, RNZ

Rather he focuses on rewarding her when she does well, by giving her the “number one job” being the first to be sent out to work with the stock.

He has learned she prefers working out on the hill where she can “use her brain” as opposed to shifting stock in the pen like her sister Dutch.

The new mob of “frisky” sheep in the pen when Country Life visited for a training session is not an issue now, as Miley is used to working with sheep every day.

Though she is fully grown, she has more learning still to do.

Miley’s most important trait at the moment is her keenness.

“I think nature is something I pride myself on.

“If they’ve got a good nature then pretty much the battle is won.

“That’s something I’m pretty hot on when I breed dogs - they’ve got to have a good nature otherwise we’re just not gonna get on.”

- RNZ