If, from the beginning, the shepherd has established himself through trust and confidence as pack leader and has conditioned the dog to understand the meaning of the tones of his voice, there should be no need for physical corrections. During early exposure to sheep in the field, the dog is restricted on leash - but the leash must only be used with the voice to guide the dog, not to punish it. During the dog's first year, all obedience work must be play training and building voice communication. The idea being that the dog, because of its desire to please, will eventually correct itself. No corrections other than voice corrections are made, and the dog must always be given the opportunity to work things out for itself.
Serious education can begin at any age after the dog is one year old.
If the dog has the proper instincts, it can be introduced to sheep at any age and achieve the same results. Serious education should not begin until the dog shows that it is ready - the timing varies with each dog. There is no place for force training or constant punishing corrections in the education of the shepherd dog. If the proper social foundation and relationship between the shepherd and the dog has already been established during the first year, there should be no need for harsh corrections. Force training and harsh physical corrections will only serve to weaken or destroy the dog's confidence in itself, the dog's trust in the shepherd, the dog's willingness to follow its own instincts and the dog's ultimate ability to work on its own - qualities irreplaceable in the large flock herding dog.