Get Your Stop Where You Need It — When You Need It
Building a Reliable Stop
If you're saying "lie down" three times before your dog finally does it — or they're creeping in four steps before they stop — the fix isn't a firmer voice. It's the layers the stop was supposed to be built on. You have a layers problem. This course walks you through every step, from dry land foundations to stops on and off balance in the arena, so your dog stops crisp, stops in place, and stops the first time you ask. Works for any herding breed.
Start Building Your Stop
A stop you can count on changes everything
A reliable stop isn’t just about obedience — it’s the skill that gives you the ability to settle your stock, settle your dog, and shape your work. Without it, you’re always reacting. With it, you’re in control of the picture. This course builds that stop in layers so your dog truly understands what you’re asking, not just when things are calm, but when stock is moving and instincts are pulling.
Layered Progression
Every lesson builds on the last — from dry land sits, downs, and stays through penned stock and into arena work. No steps skipped, no gaps in understanding.
Stops That Stay in Place
Your dog learns to stop exactly where you ask — no creeping in, no extra steps. A fold down that’s crisp, in position, and immediate.
On Balance and Off
Your dog won’t just stop at the balance point. You’ll build the skill to stop them anywhere you need — on balance, off balance, on the fence line, in the open.
Trust, Not Force
This isn’t about yelling louder. It’s about building a dog that’s willing to stop because the layers are solid, the trust is there, and the stop makes sense to them.
What’s Inside This Course
Proof It Before Stock Enters the Picture
Teach the sit, fold down, stand, and stay with precision on dry land first. Build duration and distance separately, then combine — so when you add stock, your dog already knows exactly what the words mean and responds the first time you say them.
Add Stock Without Losing the Stop
Move from penned stock your dog can see to working together inside the pen — on leash, then off. Your dog learns to stay in the work mentally, respond to you even when instincts are pulling, and take stops in tight spaces where the pressure is real.
Build Stops on Balance and Off
First, let your dog find the balance point and hold it. Then add the stop there — the natural place their instincts already agree with. Once that’s solid, ask for stops that don’t match instinct: fence lines, off the draw, places that only make sense because your dog trusts you. This is the piece that makes center pen work and driving possible later.
Take It to the Arena — Stops Wherever You Need Them
Move into larger spaces where the draw becomes a real factor. Flank your dog around the stock and stop them anywhere — on balance, off balance, in the open. Learn how to balance mechanical exercises with flow work so your dog stays willing and thoughtful, not just obedient. This is the reliable stop you’ll carry into trials and ranch work for the rest of your dog’s career.
10 video lessons • Progressive skill-building from dry land to arena • Exercises you can return to throughout your dog’s career
Why most handlers struggle with the stop — and how to fix it
Most handlers try to use the stop as an emergency brake. Things are falling apart, stock is scattering, and the instinct is to yell “lie down” louder and hope it works. But a dog in that moment can’t receive information — and forcing the stop when stock is getting away teaches your dog that stopping means losing their stock. That’s how you break a stop, not build one.
This course takes a different approach. You’ll build the stop in layers — starting where the dog can succeed easily and progressing only when the foundation is solid. Your dog learns that the stop is part of the work, not a punishment for things going wrong. They learn to honor the stop while still making choices about the stock — sitting when they need to hold pressure, downing when they need to take it off. That’s the kind of thinking, responsive stop that makes the difference in a trial run or a day of ranch work.
Our philosophy here is simple: the dog controls the stock, and you control the dog. When your dog trusts that you’ll make good decisions — that you won’t ask them to stop when the stock is about to leave — they’ll give you the stop willingly. That trust is what makes it reliable.
What you get with this course
10 Video Lessons
Watch Dawna and Megan work multiple dogs through every stage — from dry land foundations through arena stops. Real dogs, real stock, real training — not theory.
A System You’ll Use for Years
These aren’t one-and-done exercises. If your dog’s stop starts sliding — in training or in the trial ring — come back to any lesson and tighten things up. This course stays useful throughout your dog’s entire career.
Lifetime Access
Work at your own pace. Revisit any lesson whenever you need it. Your enrollment never expires.
Stop chasing the stop. Start building it.
Every reliable stop starts with the right layers in the right order. This course gives you the steps, the timing, and the understanding to build a stop your dog actually respects — so you can work with confidence in the arena or on the ranch.
Build a Reliable Stop