How do you train around the herding instinct?
Hi! For background, I recently adopted a mixed breed puppy from a rescue and got her DNA results recently- two of her main breeds are German Shepherd and Australian Cattle Dog. (But she also has things like Belgian Malinois and Great Pyreneese).
We take her to Dog training classes, puppy playsessions supervised by the dog trainers, and separate 2 hour train and learn group sessions with dog trainers -- all three of these weekly. We also work on training every day and take her on walks and play fetch and tug with her. All meals are fed through stimulating toys. One meal every day is fed by sprinkling kibble on our lawn so she can practice sniffing (store bought snuffle mats too easy). We try to get her out and about for socialization every day, especially on weekends. Have also focused on teaching place commands. She came to us already a pro at leave it and with very good bite inhibition -I assume her foster worked on that.
She and the training have been great. She has very very good focus, is highly biddable, and is quick to learn. Honestly has been a surprisingly easy and well behaved puppy.
But there's one issue the trainers haven't yet been able to guide me to a training solution for (everything else for every other issue has worked): how to get my puppy to stop herding my kid's stroller on walks.
They told us to work on loose leash walking and heel training without the stroller and we have and she was an insta-champ. Without the stroller, she is a loose leash walking dream, walking nicely beside me and basically never pulling. But re introduce the stroller, and she keeps doing a pit maneuver. She doesn't herd my kid. Just the stroller. But it's like some instinct takes over -- I see it in her eyes, they look like they're in a trance-- and she can't help herself.
Is there a specific training exercise you would recommend?
We live in the suburbs so there aren't any sheep to herd in her future.