Collie puppy herding little brother and sisters

[Lassie's Mommy]

I have a Collie puppy that sometimes when we play out in our fenced in yard she tries to herd my little brother and sisters(2,6,6 years old)by chasing them and nipping at their legs. When I tell her "no" she does not always stop because she thinks it is so fun and I have to go pull her away from them and put her in her crate until she calms down. When she does stop I encourage her by letting her know what a good girl she is and pet her.

[LavenderRott]

Well, collies were bred to herd so this is what they do. Sounds like you are handling it well though.

I have no idea where you live, but when you look for an obedience trainer, look and see if they have herding classes. You and the pup may enjoy this very much. I have some rottweiler friends who do it and have great fun.

[tenderfoot]

It is your job as the leader to create harmony in the pack. So you must teach this pup that you will not tolerate any form of attacking the other 'pups'. Right now the puppy doesn't respect your word, because she knows you have no power - she can out run you and is faster than you. The leash gives you the last word.
Put the puppy on a long leash and get the kids to start playing at a low level of energy. The second the puppy thinks about leaping for an ankle or pant leg, give a slight correction on the leash and say "leave it" or "quit" in a very firm tone - you can even rush at the puppy with energy and back her away from the kids. Allow this to happen a few times - until you can say the command and not use the leash. Now the puppy is repecting you and choosing better behavior.
However if you are doing this a dozen times and the puppy is not stopping then you need to increase your intensity (not loudness). You need to impress the puppy with your word and energy - otherwise it is a game to her.

[alpha sheltie]

Ever see a dog herd a tree?

I have two Shelties. It worked well for us. Whenever the dog tries to "herd" people, have your siblings stop running. Kai's still working on this and it works everytime.

[tenderfoot]

I am glad that works so well, but what happens when the people start moving again? Energy feeds into dogs - when people move quickly most dogs will join in, so it makes sense that when the movement stops so does the dog. Just so long as the dog is actually learning that herding or chasing people (no matter what the energy level is) is not permitted then I am all for it.