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Is This Your Border Collie?
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Your dog reacts to movement—barking, lunging, and chasing cars, kids, or anything on wheels. It’s a battlefield the moment you step out of the house, and no amount of cookies can break their fixation.
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You’re already tiring your dog out with fetch, long walks, and endless activities, yet they’re still bouncing off the walls—and won’t listen when it matters most. It feels like no amount of exercise is ever enough.
You're in the right place if your herding dog is...
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Obsessively fixated on the TV when the sports or animal channel is on
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Staring, chasing, and snapping at ocean waves
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Alert, antsy, and easily startled by movement
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Starting to stare and fixate on shadow and light as a 5-month-old puppy
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Staring and fixating on the fine movement across the football field
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Obsessively pacing and circling
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Frustrated and can’t settle after playing fetch
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Starting fights with dogs because they won’t stop moving
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Who is This For?
Guardians of Reactive Border Collies & Herding Breeds
If your dog barks, lunges, or fixates on cars, kids, or other animals, Better Than Fetch™ provides a healthy outlet for their instincts. These herding games redirect unhealthy obsessions into purposeful activities, helping your dog become calmer, more focused, and easier to live with.
Guardians Exhausted
by Endless Efforts
You’re already tiring your dog out with fetch, walks, and enrichment, but they still seem restless, herding everything in sight and worst of all - ignoring you. Better Than Fetch™ offers a purposeful outlet for their herding brain, helping them feel truly fulfilled.
Those Seeking a
Deeper Bond
If you feel out of sync with your Border Collie—like their instincts and drive are too much to handle—these games are for you. Better Than Fetch™ fosters understanding, trust, and a lasting partnership with your dog.
Our Success Stories
Raven, ex-reactive car-chasing Border Collie
For nearly two years, Raven couldn’t handle a single moving car or child without charging. No amount of training stopped the obsession. The only difference? Stricter management and full commitment to herding games.
A year later, he can focus on BTF herding games in the middle of busy parks, surrounded by cars, joggers, and kids—totally engaged, no longer reacting.
Charm, ex-agility dog circling obsessively
For six years, Charm was an agility dog, but no amount of training or sport settled her. She circled obsessively, stalked dogs, and fixated on movement—until repetitive one-way turning led to injury. Introducing herding games—finally giving her instincts a purpose, even at six years old—brought her immense fulfillment.
A year later, she’s significantly calmer, more confident, and moving better than ever. The dog who once ran in obsessive loops now works with purpose—and looks truly content for the first time.
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Trusted by over 650 students in 41 countries—these are just a few of their stories.
Our Proven Framework
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Manage
Management gives your dog the space they need to reset, so they stop rehearsing the habits that perpetuate the vicious cycle of reactivity. Start by observing what they watch, where they go, and how they engage with their environment.
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Fulfill
A Border Collie’s instincts need meaningful outlets to stay happy and content. Fulfillment meets their deep-rooted need for anticipation, control, and purpose—beyond physical exercise. Incorporate herding games that let them think, stalk, and move with purpose.
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Empower
Empower Border Collies to be obedient, confident, engaged, and able to make thoughtful choices. When their instincts are fulfilled, empowerment follows, because a dog that trusts their role in the world no longer needs to fight for control. Build this trust by creating opportunities where they can succeed, listen, and thrive with you as a partner.
What You'll Learn
Stopping Your Dog
Mid-Chase
Hone their impulse control and teach them to listen when it matters most using concepts introduced through BTF herding games.
How To Break Their Fixation
Our proven Show & Switch method trains dogs to focus on what you want instead of their own distractions. It’s especially effective for Border Collies and herding breeds.
Teach Them To Think Through Stalking Instead Of Chasing
Stalking and staring are only useful if your dog is willing to listen. Our lessons dive deep into helping your dog choose thoughtful control over impulsive reactions.
Training Methods Designed Specifically To Reduce Frustration
Frustration hinders learning, especially in reactive Border Collies with unfulfilled instincts. Our methods minimize stress, ensuring your dog is truly engaged and fulfilled through herding games
Herding Directional Cues To Hone Listening Skills
BTF herding games incorporate verbal cues used in sheep herding, teaching your dog to follow direction while staying locked onto their herding target, like a ball.
Unlock The Joy Of An Unbreakable Partnership
Every session becomes a collaborative effort, fostering understanding, kinship, and the kind of partnership every Border Collie owner dreams of.
What's Included in
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25+ In Depth Video Lessons complete with Training Narrations and Closed Captions for Easy Learning
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Lifelong Access to All Course Materials
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Automatic Access to All Future Course Updates
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The Four Core Herding Games in the Better Than Fetch™ course:
This game encompasses all your Border Collie's talents to stalk, flank and block. The origins of our BTF herding games course come from this founding philosophy of an alternative to fetch. And yes, we do cover troubleshooting for ball snatchers and destroyers.
This game is not your average flirt pole play. Incorporating the essential foundations and herding skills learnt from other games in the course, BOAS is one of the helms in BTF herding games course, and an absolute favorite for all our students. Learn how we teach advanced cue like "Easy" for slowing down during stalking, and "Lie Down" to stop mid chase. As in all our games, the skills are built layer by layer, so you can learn effectively as a newbie or seasoned pro.
For dogs who adore blocking, this game allows them to express their instincts to a gratifying level. If you have a herding dog who loves to jump up and make "contact" with your face - this game is for you. Alongside Border Collies, this is a top pick amongst our Shepherd and Cattle Dog students.
An instinct most well known to the breed, the outrun is the wide, pear-shaped run Border Collies are famous for. Taught the way we do - any herding dog can learn this as structured play incorporating more running and catching mid-air.
A favorite for many dogs especially if they already have frisbee as their first love.
What Makes Better Than Fetch™ Herding Games Unique?
BTF
Built by Experts in Dog Sports: Years of experience in fast-paced dog sports shaped a program designed for efficient, precise training mechanics to match the speed and focus of herding breed, ensuring maximum success.
Focus on True Herding Instinct: Unlike other “herding” activities, BTF Herding Games tap directly into herding instincts—the closest you can get to real herding without sheep.
Addresses Movement Reactivity at Its Core: Instead of masking symptoms with traditional training, BTF tackles the root cause by fulfilling herding instincts to stop movement-reactivity to cars, kids, joggers, and more.
Instinct-Driven, Not Prop-Driven: Many “herding” activities rely on cones, barriers, or poles, which don’t engage true herding instincts. It’s not about replicating movement, but replicating the herding mindset.
No Sheep, No Problem: The program offers Border Collies and Herding Breeds a meaningful and convenient alternative to working with livestock, providing mental and physical stimulation as much as required.
Hi, we're Yen & Claire
We're a mother-daughter team inspired by our Border Collies to create Better Than Fetch Herding Games.
What started with Raven, our instinct-driven and movement-reactive collie, became a way to honor herding instincts while finding balance in city life.
Now, we help other guardians transform reactivity into purpose, building trust and thriving partnerships through instinct-focused games.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can BTF herding games help dogs who don't play with toys much? We do have dogs who start the course with little interest in toys and eventually learn to play - because we cover getting focus and attention in the course. With dogs who are distracted, we recommend training indoors to get the groundwork before transitioning to outdoors.
Q: Is my dog too young or old for herding games? A: BTF Herding Games are suitable for dogs of all ages, from 6-month-old puppies to 10-year-old senior Border Collies - there’s no age limit. Whether your dog is young and curious, older and inexperienced, or has been reactive for years, these games provide a meaningful way to fulfill their herding instincts and bring purpose to their lives.
Q: My collie has osteoarthritis and cannot do much. Are herding games considered a high-impact activity? A: Herding games are low-impact and well-suited for dogs with limited mobility, including those with osteoarthritis. They focus on mental stimulation and controlled movements rather than intense physical activity, allowing your dog to engage their instincts and enjoy purposeful play without straining their joints.
Q: Does my dog need a good recall for herding games? A: We recommend developing a strong foundation with the first two modules indoors before going outdoors. Finding some lower traffic areas and having your dog on a long line are good management strategies. You'll find that BTF herding games will soon be your dog's new obsession - resulting in a partnership you've always dreamed of.
Q: I want to start my Border Collie in sheep herding classes. Will herding games help prepare him for training on sheep? A: Yes! BTF Herding Games are designed to develop key herding instincts like focus, impulse control, and responsiveness, which are essential for sheepdog training. These games introduce foundational skills such as stalking, directional cues, and controlled movement that can be seamlessly transitioned to working with livestock. While they’re not a substitute for actual herding classes, they provide a strong starting point for building the instincts and behaviors needed on sheep.
Q: When can I walk my Border Collie again? A: If your Border Collie is constantly getting frustrated by seeing all the movement he can't control during walks, taking a break is an effective way to manage arousal and stress while working on building your partnership with him and fulfilling his herding instinct. Walks can be included back in your routine in due time.
Q: Do you offer 1-2-1 coaching for herding games? A: Our course is very comprehensive, and we can confidently say that it is the most thorough and most affordable sheep herding alternative available online. Whether you're trying to resolve reactivity or give your herding dog breed-specific enrichment - you will find our course complete with the information you seek without needing to rely on a trainer. And as always, course students are welcome to ask questions.
Q: Is PayPal the only payment option? A: Yes. For any issues regarding payment, kindly contact us for available options.
Q: Are your video lessons only conducted in English? A: Yes. All our video lessons are narrated in English with closed captioning so it is easy to pause and read all the information even if it isn't a first language.