How can we get our Border Collie to herd the cows?

We live on a dairy farm and have a one year old Border Collie. He went to puppy school and mastered the basic commands like sit, drop, come etc but when he is near the cows he gets so distracted and wont listen to us. He also goes to chase them from the head (obviously needs to chase from the other end) and will not bark so the cows have no fear of him and just push him out of the way with their heads. So what can we do to teach him how to herd the cows up.

You probably need to talk with someone who has experience training dogs to herd farm animals.

Well first remember he's still a pup so you cant expect him to snap into action. The only thing you can do is try to get his attention while you are with cows is a small step and take one step at a time if this does not work then get an opinion from someone who is experienced in training border collies.

Find a farmer who has some working dogs. It doesn't really matter the breed, as long as they can herd. See if you can get the farmer to help you train your dog. There are also some clubs that can help you. There are herding dog competitions, so you might be able to find a trainer or someone to help you through that. Until you can find someone to help you with the actual herding, you need to work with your dog on the basic commands. He should be able to listen to you off leash and with distractions. Start with him on leash and build the distance both inside and outside. A fenced in area is good for off leash training.

Border Collies herd sheep NOT cows. Your border is displaying wonderful herding instinct, but the problem is that cows are not sheep and do not respond to him as a sheep would. Border collies are very hands off herders that stare down the sheep to get them to move. A cow is not that stupid and needs to be told to move, heck some cows even have to be forced to move. You could possibly train your dog to herd cattle, but hands on herding is not his instinct. Your best bet for a herding dog would be to get a cattle herding breed that is willing to MOVE the cattle or find a farmer that has a litter of proven cattle working dogs.

If he's still a puppy, he should not be working cattle yet. He needs to grow up before he starts herding. After that, visit a trainer because YOU will need to learn how to help him do his job so he understands what is required. You don't mention where you live so i'll suggest some sites that may help. If you'd like some reading before going to a trainer, i recommend Vergil Holland's book on progressive training here http://www.bordercollies.com/shopexd.asp?id=264Here are some sites that may help you find an instructor.http://www.littlehats.net/instructor.htmlhttp://www.northeastherdinginfo.com/http://www.blueboniff.com/midwestherding/