Success with Stockdogs Workshops

[denice.r]

I have held stockdog clinics for many years to help folks learn to train and use their dogs better. I have been using Border Collies to help me for 17 years, there is always something to learn and do better. Each dog teaches me something about stock, working /training dogs and usually teaches me something about myself as well. My passion has always been helping livestock producers learn to use dogs in their operation. The US just does not have the working dog culture of the UK but we could sure make use of natural working dogs with stock sense. Folks in the eastern US are even less likely to even have seen a good dog working much less employ one.
I applied and been awarded a SARE grant to hold workshops which will educate folks about stockdogs. The workshops will be multi day sessions with demonstrations of dogs accomplishing chores, stages of training using pups through a finished dog and hands on work with a clinician who will help participants with their dog. There will also be ongoing education and discussion with video and Q&A. Workshops will be held in the Fall of 2017, Spring and Fall of 2018. Dates are being set. For more info go to www.clearfieldstockdogs.com and clinic the link to the Success with Stockdogs Workshops link or email/call me. There will be a daily fee but most of the expense has been covered by the grant.

I would love to have feedback from those who might be interested - time of year(month) best to hold clinics- has to be cool enough for dogs and stock, what you would like to see/do. These clinics will be different from most out there since they will focus on practical skill training for both handler and dog.
The training will be done with sheep since they are safer for all involved and you can get closer to help the dog.
Thanks for your contributing your thoughts
I would appreciate it if you could let others know of this opportunity
Denice

 

[LazyWP]

I would be interested in attending. Late fall early winter would probably work best for me. I am somewhat self taught. My dog knows what I want but its fro LOTS of time spent together. She is a Border Collie/Hangin Tree.
Guess I would like to know and see how to start a different dog. Mine isn't all that old, but is sure turning grey, like me.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Clinics are great for beginners as well as seasoned dog handlers. You can never know to much, line Denice said you learn something with every different dog and just about every time you work them.
My 2 dogs I have now I didn't do much of anything but take them with me, my first dog was almost a Trial class dog but I spent lots of time teaching his sides ect. He could do a 1/4 mile out run. My current dogs just go right to the stock. Not ideal but they compensate. :cowboy: