Liane Ehrich, CVT

Today, while herding, my student’s large German Shepherd ran a sheep into a fence and then grabbed it by the neck. No damage was done. The owner was of course, horrified. These aren’t her sheep. I always fear for my sheep when they run towards a fence - not because a dog will grab them, but because fences can easily kill a sheep by breaking their neck. We were all prepared when this happened. We were already on the move, I had my flag up and was trying to get the dog to pause

Trigger Tending Sheep Trigger, my Dutch Shepherd x Malinois, is the most pressure sensitive dog I’ve ever had. It was very apparent when I started her on sheep and she wanted to be about 30 feet away. I honestly had no idea what she was doing. She also pulls through doorways, hates being in the house, and squirts through the people sitting in chairs waiting their turn at drop in rally on Monday nights. Each of these in isolation doesn’t tell me much, but in conjunction, they

photo by Jay Hill Photography A month ago, I trialled Brisco at one of our local trials. He knew the sheep, and I was there to help. I had no illusions about winning, I just wanted to build his confidence and let him have a good run. He did a lovely outrun, lift and fetch, but then halfway down the first drive the sheep broke back and began to run. This can be a problem with Brisco, but we’d been working on it. I sent him. He started off well, but the sheep were accelerating.

Spring Classes and Updates Dog camp is just ten days away and we're sold out! If you didn't get a spot this time, follow along on Facebook and Instagram — we'll be posting challenges and updates throughout. Upcoming Classes Our Introduction to Search and Rescue as Sport filled up fast last session, so we're running it again. This class introduces the basics of SAR as a sport and teaches your dog the game of finding people. Starts Wednesday April 29 at 6 pm, runs five weeks, $

Help your dog stop demand barking

Trigger tending her sheep Error-free learning, is just what it sounds like. It's the concept that through excellent management and good training, we can guide our learners to the solution without the repercussions of making a mistake. I think there are certainly great examples of where this methodology will go a long way towards avoiding future problems. I practice error-free learning in housetraining. I set my puppies up so that they are never permitted to make mistakes in t

We usually think of fitness as something we build so our dogs can hike longer, run faster, or compete better. But strength, coordination,...

This past week, I took Brisco to ASCA Nationals in Winnemucca, NV. He did exceptionally well; however, at one point, he was completely...

Did you know that the difference between a reactive pet dog, a strong herding dog, and a confident protection dog often comes down to the...

I can tell when Cody is thinking about sheep. She’ll follow me from room to room, stare relentlessly at me when I sit down, and chatters...

The first week of August Brisco and I (and Tagg, and both crazy puppies!) all headed up to Double M Stockdogs (Molly Wisecarver) for the...

Follow Your Nose: Why Scent Work Matters (and Why We Love It) There's something special about seeing a dog engage their sense of smell....