4 Ways to Calm Your ‘Winter Stir Crazy’ Dogs and Get a Better Partnership

Having wild, pent-up dogs could be a really good time to work on some important skills that’ll come in handy now AND later. So, think of it as a blessing in disguise! lol Seriously? You probably think I’m crazy, reading my quote. (and, I’m not sayin you’re wrong!) 😉 Here’s Why: The Dogs: Can […]
One Dog’s Transformation from Trash to Treasure

When I adopted Maya, she had been labeled as ‘untrainable’ by her 3 previous homes, and was ready to be put down because of it. You may know my sweet and sassy Maya…or you may know of her story. She is quite a gal, with a jaded history. 😉 She was kicked out of […]
How to Start Herding the Right Way
To: Fellow Herding Dog Enthusiasts From: Kathy “learned the hard way” Kawalec If you have a herding breed dog, you have likely thought about how cool it would be to enjoy a trip out to the farm and give herding a try! Maybe you have a herding dog who really needs a job and misbehaves […]
The Joy and Struggle of Life with Dogs
Learn how to get more joy and a lot less struggle with the 5 Steps to a Brilliant Partnership with the Dog You Love.
Herding Dog, No Sheep? 3 Simple Skills You Can Practice At Home
3 SIMPLE THINGS YOU CAN PRACTICE AT HOME to accelerate your herding progress. This is Part 3 of a series…see part 1 and part 2 for some fun games to keep your dog mentally and physically satisfied…and work on important skills! It can be a challenge to make progress when you can only practice herding […]
How to Easily Fix This Common (and Frustrating) Dog Training Challenge
Last year I surveyed dog lovers from all around the country…engaged in a cross section of ALL dog activities/dog sports/working dogs. Can you guess what was in the Top 3 Common Struggles? “My Dog Gets Distracted, Looses Focus, Won’t Listen.” I totally get it. A couple of years ago I wrote a blog post about […]
Herding Case Study: From Frustration to Partnership from a Simple Perspective Shift
How to have a good working partnership with your stockdog. When your herding dog doesn’t listen, it’s a call for help, not a reason for a correction. That’s when a partnership based on trust and clear dialog changes everything. Remember the last time your dog ‘got distracted’, ‘blew you off’, or just ‘didn’t listen’? Was […]
Games to Play with Herding Dogs Pt 2
More Games to Play with Herding Dogs When You Don’t Have Sheep in Your Backyard Remember: Herding dogs not only require serious physical activity every single day, but they need serious mental activity too. Thinking is one of the things herding dogs are great at, and they’re not truly happy without daily mental exercise. Most […]
A Fun Game to Satisfy Your Herding Dog’s “Herding Instinct” When You Don’t Have Sheep to Work.
One of the things that get herding breed dogs into trouble is not having a REAL job to do every day. A real job like grazing the sheep. Or bringing the cows home. Or putting the chickens and ducks to bed each night. You might be doing a great job of providing plenty of exercise […]
The Secret to Creating Partnership with Your Dog
I’ve been thinking a lot about creating deep and solid partnership with my dogs. And how to help others do the same. Most of the time what we think about is how to be better at our handling and impeccable with the training of our dogs…the mechanics of it. Like our position, body language, […]
Are you ‘Training’ Your Way to Herding Trial Failure?
All that building excitement gets us to thinking about ‘getting ready’ for the launch of trial season
Is Your Misbehaving Dog Begging for Help?
Remember the last time your dog ‘got distracted’, ‘blew you off’, or just ‘didn’t listen’? • Maybe the last time your dog broke her stay? • How about when he left you to sniff the ground or pee on a post? • Wasn’t that just last week that she leapt right over the A-frame contact? […]