First, you have to have a mental image of a perfectly correct "square flank". This involves the relationship between the dog and SHEEP not the handler. Dogs do not square flank off the handler, they square flank off the sheep. As the dog runs in half circle or part of a circle around the sheep […]

The Stop will be one of the most important commands a handler can teach their dog. The dog stopping in an exact spot can make the difference in accomplishing a chore correctly, winning or losing in a trial situation, or even saving a dog's life. Introduce the stop command to a dog away from stock. […]

by Lori Herbel We've all had those great moments in herding when our own outstanding handling expertise and our dog's natural, God-given talents have put us in awe and made our hearts swell, and given us cause to be proud to be herders. But why, oh why do those moments seem to be much fewer […]

By Joyce Norris I have been raising and leasing ducks for herding trials for about 6 years. Most judges and exhibitors say "They are the best ducks they have ever seen." This does take some work. My ducks work well in groups of 5. If a duck gets split off by a dog it will […]

  Long before Jane Lynch rose to fame for her role as the loud-mouthed, plotting cheerleading coach in the hit TV series, Glee, she proved herself as an all-out dog lover in the film Best in Show. Recently, she sat down with the team at The Honest Kitchen to talk about her Lhasa Apso, Olivia, […]

Chapter 3 A. First Meeting: First organizational meeting select/elect Chairperson and each committee's leadership. Determine scope of event and necessary work force. Make a list of preferred judges, possible event facilities, dates and livestock contractors. Timeline 12 to 18 months prior to event: Have organizational meeting B. Chairperson: Communication is important to conducting a successful […]

[AKC Pointing Breed Gun Dog Championship]   Gun Dog Homepage Day 1  |  Day 2  |  Day 3  |  Day 4  |  Day 5  |  Day 6  |  Day 7  |  Photo Coverage Day 8  |  Day 9  |  Day 10  |  Final Day  |  In Conclusion  |  Photo Coverage   Day 1 – AKC Pointing Breed Gun Dog Championship The 2013 AKC Pointing Breed Gun Dog Championship returns to Branched Oak Lake near Lincoln, NE for the 20th […]

Cold weather and the scattering of snow bring out “the frisky” in a lot of our dogs, but some breeds thrive and even excel in frigid conditions—many of them Nordic spitz-type breeds. Here are seven reasons why these breed types are so well adapted to arctic-like weather. 1. Big or hairy paws act like snowshoes […]

The Norwegian Buhund (Buhund) is a member of the Herding Group and a typical northern breed of the spitz type, with prick ears and a tightly curled tail. Although their exact origin hasn’t been identified, they were known in Scandinavia even before the days of the Vikings. Here are nine interesting facts about this alert, […]

  Few dogs are suited to life as a service dog, whether it’s as a guide dog for the visually impaired, a medical alert dog, or a psychiatric service dog. Therefore, service dog organizations need to be very particular about which dogs enter their programs. Despite that, many of the dogs that enter service dog […]