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south east Indiana | Hello Everyone,
I am thinking about holding a stockdog clinics geared toward helping folks improve their handling skills to use dogs for practical farm/livestock work. There are lots of clinics out there for training the dogs and for those folks that trial. I sure don't see clinics that are geared toward Using Dogs everyday at home. I run across lots of folks who have thought about maybe getting a dog but have not done so. I believe this is mostly because they just do not where to start looking for a dog, they feel they really do not know enough to be able to use a dog or maybe they have never seen how much help a dog can be on the farm. I started with livestock and then got into Border Collies because I needed help. Now I wouldn’t have livestock without a good dog. I was living in South Dakota at the time on a cattle ranch so my dogs worked my sheep and the cattle at home but we also helped the neighbors gather pastures and load livestock. No longer do I get mauled by bringing buckets of feed into the stock, now I can stand at gates and have the dogs do the hard work of bringing me the stock or moving them through the pasture. They will hold them away while I feed or watch gates for me. It isn’t a big deal when the livestock get through the fences because the dogs enjoy any excuse to work. I also know folks that have nice dogs but would greatly benefit from some help with how to work the dog. You may have a great dog but if he doesn't understand what you are asking him to do it isn't going to go well. More often than not you are asking him the wrong thing or your postion is wrong to enable him to get the job done.
In short the clinics would be geared toward helping folks improve their handling, knowing where and how to place themselves and the dog to accomplish what needs done. If you would be interested in attending such a clinic please contact me. I can plan to hold a couple clinics at different times during the year. Let me know if you prefer a two day clinic during the week or on a weekend and what time of year would work best for you and specifically what you are interested in learning or need the most help with. I know good stockdog handlers across the country who would be willing to put on similar clinics. I run my operation 'alone' with the help of the dogs. The dogs enable me to run twice as many livestock as I could without them. They easily cut the chore time in half. IF they could only build fence.... :-)
Please pass this along to folks with or without a dog who may be interested. If you are a part of a 'livestock' list feel free to post there also.
I am located in Southeastern Indiana and willing to travel to people’s farms/ranches to hold these clinics for a group of interested people. You can bring your dog to a clinic or simply come watch and ask questions. Send me an email if you are intereseted.
Denice Rackley
www.clearfieldstockdogs.com
[email protected]
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Using Stockdogs
