shatchp Posted July 27, 2007 Report Share Posted July 27, 2007 Hi, 6-month-old BC Ollie is already working on becoming an obedience champ, and am beginning to lay a framework for agility in the future. However, the more I work with him, the more I feel like it'd be a shame to never introduce him to livestock. I live in the Portland, OR area...in the city...and although I could fit a few sheep in my yard, my wife probably wouldn't be into it. So, I have two questions: 1) Is anyone aware of any ranches or training programs in the Portland/Vancouver area where I can bring my dog to someone else's sheep? 2) More fundamentally, I'll probably never live on a working ranch, and it's highly unlikely I'll own livestock. Does it make sense for me to even open the door to sheep work? I'm quite sure my dog will have plenty to do without it...but, he was certainly created for that purpose, and I'd love to find a way to explore it with him. Thanks for your input... Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosanne Posted July 27, 2007 Report Share Posted July 27, 2007 http://www.littlehats.net/instruct-nw.html Don't know your area well at all but here's a spot to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bo Peep Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 WOW- too bad I didn't know you way back then. I lived in Molalla. It's near Oregon City. There is the Oregon Sheep Dog Society http://www.osds.org/ Great place to start. I'm not sure where you are in Oregon. There are some really great helpful people in Oregon. I used to work with Kathy Brunetto every Wednesday. No one has heard from her in ages. Mike Ryan used to live 2 miles from me. He was an aussie judge, then switched to BC's. I totally recommend you join this club. So many great trainers in OR. They don't even laugh at you when you walk in the first time with your wild dog- LOL. From novice to open, you will find help and friendships. Dianne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcollie Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 Rocking Dog Ranch is near Salem and Lora is a great person. She has a trainer in giving lessons at least once a week and hosts clinics. Derek Scrimgeour will be there October 12th and 13th. I think her working spots may be full already but there are audit spots available and you can learn a lot from auditing. Her web page is at www.rockingdogranch.com . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaisingRiver Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 http://www.brigandshideout.com/ is exactly 2.8 miles from my house. I have watched a class in session there. But I can't speak about the quality, etc. since I don't know anything about herding. Calling them is best. And here's a couple I found searching online: Angie Untisz Location: Vancouver, WA (Portland OR, Metro area) Type of Stock: Cattle, Goats, Sheep, ducks Specialization: Cow and sheep dogs Breeds Accepted: BCs, ACDs, Aussies, Kelpies, all breeds Email: reddog@europa.com Phone: (360) 687-4687 Dave Viklund, Location: Vancouver, WA (Portland OR, Metro area) Type of Stock: Cattle, Goats, Sheep, ducks Specialization: Cow and sheep dogs, starting young dogs. Breeds Accepted: BCs, ACDs, Aussies, Kelpies, all breeds Email: cowboy_rite@yahoo.com Phone: 360 607 7787 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shatchp Posted July 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 Thanks so much for your help...I didn't realize there were so many opportunities in my area. I'll explore some of these, and report back in a while. Take care all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bo Peep Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 hey Geri- remember me? We had the same dogs? LOL- They all looked alike at the same time. Wow- How I have aged and you haven't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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