newbcgirl Posted December 23, 2012 Report Share Posted December 23, 2012 I posted this a few days ago on the 'ask an expert' board....maybe it was the incorrect place to put it..... Hi, Cali came into our family when she was 8 months old. She is now just over 3 years old and my husband and I would like to add some sheep to our small farm. I would like to find a trainer/mentor nearby to work with us so that Cali and I can work the sheep together. We live in Upstate NY- Red Creek. Any information that you could pass along would be greatly appreciated. If you need/want more info from me, let me know! Thank you! added..... ****I have no idea of her breeding, I do not have a copy of her papers, am in the process now of contacting her original owner to see if she still has them. **** We have done an obedience course and a couple agility courses also, neither of those trainers have experience with herding and came up blank when I asked if they knew who I could contact.***** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted December 23, 2012 Report Share Posted December 23, 2012 When I saw your post I looked at the map to see if I knew anyone I would recommend within striking distance. The only trainer I know of isn't one that I would feel comfortable recommending. I do know of people who are several hours away. I could put you in contact with them. If anything, they might know of someone closer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbcgirl Posted December 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2012 When I saw your post I looked at the map to see if I knew anyone I would recommend within striking distance. The only trainer I know of isn't one that I would feel comfortable recommending. I do know of people who are several hours away. I could put you in contact with them. If anything, they might know of someone closer. Would you mind sending me a private message with the name of the person you mentioned, so I will know if I come across it myself? Thank you, very much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbcgirl Posted December 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2012 By the way~for anyone that may know someone for me....I am not interested in high pressure training for trials, etc. Just want to be able to reliably and safely work around our own animals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Kling Posted December 23, 2012 Report Share Posted December 23, 2012 I suggest going to a nearby sheepherding trial and asking for a recommendation. Go to the usbcha website for a list of upcoming events. A trialler trainer can help you get a handle on farm work because the skills are the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted December 23, 2012 Report Share Posted December 23, 2012 Joyce Geier is over in the Mendon NY area, near Rochester. I think she is in the British Isles right now but I could be wrong about that. I don't know anything more about her other than I met her and liked her, and she spent a year training and trialing in the UK a few years ago. As suggested, try to get to some trials to meet people and find someone who handles their dogs well and whose relationship with their dogs is what you'd like to have with yours. Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald McCaig Posted December 23, 2012 Report Share Posted December 23, 2012 Dear Wouldbe Sheepdoggers, A routine dog who works familiar animals on familiar ground doesn't need the precision or work/life experience an open trial dog does. A stockdog will be useful on a farm much before he can do a creditable job at a trial. That said, initial training is the same. One teaches the dog to listen, balance, fetch, drive and shed in (more or less) that order. Many farmers never teach the drive, much less the shed. In that respect - the dog has fewer skills - formal farm training can end long before a dog is trial ready. But it is every bit as "high pressure" as trial training. The dog must learn to handle stress and its owner must learn how to apply and relax it. A well bred Border Collie puppy is, genetically, a genius. Its your job, as the trainer, to direct the expression of those instincts whether the dog is hard or soft, determined or fearful. If the dog didn't have those genetics and the genetic urge to work with his shepherd, training for stockwork wouldn't be possible. But those urges are powerful and easily misread. Hence, the mentor/trainer. I had a commercial sheep flock for ten years before I bought my first Border Collie pup. I was surprised to learn how much working with a dog taught me about animals with which I thought I was already familiar and how much, as my skills improved, my shepherding methods changed. I believe that mine is common experience, There are lots of skilled trainers in New York/ New England. You can find them through http://www.nebca.net/welcome.html Donald McCaig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomur Posted December 24, 2012 Report Share Posted December 24, 2012 I contacted Joyce Geier and she agreed that I could forward her name She lives in Menden NY about 1 hour from you.She runs a sheep camp several times a year .My wife and I attended one in Nov.It was excellent.She will instruct at any level.You can't go wrong taking instructions from her. I don't know if she wants her email address made public so contact me and I will send it to you privately. Jim Murphy (jomur9@hotmail.com) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbcgirl Posted December 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2012 Thank you so much with all of your replies, I will certainly look into finding some trials to attend as well as contact people suggested. Any information I get is useful to me, as I am such a newbie. I'm sure I will be reading 1 or 2 of these over a couple of times in order to absorb as much info as possible. Thank you all, again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaBluez Tess Posted December 24, 2012 Report Share Posted December 24, 2012 I recommend Joyce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted December 24, 2012 Report Share Posted December 24, 2012 I didn't realize you were so close to Joyce. I would contact her. The other people I know are at least 4 hours away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynthia P Posted December 25, 2012 Report Share Posted December 25, 2012 Joyce is the closest. From there Roger Millen would be a couple hours away. You can come up to Canada as well but my guess is that would be 4 or 5 hours from you. There is a sheepdog trial at Amanada Milliken's place (pending weather) on the 30th near Kingston. About 2 hrs away. Cynthia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.