Isn’t it wonderful to have a dog who will respond to you when hundreds of yards away? That’s part of why we love Border Collies for sure, but also means that some of them are so sensitive to loud sounds that they become phobic.
How To Buy Sheep
When considering buying sheep, one should address some fundamental questions. Some of these questions include: Why do I want sheep? What kind of sheep are desired? How many sheep are wanted? What is the budget available? Where can sheep be purchased? The remainder of this article will be devoted to answering these and other questions.
Sportsmanship
We have all heard the expression, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” I feel the same is true about sportsmanship. Although it may seem that bad sports make more of an impression, get more attention, and are noticed more with a bad reputation of sportsmanship, what they are actually doing is drawing attention away from what the focus should be on, the dog
Read All About It! WWSDA Midwest Championship Sheepdog Trial
Come watch the country's wisest dogs and wiliest handlers compete for the coveted Midwest Sheepdog Championship at Badlands Sno-Park outside of Hudson, WI. Bring a lawn chair and loll on a sun-drenched hillside, watching dogs and handlers compete under time pressure to move sheep through a complicated course.
Lambing Time is Here
Warm sunny days and dog trials seem a world away when the Midwest has been in the throws of a polar vortex, blizzards, and freezing rain! However, we jump our clocks ahead in less than 3 weeks and the first day of spring is less than 2 weeks later. Lambing time is near and some have already started!
Avoid Foot Rot Like The Plague
By Mike Neary, Extension Sheep Specialist: Purdue
(reprinted with permission from July/August 1993 The Working Border Collie)
Foot rot in the ewe flock is a frustrating situation. Anyone who has fought foot rot can attest to this. Seldom is the battle completely won. Foot rot always seems to win a partial victory, whether through decreased production, increased labor and medication costs, decreased ewe longevity and higher culling rates. Foot rot can be a wicked health problem in sheep or can be a mild annoyance.
Getting Started As A Stock Dog Handler
If you are reading this, chances are you are right there at the beginning--wondering what it takes to start training and handling a stock dog.
Great! You’ve come to the right place. Not that we can tell you everything you need to know in this little article; but the Wisconsin Working Stock Dog Association has the people and the resources to help you along this road.
Let's Work for Working Dogs
Volunteers Needed!
Please Volunteer For Annual Trial Set Up
Be a saint! Be a Mensch! Be the hero of the sheepdoggy world!
You will be all of those things and an indispensable part the WWSDA's efforts to put on our Annual Trials if you can come to the Badlands Sno-Park on Saturday, August 19 to help set up the trial field.
Work will start at 10:00 a.m. that day where the big tent has been set up (at the very top of the big hill). Please bring any or all of these items that you have: a pair of gloves, pliers, fence pounder, knife, and good work clothes.
If we get rained out on Saturday, please meet on Sunday, August 20. If you have questions about the rain or anything else, contact Claudia Mahon at cjmahon@sbcglobal.net or Susane Hoffman at shoffman@sheepycorner.com.
The full address for the site is Badlands Sno-Park, 772 Kinney Road, Hudson, WI 54016.
Members Gather to Brainstorm No-Frills Trials
WWSDA Has a New Web Site and Busy Start to February
Thanks to the efforts of Wisconsin Working Stock Dog Association Jack Knox, Merry Russell and John Wentz, the start of February is a productive time.
Merry Russell organizes our annual Jack Knox sheep- and cattle-dog clinic for the weekend of February 4-5 in the fine indoor arena of JB Ranch LLC in Fort Atkinson.