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 […]

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. […]

I remember the first time I put a shepherd's whistle in my mouth--a silent little bubble dribbled out one side while my eyes nearly popped from the unreleased pressure behind the instrument. By day two, a reedy pitiful note would moistly eek out on occasion if I held my mouth just right. A few days […]

One of the most important elements of a trial revolves around the quality of the livestock. The AKC rulebook is very specific as to the suitability of stock and provides an in-depth description of the proper type of livestock for tests and trials. Livestock should be comfortable in the presence of both dogs and people, […]

The phrase "written standard" is a familiar one to those who are affiliated with the breed ring. In conformation, it is well known that a judge must be extremely knowledgeable about each breed standard before becoming approved to judge that breed. It is the judge's duty to compare each entry with the written breed standard, […]

Dear Performance Events: I have been doing both AKC and ASFA lure coursing for a number of years, with several sighthound breeds. But my husband and I have also run non-sanctioned lure coursing fun days at our farm for as many years as well. We initially confined them to the sighthound breeds but started allowing […]

Is Tibetan Mastiff just a bit too large for your taste? And a Chihuahua maybe, well, a little too small? You might find one of these eight breeds to be just right. Learn more about popular medium-sized dogs here: Bulldog: Gentle and protective, Bulldogs make excellent family pets. They form strong bonds with children and have a loveable disposition. Bulldogs don’t […]

Jazzy and I first started dog training and showing with the local 4-H club. Since that day, we didn’t want to stop. Training Jazzy is always the highlight of my day. Since we live in Florida it gets very hot, even on the most miserable days it makes it not as bad when you spend […]

One year ago, a friend of our family was diagnosed with a terminal illness. He wasn’t able to take care of his six year old Border Collie, so my mom and I took Dylan into our home. We already had an older dog but Dylan liked to retrieve balls and spend time with me, like […]

  This story is brought to us by  Judy Davis. Judy and her husband, Scott, of Deming, WA, are the rescuers – and adopters – of Scott’s Sir Charlie RE. Charlie has a very special story that Judy has graciously shared with us, and we know that you will enjoy this true success tale. My […]