Herding at Wolston Farms
From herding lessons to inhouse training to demonstratins to hosting trials. you will find it all here.
We use Border Collies on our farm to gather, move, sort and hold our sheep. All of our dogs were raised and trained by us from a young age. We train them first and foremost for practical farm work but also to compete in the highest levels of herding competition. Ian and the dogs also do demonstrations at events and fairs around the pacific northwest.
Ian started training his first working dogs in 1989 and has been teaching herding lessons since the mid 1990’s. Since that time he has worked with most of the herding breeds and many mixes. His training methods revolve around helping the dog learn to read and control stock while applying as little pressure and stress onthe dog as possible. Dogs are taught by providing them with choices, correction wrong choices (verbally and by blocking access to the stock) and rewarding correct choices (verbally and by providing access to the stock). We train the dogs to think for themselves but to respond to directions from the handler not just go where they are told. No fixed pattern or set of techniques is used but rather the training is customized to the individual personality and abilities of each dog.
We start all dogs on sheep, but also have experience training dogs to work on cattle. Former and current students are competing in all of the different venues available to herding dogs as well as working on farms and ranches. We offer several approaches to training your dog, private and group lessons with you and your dog, leaving the dog with us for more intensive training, weekend mini-camps, herding vacations and Ian is also available to travel and do clinics or Judge.
For those interested in doing some or all of their training at home we offer rental and sale of both dog-broke and non-dog-broke sheep.
For directions to our farm please check here. For more information about our offerings read the pages for the types of training we offer, check the price information or give us a call.